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I have never heard of Zenos until now. I came across it while reading up on Exige V6s. The company seems to make great track cars based on Ecoboost engines. In retrospect I might have seen one while in Hong Kong and couldn't figure out what it is. There is a Zenos E10S demo car for sale for $33k (for the price of a new MX5) with original $73k MSRP. This is a circa 1500 lb car. 0-60 ~ 4.0 S
I agree, the RF is strange moniker. I blame Porsche as it really is a Targa. Though Mazda makes no claims that the factory roll hoops will do anything. It seems that as far as PIR and Track Night in America are concerned, they pass muster for track use.
The SC may not be all that needed. Mazda did everything to the motor that I was going to do to my R50 along with 7500 RPM red line/fuel cut off. Not an S2000, but this motor revs up and down like a racecar. The MX5 is tips the scales at nearly the same as the R53 and has 181hp, so an S with 15% pulley intake and exhaust. The power to weight ratios between the R53 and MX5 are very close. My super accurate Buttdyno says that they are. The difference in 0-60 times I would think would be because of which wheels are putting the power down.
Its very strange. The two cars almost couldn't be more different but have a very similar feel about them. I still need to Sakura up on jack stands and play with the wheels that I have to see if I need to buy more wheels and tires. I am hopeful that the Panasports will clear the brakes on Sakura. Not so concerned about the holies as they will have been the dedicated winter wheel/tire set up. Would like to know if they X-lites (v spokes) will fit the MX5. But I need to get pinch weld adapters for the floor jack and the jack stands first.
The R53 is so much more practical than the MX5.
Thanks for decoding the RF mystery. A track friend at ORP whom opinion I respect has a older MX5 ND that has the SC told me that the 2019 revision that ups the HP requires no SC. This was last summer however. I know the Edelbrock SC kit is well designed for his ND and does not boost crazy power but rather for trackability and reliability. As such your 2019 RF should be a lot faster than R53 with 15% pulley. He kicked my butt in every ways on the track with my Mini. I would expect the 2019 ND to perform a lot better than my R53. The MX5 is an excellent platform and I have seen well sorted NA speeds thru the turns.
I hope to see you out on the track on your R53, and I don't expect you are going to take the RF out any time soon.
p.s. if I were you, I would look into getting a set of Konig from Goodwin Racing. I bought 2 sets from them and they have the best price with free shipping. I am very impressed with Konig for their cost to performance ratio. Use the narrow stock rims for winter and get a set of wider Konig for dry seasons. The car will look and drive better, on road or on track.
I need to get more comfortable driving the MX5, but the plan is to take it to the track in the summer. Summer tires in the cold don't work all that well. Yes, this is a really bad idea, but I'm full of those and I need to get rid of some of them some how, other wise they are just taking up space in my head. To try and make a bad idea sound good, what better way to get accustomed to the car but out in the "controlled" and "safe" environment that is a closed track? I mean, in every car commercial you see cards blasting all over the place and at the bottom of the screen what do you see but "professional driver on a closed course.' Seems like they are begging you to drive on a closed course. (see how I deftly left out professional driver? That wasn't by mistake but by design.)
More wheels and tires aren't in the cards just yet - still have 3 sets for the R53. The bolt pattern for the R53 and ND are the same, 4x100, just need to get centering rings for the R53 wheels to make mounting the wheels to the car easier.
One of my tracks does car control clinics. These are done on a large skid pad and on an “autocross” course. The autocross course is a glorified go kart track with some nice elevation changes and off camber turns. This is where a friend went to setup his shocks. When he first went out on the course he found out how bad the car was: he said the car was trying to kill him. He was glad to have tried the car on the autocross course first as being out on the track surely would have done some damage. The autocross course is at a low enough speed and in an open area so any “issues” are not likely to cause any harm. After a few adjustments, the net outcome was that he was able to set the shocks to make for a really nice track car.
oh yes, I plan on a few autocross days before the track day. I have friends in Salem that are very involved with the Willamette Motor Club. Salem is about an hour south of me. They have a R53 and last I knew a dedicated autocross X1/9.
I was texting with my family in Canada about Boxing Day sale, which we don't have here. Little did I know at the time it was a harbinger of thing to come.
The morning of Boxing Day, I woke up and caught the Lotus flu bad. I have been watching some recent sales on BaT and reviewed the past sales, but not thinking I would be in the market for one anytime soon. I started searching for the latest Exige Cup car that were imported into the US and found a few but they were sold or pending. There were very few built even worldwide let alone US where the car cannot be sold for road use.
To keep the long story short, by noon I made the commitment to fly out on the same day to look at one that has a pending interest according to the seller. By next day noon, I signed the papers for the purchase. Technically it is a Boxing Day purchase as I made the verbal promise to the seller I will take it if the car is as he represented.
So a few days later with many sleepless nights, it now has my name on it, though it is thousand miles away still.
Yeah. It is "Honey, I shrunk the GT4", or "Honey, the GT4 and Miata mated and this is the love child".
BTW, I can host you on one of our club days so you can take the Miata out at ORP. It has very little traffic and you can be sure it will be way safer than driving in TNiA where there is free for all kind of mess. We have 20 days in 2020 season.
We can tell everyone in the morning track meeting you are testing the car and everyone, including me , will treat you nicely on the track.
Wow - nice color too - reminds me of my old Ducati 748 - nearly the same color. Nice.
Please don't tease me with a Ducati. I bound to kill myself on one. I think the 400 single is one gorgeous machine and I would be relatively safe on one.
It is an irony that I am finally getting a Lotus. Back in 2004 when I was trying to buy the R53, having a NA MX5 at the time, the other car that I irrationally wanted was the Elise. I knew how miserable it was to commute in the Mazda in the rain here in the PNW, hence the Elise was less attractive choice on both counts as it is very impractical DD, and has much worst visibility. At twice the cost of the R53 then I would be really stretched financially to get one new. Now nearly 16 years later I am getting a better one than the Elise, and for track use only.
My love for my Mini have not diminished but rather grown. I will continue to track her and as well use as primary runabout.
Here are a couple more photos. It is 2016 but virtually new. I don't have a photo with the top up which looks much better. It has a full cage too which the dealer will install back on.
being such low mileage was one reason that I jumped on it
Here is one good video of a GT4 owner driving his friend's modified Exige. I found this video after I bought the car, but his experience is exact what I expect.
And the video comes with a ready list of mods for the car...
Fun video. I liked the “Miata-Porsche” comment. But loafers for shoes and shorts? And a 4 pt harness?
Thanks. Being a race car I have to juggle some finances to make it happen as I don't want to deal with the bank. Alas, mine too comes with 4-point harness. I am pretty sure the seats are prep'ed for 6.
He posted the video on Rennlist's GT4 forum and invited some colorful remarks. Judging from the year it is a Series 2, hence 4 cylinder with a few very well chosen mods. I am just beginning to explore the series differences and to my amazement how good a 4 cylinder Series 2 can be.
Here is a very extreme Exige V6 track missile, with sequential paddle shift. Yes. Titanium exhaust that sounds glorious (ergasmic on YT title) and looks stunning.
I may take you up on the ORP invite. Still want to do a few autocrosses before I take it to the track. It's been many years since I have driven a RWD car. I think that it was when I was still in high school so, being in the class if 91, it's been a while and moreover, the RWD cars I had at my disposal were 1985 Ford Aerostar and 1965 Mustang with the 200 I6. The former had 145hp V6 w/3 speed w/OD automatic and had to motivated 4800 pounds of minivan. The Mustang had about 110 hp going through a 3 speed automatic. Though the Mustang was light, the brakes were mostly manual and the steering was entirely manual. So, neither car was really sporty in the slightest. In 1994, my father got a Mustang GT convertible with 220hp but I did not get to drive it much, probably 6000 miles in total most on a two week road tip.
In the 790 miles with the MX5, the differences in when I apply throttle when it comes to corners seems to be very different thought the MX5 and R53/50 have somewhat similar characteristics as in all seem fairly neutral. The R53 with the much lager rear sway tends to want to be neutral with slight oversteer where as the R50 was neutral with snap oversteer. The MX5, though not a powerful car, does have power on oversteer at will though your foot does go quite deep into the go peddle.
In the R50, on track and street it was ideally just before the apex as power was really not there and what power there was took a little while to make itself be known. In spirited street driving in the R53, it seems that at or just after apex seems to keep the rear were it it is supposed to be. In moderately spirited street driving in the MX5.... I am still figuring that one out. Before the apex seems to kick the rear out and the traction control on. At apex, the rear stays mostly put and the traction control only blips. After apex seems to keep all things in check but seems slower than the R50 but, 130K of experience versus 790 miles of experience, I know I have MUCH to learn. And any advice would be greatly appreciated. If my initial impressions are all off, I implore you to offer any teaching you can. I am eager to learn. Much as I had visions of me 4 wheel drifting my R50 or even the R53 through long sweepers I have the same with the MX5. I also want to keep the MX5 in one piece as well.
I take it the GT4 is up for sale? The photos of your stable looks to be at capacity. If not, I suppose if you asked nicely, I could store your GT4 at my place. The wife and I would take if for a spin once a week, you know just to keep things properly lubricated and the fuel fresh.
My bet is on r17gordini will win and I suspect I know who he is. I infer he has deep pockets. It is a hot auction and it keeps extending the end time.
"1 minute, 41 seconds*
Auction end time will be extended if bids are received in the final 2 minutes. The auction ends 2 minutes after the last bid is received."
I really regret that I took only three photos while there as they were trying to put the roll cage back. I asked the sales associate that I deal with to take a few photos and here they are. I am delighted that the driver side has 6-point harness and clearly the seats are prep'ed for one. Examining the photo more closely, it is possible that both are 6-point. Just that the passenger side's bottom straps have not been pulled through the seat slot. According the feature list on some site it is supposed to have 6-point, though I didn't trust them being reliable.
It is nice to have the top off for the interior photos, showing the generous additions of lightness. I too receive the photo of the build plate showing the serial number of the V6 Exige starting from the first Series 3 Cup from 2012. All counted they were built in very limited number WW, and my number is consistent with the compiled registry on a Lotus forum in UK. I reckon no more than 150 up to and includes the Cup 360.
no airbags nothin' except a lot of air in the cockpit; one thing that I am disappointed is the trim covering up the shifter mechanism and the redundant boot for the parking brake handle
some day a big *** wing there will be; love the license plate lights
I am going to have insomnia until first track day in spring.
Last edited by pnwR53S; Jan 2, 2020 at 01:50 AM.
Reason: edit for clarity
I convinced my wife the other day that if I sell my creampuff E46 M3 and the R53 that it made sense to get an Exige. Those cars have always done something for me and a Cup one...WOW! Congratulations!
Until all things fall in line I will be living vicariously through you.
Very cool video...
And, wow, what a bike. While I never got the bug to ride a bide, I can alway appreciate anything with wheels and engine. And I can appreciate what she does on the track... Sidecar racing, you’ve got to be kidding me.
Sad, though, that “some of the boys get mad when they get passed by a girl”.
signed and sealed
, will treat you nicely on the track.
