First Track Day in My Lotus Exige S220 | In-Depth RaceBox Review

I finally get the chance to bring my Lotus Exige out for a track day at the Raceway Park Road Course. Let's see if it's really the legendary track weapon people say it is. And to do that, we'll be using the brand new RaceBox lap timer, a good alternative to VBOX and Dragy.
00:00 - Cinematic Intro
01:14 - Lotus Exige Track Impressions
06:09 - RaceBox Full Review
Check out the RaceBox on their website www.racebox.pro/
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What I use to log my performance times:
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RaceBox amzn.to/2XD8PEK
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Legal disclaimer: This video is a cinematic recreation to provide factual information and entertainment. All local speed and traffic laws were obeyed during the filming and production of this video. Any display of speed or racing was either performed at a local race track, on a closed course, or re-enacted legally for the purposes of filming the episode.
#lotus #exige #racebox

[@SpeedLabsMotorEnvy]

Dragy is really popular because of its price but it can't do lap timing. VBOX does everything well, but costs an arm and leg. So how do we feel about this new RaceBox?

[@harmlesskarl427]

it should works great on my Toyota sienna!

[@SpeedLabsMotorEnvy]

😄😄

[@ralfmalf72]

Just ordered a Dragy to use in my Tesla. Love your videos and reviews. Keep it up!

[@paytonjeremias8738]

A tip: watch movies at flixzone. Been using it for watching a lot of movies these days.

[@jeffersondane1554]

@Payton Jeremias Yup, I've been watching on flixzone for years myself :D

[@jw08901]

The dog is adorable

[@sonicbum92]

About time there was another Lotus vid! Man that color is awesome.

[@nolanjang3777]

I think I'm in love with your dog.

[@yennyzheng2629]

The quality of these videos are amazing.

[@michaelrobson1627]

Great video man! honest review on the racebox too, love it. Haha, when you're car randomly stalled at the end, can relate in my exige too! haha

[@BlatentlyFakeName]

The brakes never fade on the Lotuses, they are really good AP racing ones as stock.

[@travisjorgensen9651]

Great video. Englishtown was my go to track for a while but man...that surface is rough! I'm surprised I've never seen you there.

[@paisis123]

Hey, i grew up in Old Bridge! That race course is famous!

[@simonchan2457]

Great video!!!

[@echan9032]

love the car and color!

[@PhantomMark]

None of the races I raced in was down to a tenth of a second, I get the point of the comment, but even for me, a tenth of a second at this price point is more than acceptable for a super quick overview, and the delta display is invaluable when trying to stitch a lap together with limited laps to do so. I like you have exposed all the worst bits, as it does let us make our own decision if it is for us or not........personally I run a Dash2Pro GPS system in my race car, but I have dropped the money on this unit for my road car, and also to have as a backup for my race car and for quick analysis trackside, like you said, for when getting a laptop out maybe is practical.

[@HondaExige1]

Nice video! When lapping can it display the delta time to your best lap? At 10:13 it seems like it doesn't.

[@johnadams2933]

Great channel

[@harmlesskarl427]

i was surprised my buddy did not get millions subs. such a great chl

[@SportsCars_TE]

One of the best channels, love the car! About upgrades, in EU we have the Christopher Neil 260 upgrade & KomoTec 280. I wouldn't go higher than 260bhp, because the gearbox is kinda the weak point of this car.

[@SpeedLabsMotorEnvy]

@Sportscars TE Appreciate that! I feel like in terms of power, the car is sufficient. My original plan was to do a trip down to BOE in the Midwest to do their 300 package which is pretty inclusive of all the supporting mods. But a lot of people are saying 260-280 is the threshold, so I might just do a simple tune and fueling upgrade. Now when you say gearbox, do you mean the gears or the box itself?

[@SportsCars_TE]

​@@SpeedLabsMotorEnvy The 3rd gear can be a weak link, because of the extra torque. It is also important to have the shift cables adjusted properly.

[@SpeedLabsMotorEnvy]

Good to know. I actually snapped the OEM shift cables when I first got the car. Replaced them with some from Inokinetic. I think they are adjusted properly as they feel better than OEM.

[@TheLovatt123]

Go to Millville NJMSP tracks are smooth and challenging 👌

[@harrykwan734]

Oh yeah you bought it! Congrats. Man you def need coilovers! Even my nitron singles are a night and day change to the factory and I started with the track pack suspension. If you want the top shelf stuff Penske, Ohlins, or JRZ's will more than do the job. Also I opted for 15/16 wheels for better compliance to real world corners and for quicker pickup and quicker steering. TC is fairly subtle; I can hardly tell when it's on or off and I often forget to shut it off at the track. I just got a Garmin Catalyst and will put it on track next week to see if the virtual coaching tool works.

[@SpeedLabsMotorEnvy]

@Harry Kwan Yessir, I’m really quite enjoying the car. And yes, Nitron singles are what I’ve been eye-ing as a suspension upgrade. I’m also looking at TE37SLs in 15/16 but my main gripe is that there isn’t a suitable center cap option for them. I’d be doubling them as my street wheels as well. Let me know what you think of the Garmin Catalyst, I hear lots of good things about it, but at $1000 I just can’t justify it over a VBOX.

[@harrykwan734]

@@SpeedLabsMotorEnvy Once I get a few track days in with it, I'll put up a vid review. I just ordered TE37's in bronze, 15/16... I'll shoot that as well and you can see what you think in terms of looks. My car is all track-ratted out at this point... just installed a Voltex wing and a Reverie splitter is on the way from the UK too... all the mods!

[@harrykwan734]

@@SpeedLabsMotorEnvy If you get the nitron singles, handling improves on street and on track... highly adaptable with easy roll of a dial. And you taste in wheels is spot on; I have TE37's coming next month in bronze, size 15/16. But I hadn't thought about the center cap. Maybe I'll fit a black Lotus logo bubble sticker over it. As far as I can see on the Garmin, it's been simplified for drivers who don't get too technical and the coaching tool iterates the driver into a better lap in theory. It reminds me of monkeys with a typewriter... eventually you might get a coherent sentence. I have not explored it enough but I don't think it has many features for someone who wants to do things like accel/deccel numbers like you are doing or use data to optimize the car setup.

[@SpeedLabsMotorEnvy]

@Harry Kwan Sounds good! Oh and do you have the SLs? I heard that there’s no center cap solution for the TE37SLs, which would be a bummer. Spending 2500USD on wheels to show the rusty bolt is a little weird for me.

[@funke4u]

The folks @ Dragy have a work in progress on adding lap times to the dragy.

[@ShermanMR2]

Get some Olin triples. You’ll thank me later. I had them on my 2008 S240 and they were bliss for the street and track.

[@PS3Cooooooool]

Could you make a video explaining Racebox VS Garmin Catalyst?

[@Nathan-vb7vi]

Sounds like you need a geo setup or try some nitron suspension. The suspension is fairly compliant, that's on bumpy British b roads.

[@moritakashi38]

Looks like a fun time until the shut off. The Lotus deserves a better track. The suspension is not meant to go off-roading like that.

[@ceejec]

Can you do Racebox vs Aim Solo 2 in terms of accuracy

[@cantdriveslo]

I dont remember which car was more difficult to get into to, Lotis Exige or 2nd gen Dodge Viper

[@soto3689]

Where did the Abarth 124 go?

[@dudebro2241]

wow cool

[@erickelly4107]

looks to be perfectly fine (very close compared to official times) for drag or track unless you want to be extremely asinine or racing your vehicles for a living and need it to be 100% vs. ~ 99.5% accurate.

[@richieduck67]

Great review is that a Husky or Malamute in the background?

[@SpeedLabsMotorEnvy]

@savethemanual Thanks! She is a Siberian Husky.

[@harmlesskarl427]

when i was young, everyone like lotus, but know they're sold, right?

[@francoisboisvert1591]

I think the RaceBox is probably OK for people that want to have a good idea of their car's performance. If you're gonna race it to win, you probably have the disposable income to buy the VBox. I absolutely love the car Dan, the color is amazing, too bad the racetrack was so rough. Did it get worse over time, I don't remember it being so rough in the BRZ video, or is it just the Lotus is so stiff that you feel it through the steering wheel if you roll over a caterpillar?

[@DanWangFilms]

I agree, RaceBox is meant for a more casual weekend warrior and I would wholeheartedly recommend it at the price point it’s currently at. VBOX is a professional tool that has a proven track record of almost 2 decades (as far as I’m concerned). The track has been getting slightly worse than that time I did it with the BRZ. They just don’t invest in any sort of maintenance there, which is unfortunate, because it’s got potential. But the Lotus is also much stiffer than the BRZ. I went into this track day expecting it to be undriveable, but it just turned out to be unenjoyable.

[@detailcentral]

Nice video. Funny that you showcased a lotus, because I have an interest in purchasing one. I did not catch the name of the model you have. Do you mind sharing the name? Keep those sid videos coming. Thanks

[@SpeedLabsMotorEnvy]

@Audwin Lindsay So the model I have is a 2007 Lotus Exige S. If you’re interested in the Exige, do a little more research on the years because from 2007-2008, there is a change in terms of tech inside the car that may affect what aftermarket parts you can buy.

[@CommonsFilms]

Somethings worth bearing in mind... That cars development grounds are in part the bumpy A and B roads around the Lotus home of Hethel. That car shouldn’t be suffering from being excessively bumpy as you seem to be experiencing so I suspect somebody has tampered with the suspension and ruined it. Also, you mention infamous snap oversteer... I’ve owned an Exige S for 7 years and have never once experienced snap oversteer or ever heard of another owner who has considered it to be a problem🤔 I recommend adding some Nitron coilovers and a suspension refresh as a starting point and be sure to have the gel set up by someone who knows what they are doing. These cars are hyper sensitive in that regard so choose someone with experience of setting one up. 👍

[@SpeedLabsMotorEnvy]

@CommonsFilms That car does okay on normal bump roads, but for anyone without first hand experience at this track, it might as well be an off-road/rally track at certain sections. Although I do think I need to check up on the steering alignment. After the track day, I drove it out on my normal bumpy roads home which normally made me uncomfortable, but it felt smooth as glass after coming from the track. In terms of the snap, I haven’t experienced it either (yet), but the previous owner as well as two other track Exige owners have both experienced it and I’ve seen their cabin cams when it happens. It may come down to driving style though. One of them recommended beefier front sways. I’ll have to do more research or try and at least replicate it in a parking lot. Thanks for the suggestions. A new suspension setup is probably a good idea. Something that is adjustable would serve this car well over where I live. Have you done or heard of the 3-4 gear ratio change from Jubu Racing?

[@CommonsFilms]

@@SpeedLabsMotorEnvy it’s worth reviewing the geo at least every couple of years. Like I mentioned, they are very sensitive to the smallest of changes. For example... a friend of mine was running 30 psi all round in his tyres and the car handled horribly. Such a light car requires a lot less pressure. I’d check to see where yours are set as a fist port of call... start with 23psi front and 25psi rear. The gearboxes are sadly made of chocolate and my friends literally count the passing of the seasons based on me putting in a new box! But my car is running a lot of extra power so it’s to be expected. 3rd and 4th gears are the weak link and many, (as have I) have turned to the JUBU gear set. I’ve broken/destroyed one so far so it’s not bullet proof... but I lean on the engine braking with little sympathy so it’s to be expected. However, on a car running no more than 280 hp the standard box ought to be up to the job. But I’d advise fresh oil annually as a part of the service. Much cheaper than a new box trust me! Ahead of that I would recommend addressing the suspension. The standard Bilsteins are a little crashy over potholes and soon out of their depth on track. Snap oversteer wise... a poor/ inexperienced driver can lose control of just about any car. The key with any mid engined rwd car is a balanced throttle. The 2ZZ doesn’t really have the power to induce smoking tyre sideways action easily and the the ability to, (steer from the rear) isn’t really there either. These cars like to carry their speed through the corners and they poses the ability to hit an apex like no other car this side of a single seater. My advice... check the tyre pressures and if the budget is there, get some good quality coilovers, (Nitron are amazingly compliment on the road and epic on track) on there followed by a full geo. If the budget isn’t there for both then start with the geo and you’ll likely find it’s a different car by comparison. No need to chase more power or to beef up the gearbox at this point... suspension and braking with make that car a lot faster where it counts... in the corners 👍

[@SpeedLabsMotorEnvy]

@CommonsFilms Thanks for the advice. It’s quite helpful for a new(ish) owner like myself. Also I did start my first post on LT. What is geo (forgive my ignorance)? Would a Lotus dealer/service department be able to do the geo? Tire pressure is a big one that I am aware of. I didn’t want to do too much on the first time so I just left all 4 corners at 29. I’ll set them next time for sure. At the same time, I do also need new tires, these have been on the street a lot so it probably has some unnecessary heat cycles. How simple the Jubu gear install? Can a Lotus dealer do the install? My main problem right now is finding a reputable shop near me (NJ, USA) to do any sort of work. I am ready to purchase a bunch of parts but I want to entrust the labor to a place who can do it right. And yes, the Nitron singles are on my short list for mods for 2021. I’m also considering a set of TE37SLs in 15/16 as well as the digital dash option. I have a hard time with reading the dulled out analog gauge under aggressive driving conditions. Cheers.

[@CommonsFilms]

@@SpeedLabsMotorEnvy no worries at all... happy to offer advice to help you get things sorted. Geo = geometry or perhaps you know it as wheel alignment? In any case, it doesn’t have to be a main dealer, but will need to be someone with experience as the set up on an Exige will be different, (shims) compared to what regular shops will likely have dealt with. It’s essential to ensure you get the best from the car and something that will need to be don’t again when you’ve swapped out the suspension. 29 psi is crazy too high. You need to take into account that a car weighing 500-600kg more would run that kind of tyre pressure. Trust me, for road use set the fronts to 23 psi and the rears to 25 psi. You’ll find the ride is a lot less bumpy and the their will be so much more grip on offer. Anything gearbox related is extremely expensive on these cars I’m afraid. Labour alone is crazy and combined with the gear set it’s between £4,000 & £5,000 in the UK. Honestly... far better investing your money in the suspension and brakes at this stage 👍

[@SpeedLabsMotorEnvy]

@CommonsFilms Yes, wheel alignment is crucial. It was just a difference of terminology that got me mixed up. First thing I’ll do when I get a chance is set my pressures to 23/25. Is there TPMS in the 07 Exige? My guess is no, but I just want to make sure. Thanks again for the advice. I’ll be focusing more on suspension/wheels and maybe adding an exhaust for sound. I’m told that I have the Janspeed from the factory, but I want to get some catted pipes and the dual outlet sport exhaust from Hangar111 to make it a clean “supercar” look.

[@JL-qf5dc]

Beautiful and cute car!

[@allwheelboost]

You can probably gain 30-40HP with a tune alone. Isn't the S260 the same thing except with a tune? That's your extra power right there.

[@CommonsFilms]

Not the case at all sadly. Fuelling and cooling need addressing to obtain such gains along with a smaller pulley and remap.

[@CarGuy11]

Nice I just reviewed the same car on my channel!

[@gregsraceparts]

👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻

[@noblevengeance312]

Well shit here we are. I’ve been really anticipating this one. Nice race box, I’ll ask you for the link on IG. Yeah this car is easy to fall in love with. She looks great Unforgiving suspension? Please explain As Dan squeezes into the car Lol nice helmet still DOT certified? That’s cool nice that race box Are you running all seasons for this vid? Haha looks rough DID YOU JUST THE HORN WENT OFF LMFAO LOL BEEPING AT PEOPLE ON THE TRACK YES Great sound man lol. I bet the brakes are wonderful Lmao you’re loving it The G forces must be insane with how light it is Sounds great man holy shit, sounds like some of the sound is getting distorted with the engine You can see how the interior is so much affected by the rough pavement. replace the wheel for sure OFF-ROADING YES Car turned off? Hmmmmmm Shit wtf that track sucks DOGGGOOOOOOO I hate computers bro you have no idea lol too much shit to do I like how you’re using the KZbin chapters setup for this video, definitely stick with this in the future DOGGO Interesting times 🤔 Basically it sucks for 1/2 mile got it I wouldn’t be getting this racebox, it’s too aberrant with its data, but cool concept I do like how it’s on an app though. Maybe it’s good for the casual once a month racer honestly I forgot your dogs name but so cute haha Nice video, that box looks interesting. I hope the car is okay from the shit pavement, sounds like a rough day at the track lol

[@DanWangFilms]

Yessir, here we are. And I'm drinking coffee instead of beer now. RaceBox is cool, but I think you do more straight line stuff, so still grab that Dragy whenever you're ready. So the suspension is really rather stiff, and that's great for the most part, but over the constant bumps on this track, it's brutal as you can see in the vibrations of the cameras. It also translates through to the steering wheel where you have a hard time keeping it smooth and controlled. Yes, all my racing helmets are DOT/Snell 2015 right now. Might pick up a 2020 when they drop. No, I'm running the factory tires which are Yokohama A048 semi-slicks. They've got a lot of unnecessarily street heat cycles on them so it may not be in prime shape, but I was just fooling around and not trying to set a hot lap. The G-forces were so insane that it ripped the battery from the retainer and undid the negative terminal. Yeah the chapters feature is really cool. I think I'll definitely start doing more of it because it makes the video look pro. That dog's name is Athena. Yeah I'm never bringing the Lotus back to that track. The Abarth 124 is the only car that's going there. Thanks for watching and the comment bro.

[@noblevengeance312]

@@DanWangFilms haha nice. When I get some Christmas money ill snatch the dragy Yeah dude the suspension being stiff on that shit track was kinda like choosing death I guess lol. Ah gotcha with the tires Rip to the battery Yeah the vid looks very organized now and it’s nice if anyone feels like skipping around Cute name for sure Yeah fuck that track, no problem man great vid as always 👊🏻

[@KimAreZ06]

Horns on the steering wheel is not a design fail. Moving your hands around on the steering wheel during tracking is however a fail ;) You loose so much car info by changing grip like that, keep it quarter to 3 allways.

[@CRMXL]

Bro, at 13:07 were you talking about yourself cuz it kind of felt that way 😅? Anyway I felt that 🤣 I wonder if rexing would sponsor you or probably do the same deal you're doing with this race box. But when you really look at it you don't really do driving vlogs sort of or having more affiliated merchandise from other people that would give you a cut.

[@SpeedLabsMotorEnvy]

Haha, not necessarily, maybe I was maybe thinking out loud, but I guess it’s a general statement. It’s possible Rexing could sponsor, although you are right, I don’t do any videos where that product would come in handy. Sponsorships would be nice though.

[@CRMXL]

@@SpeedLabsMotorEnvy I mean it's a long shot but now I'm thinking maybe Under Armour can provide you with a discount code to give out to your viewers or maybe reaching out to Sparco, Recaro, Momo, or car wash supplies like meguiar. Idk bro, I'm just trying to think of something that isn't cliche or unwanted for your viewers like those Ridge wallets or watches that they're trying to sell on other car channels. The point is to so something your viewers will actually Buy in droves versus getting a niche audience who will die hard throw their money at you. Maybe a tire website could sponsor? 🤔

[@SpeedLabsMotorEnvy]

@CRMXL If UA could do any sort of sponsorship/discount code, I would be ecstatic. Half my wardrobe is Under Armour, practically. What’s funny is Ridge did reach out to me a few times and I had to decline because I don’t really believe in making money off stuff that doesn’t fit in with the feel or vibe of the channel. I’ll have to reach out to some of these companies to see who is willing to do something.

[@CRMXL]

@@SpeedLabsMotorEnvy fk ya, keeping real 💯 Reebok? Maybe amazon prime discount in connection with the vast car shows it has? EBC breaks?

[@SpeedLabsMotorEnvy]

I’m sure something will come to us in year 3. For now, I will slowly continue the grind and reject the Ridge wallets and RAID phone game sponsors.

[@Friss213]

Would be curious to get your thoughts on the Garmin Catalyst which is all about the road course over anything else. Be sure to stop by LotusTalk forums as well. Lots of great information if you haven't discovered it already.

[@SpeedLabsMotorEnvy]

@Friss213 I think the Garmin Catalyst is a fantastic looking product, however, at that price point, it’s really hard to justify when you have all these other products that can do the same thing at a much lower price. Even VBOX is coming out with their new PBOX Touch ($600-700 range). Frankly, my opinion is that the Garmin is a luxury product for this market. I’ve been lurking on LotusTalk for a while now. It’s definitely a great source of information.

[@erikschmidt476]

@@SpeedLabsMotorEnvy I don't really understand your verdict. I think the racebox makes no secret of the fact that it is not an AIM or Garmin quality kind of product. In the video you say that 0.1sec (on >2min lap!) is not acceptable. But if you want to indirectly (in this case through GPS) want to measure any signal you need to spend money on the sensors. Also, the app for post processing is really basic, whilst the Garmin is also not all encapsulating but a lot of time has gone into making it user friendly - that costs money. Dont forget that 10 years ago the cheapest datalogger was in the range of a good set of wheels + tires!

[@04tsxpower]

Long story short if it said bmw it would get an excellent review

[@exotixfan]

It's interesting to see all these new performance tools coming to the market lately. Have you heard about the new Garmin one that's like 1K? At some point, these people need to relax.

[@SpeedLabsMotorEnvy]

Yes, I heard about those. It’s obscene to pay that much for a logger. Garmin makes good stuff, but I think it’s also one of their entries into professional level performance tools.

[@peterbratu]

So you refuse to use the external antenna, then you complain about pinpoint accuracy? Come on!

[@SpeedLabsMotorEnvy]

I don't use an external antenna on my 10 year old VBOX and it still provides pinpoint accuracy.

[@pilkjaer]

You should take some racing classes to learn how to place your hands on the wheel as well as why windows need to be closed if you are not using hand restriction devices.

[@SpeedLabsMotorEnvy]

This track requires our windows to be down at least on the driver side for signalling. But I suppose 9 and 3 isn't the standard hand positioning where you learned to race.

[@LostinSweden68]

That track looks horrible on tires!

[@nahlebnik9345]

just a quick dislike for long ad.