2008 Best Car Series: Nissan GT-R vs Lotus Exige 240 S

[YSSMAN]

Last one! You know the rules!

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The Nissan GT-R

VS



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Its a tough choice for me... Let me think for a moment...

 

[Famine]

I love Lotus, but... All they seem to do these days is tweak the Elise. And when I say tweak I mean "give more power to". Would you even notice this was an Exige 240 S when it came past, rather than an "ordinary" Exige?

 

[rovens]

I love Lotus, but... All they seem to do these days is tweak the Elise. And when I say tweak I mean "give more power to". Would you even notice this was an Exige 240 S when it came past, rather than an "ordinary" Exige?

I agree, but its a lotus, i have to vote for it.

 

[YSSMAN]

Despite my monstrous level of respect for the Lotus, I had to vote for the GT-R. Its too good to ignore, despite the fact that I otherwise don't care much for it. Lets put it this way; Its not "my kind" of sportscar, but for something thats cheap and can keep up with cars that cost more than double its price, it gets a spot in the "pretty-damn-cool" garage with other monster-killers like the Corvette Z06 and the Mitsubishi Evolution.

 

[V1P3R]

Would you even notice this was an Exige 240 S when it came past, rather than an "ordinary" Exige?

Yes.

 

[Famine]

Really? What's the orange car in the picture?

 

[MustangSVT]

Had to vote for the GT-R. It's an incredible car. The only car that I would even vote against the GT-R would be like the Mitsubishi Evo X, that's about it.

 

[Philly]

Tough call. Both are very good at what they are designed to do. But the GT-R works too many miracles to not vote for it, however much I don't like it.

 

[homeforsummer]

I have to go with personal preference in this thread: I like light weight, and a traditional approach to making sports cars. I'm also a big fan of Lotus in general, so it has to be the Exige. However, I can completely understand why people would vote for the GT-R, so I'll be interested to see the eventual victor in this thread. I expect the GT-R will walk away with it.

Personally though, I'd prefer the standard Elise S to either of these, and pocket a large amount of change!

 

[CyborgGT]

Easy: GT-R. Faster around a track, and more comfortable for daily driving.

 

[V1P3R]

Really? What's the orange car in the picture?

I actually thought you ment elise somehow at first, but yeah... I can tell. It's a 240s

Wheels are different as well as the side intake and rear wing being body colored too.

 

[Joey D]

The Exige is the better car in this poll since it's built on the principal of simplify and add lightness. It's what a sports car should be and I know if I had the money an Elise or Exige would be what I would spend my money on over just about anything else.

The GT-R lacks the passion the Exige does and is very complex which in the long run adds to problems that the car might suffer. Street legal go-kart FTW!

 

[exigeracer]

for something thats cheap and can keep up with cars that cost more than double its price, it gets a spot in the "pretty-damn-cool" garage with other monster-killers like the Corvette Z06 and the Mitsubishi Evolution.

You do realize that you just described both cars in this thread?

--

Pretty obvious where my vote went. I'd like to think that my little speech helped the R8 win over the 911, but I don't think any persuasive essay could sway any skeptics this time.

-edit- Viper: the car you linked is not an Exige S 240, it is the limited Exige Sport 240, exclusive to the Australian market. Normal Exige S 240 can be identified by mohawk scoop and nothing else over normal '08 Exige S. Yours has black bits here and there, along with Cup wheels, which the Exige S 240 has neither (it actually has those same wheels as the Krypton Green Exige inset but powdercoated noir)

 

[gator of kana]

Voted for the GT-R as I am a member of the GT-R club and that it's my dream car. The Exige is good too but the GT-R plays a bigger role, more like a role model to be exact for extremely fast cars. That it does not matter how many pistons or how little weight the car has but the concept. I love how the VR38DETT V6 thwarts those V8s, V10s, and V12s.

 

[homeforsummer]

That it does not matter... how little weight the car has

On the contrary, it does matter how little a car weighs. The GT-R is an amazing work of engineering and massively quick, but had Nissan concentrated as much on reducing weight as they had on electronics and building it in a perfectly clean environment the car would be revolutionary, not merely iconic.

When the original Elise came out with a kerb weight of 720kg it was revolutionary, next to contemporary sports cars like the MX-5 which at the time weighed a whole 220kg more, and cars like the MGF and Fiat Barchetta which weighed even more.

As impressive as it is that the GT-R hides it's weight very well, the importance of keeping weight down shouldn't be underestimated - after all, racing versions of the GT-R will be lighter than the road car, and there's a reason for that.

 

[V1P3R]

the car you linked is not an Exige S 240, it is the limited Exige Sport 240, exclusive to the Australian market. Normal Exige S 240 can be identified by mohawk scoop and nothing else over normal '08 Exige S. Yours has black bits here and there, along with Cup wheels, which the Exige S 240 has neither (it actually has those same wheels as the Krypton Green Exige inset but powdercoated noir)

That's what I was afraid of... Whatever, as long as the scoop is the main identifier.

 

[gator of kana]

On the contrary, it does matter how little a car weighs. The GT-R is an amazing work of engineering and massively quick, but had Nissan concentrated as much on reducing weight as they had on electronics and building it in a perfectly clean environment the car would be revolutionary, not merely iconic.

When the original Elise came out with a kerb weight of 720kg it was revolutionary, next to contemporary sports cars like the MX-5 which at the time weighed a whole 220kg more, and cars like the MGF and Fiat Barchetta which weighed even more.

As impressive as it is that the GT-R hides it's weight very well, the importance of keeping weight down shouldn't be underestimated - after all, racing versions of the GT-R will be lighter than the road car, and there's a reason for that.

Nissan puts the weight to use though. I understand what you're saying. Lighter is faster but Nissan used a method that other car makers that make fast cars as well didn't, use the earth's gravity to their advantage. Correct me if there was another car maker that used this idea, got to keep this brain of mine right with the facts, and if the GT-R isn't Nissan's icon then what is?

 

[homeforsummer]

Nissan puts the weight to use though.

How exactly do you mean?

Nissan used a method that other car makers that make fast cars as well didn't, use the earth's gravity to their advantage.

Given that virtually any car (save for the Merc CLK-GTR ) don't float clean off the Earth's surface, I'd suggest that all makers use the Earth's gravity to their advantage.

I genuinely have no idea what you're on about. Downforce? Done before. Ground effect? Done before (not least in the R34 GT-R). Please please explain...

and if the GT-R isn't Nissan's icon then what is?

I didn't say it wasn't an icon - I said it wasn't revolutionary.

 

[gator of kana]

How exactly do you mean?



Given that virtually any car (save for the Merc CLK-GTR ) don't float clean off the Earth's surface, I'd suggest that all makers use the Earth's gravity to their advantage.

I genuinely have no idea what you're on about. Downforce? Done before. Ground effect? Done before (not least in the R34 GT-R). Please please explain...



I didn't say it wasn't an icon - I said it wasn't revolutionary.

To answer those 2 questions you would have to refer to Gran Turismo TV and watch the GT-R Legend Story, I can't really remember from those subtitles when the Nissan people were explaining

 

[Philly]

I'd suggest that all makers use the Earth's gravity to their advantage.

I think what he's referring to might be that Nissan found some way to make lugging around a lot of extra weight better than not having much weight. Sounds interesting...

 

[Jim Prower]

Honestly, both of these cars eschew the properties of automotive exterior design in favor of performance. That's something I love, especially in the GT-R's case...I don't think any car designer in their right mind would design a roof like that. But an Aerodynamics Engineer would, because it works better. It's almost like the engineers on the GT-R gave the finger to the design department when they were doing the aero on that car. I love it. It's an ugly bastard but I love it.

The Exige, on the other hand, had a body that was basically built to cover the mechanicals. That's Lotus: no space wasted. They'd make it a single-seater if they could sell it that way. But it's typical Lotus...you expect it, and there's no real surprise unless you don't know a thing about Lotus. The GT-R, on the other hand, was given an almost insurmountable challenge (that is, take on sports-car-only makes like...Lotus, and Porsche) and achieved it with flying colors. Even the R34 couldn't do what the R35 did, not without much modification.

Computers? I'm not sure they cheapen the driving experience much on the GT-R. From what I've read and seen, it seems they make things even better for the driver. And for all the talk of those electronics, I haven't seen much talk about the clever aero tricks, the super-efficient drivetrain transferring more power to the wheels, the mechanicals of the car. The fact it does what it does at the price it does it at (forgetting about markups, since even the Mustang GT500 had those,) makes it a very impressive car.

Granted, I wish it weren't so big. I'm guessing us Yankees had something to do with that...our crash standards, not our girth. I always have and still do like how Lotus operates by making cars featherweights...but even the Exige has grown heavy compared with the cars it originally came from. Given par for the course, the GT-R is a midsize 2-door hardtop...ish with top shelf sports car performance.

I like 2-door midsize hardtops.

 

[exigeracer]

I genuinely have no idea what you're on about. Downforce? Done before. Ground effect? Done before (not least in the R34 GT-R). Please please explain...

I'd say it's also fair mentioning that both devices were invented and seen on Lotus before any other car at all...

 

[gator of kana]

I think what he's referring to might be that Nissan found some way to make lugging around a lot of extra weight better than not having much weight. Sounds interesting...

I shouldn't really say gravity but it had something to do with the earth, the laws of nature to be exact

 

[Tornado]

I'd say it's also fair mentioning that both devices were invented and seen on Lotus before any other car at all...

Chaparral?

 

[Philly]

Traction in general? That is accomplished by downforce and the suspension/chassis.

It certainly is true that your tires are going to be able to take a lot more lateral force if the normal force (weight) is higher. but that increase in lateral force tolerance isn't enough to compensate for the increase in lateral force the car exerts on the tires. [/physics lesson]

If weight was the best way to achieve better handling, I'm sure most sports cars on the roads today (and race cars) would be very, very heavy and probably powered by 12 liter V-12 engines.

There is a reason the Bugatti Veyron doesn't stand a chance against an Elise in twisties.

 

[mustangGT90210]

I like the Elise, kinda so-so on the GT-R, but you know what, I'd rather own the Nissan

 

[exigeracer]

I shouldn't really say gravity but it had something to do with the earth, the laws of nature to be exact

That isn't exact at all. It's actually the opposite: you've got no idea what you're posting.

You've gotta start actually knowing what you're posting if you plan on staying here very long. I don't mean to sound like the jackass, but it's gotten frustrating, and I'm sure I'm not alone in feeling that.

 

[gator of kana]

That isn't exact at all. It's actually the opposite: you've got no idea what you're posting.

You've gotta start actually knowing what you're posting if you plan on staying here very long. I don't mean to sound like the jackass, but it's gotten frustrating, and I'm sure I'm not alone in feeling that.

That's why I said to watch the GT-R Legend Story, I don't know what category my deduction falls under, all I know is that it had to do something about the earth. Geez, you think that I'm suppose to be a genius? I'm just a high school teenager.

 

[exigeracer]

Nobody expects you to be a scientist, but some knowledge to back up what you post would be helpful. Right now, you're honestly saying the GTR is better because Nissan uses "something to do with the Earth."

 

[gator of kana]

Nobody expects you to be a scientist, but some knowledge to back up what you post would be helpful. Right now, you're honestly saying the GTR is better because Nissan uses "something to do with the Earth."

I said faster not better, and yes I'm being honest, Nissan said that the car was made to obey nature, and that if you stop thinking of the car and the earth seperately, you would realize that the earth had always had the power. That's where I got my deduction from.