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From looking at prices I recond a 5exi would cost about the same as a nice S1 elise.
Can a standard 5exi with a gel coat finish really be done for 8K or is marlin a bit optermistic?
How hard is a standard 5exi 1.6/1.8 to build - it would be my first build, its alot of money if I endup unable to finish it! Would the car be upto being a daily driver?
I've driven a few Elises and in my opinion I consider both 5exi and Elise as kit cars..
I think that 8K is rather optimistic but it all really depends on how good you are at not wasting money on un-needed items and tools/toys..
I reckon I spent about £11-12k but then i wasn't on a tight budget...
The car is not difficult to build - this was my first time and I somehow got there in the end.. Don't forget if you really get nowhere Marlin will be happy to take it off you and finish it for a reasonable sum of money.
I can't really imagine 5Exi being suitable for everyday driving - for me its more of a weekends and track days toy.. But having said that, its quite confortable to drive, its got weather gear so if you are very keen I can't see why you couldn't use it everyday..
Ultimately, my advice is - buy the 5exi if you genuinely want to spend the time building it and if you will enjoy doing it.. If you are just doing it to get the car and drive it than perhaps buying a finished product is more suited for you..
Welcome to the forum. I like many on here are not experienced at building cars. I just have a keen interest and want to learn along the way. For me this was going to aways be a big learning curve. But to me this was all part of the fun. How else could you work with computers all day and learn how a sports car works!!! All the guys on here are very helpful and would aways help out if your stuck.
Cost wise as Dylan says is down to how you want to customise your project. When starting out I thought right stick to standard and to budget. Then things like I'll just change the dials and so on. But if you get a donor bubble 216 then this will save you some money as the donor has most if not all the bits needed. Apart from the little things like rivinuts and silly little things. But go for a turbo and things get a little more complex and cost a little more as you need to source some more parts that don't come with the donor.
Hope that helps.
PS put on your profile your location. And perhaps if your local to anyone, you could pop round and have a look.
I think there both good looking cars. It's all down to preference.
Hi Ferg. If you in the area with your Libra I would love to see it. You can have a look at a kit car on tressels (hopefully not for much longer ) and bring back all those memories during your build.
you can argue all day on the pro's and cons, but if every body wanted a car that was like everybody else's car we would be driving the same 4 wheels. Kit cars offer their owners the chance to be different from the herd. they may not be better, smother lines or faster but they are a one ofF and reflect the love and tears that the builder has put into the build.
In the end it is the smile on your face when you walk down your drive and think to yourself ( I BUILT THAT CAR AND IT GIVES ME PLEASURE) For that reason no two kit cars will ever be the same because part of you is in every build
ooohh you b*tch!!!!
& I was being sooo nice recommending your car . .
Oh I do like a laugh, Mark.
limpabit wrote:
Hi Ferg. If you in the area with your Libra I would love to see it.
I'd really love to, but I don't get down your way very often. 40 miles of not very exciting roads between us!!! If I'm out and about I'll drop you a mail.
Quick question, what colour gel coats are available?
Or are most people going for a sprayed finish?
Your obviously talking about the beautiful looking 5exi and not that GTM thing . . (Hi Ferg)
I believe you can get:
Red (not many getting this colour I don't think)
Blue (very nice)
Yellow (most common I think)
Black (yum yum - my colour of course)
Orange (off the back of the lambo orange demo car, but not as nice)
Grey (for painting)
Gelcoat finish is good from all I've heard and I believe painting will cost upwards of £1k.
Yup talking about the 5exi (hmmm or 5exi-R (is that doors as well? (I only want the type R engine) if I can afford it! Otherwise it’s the 1.6/1.8) Would I be able to handle the type-R power anyway
The libra comes to more than I want to spend, I have decided I prefer the looks of the 5exi –tho something odd happens around the exhaust! + the libra is slower than the 1.6
Hmmm, would have to be black/blue or spray job I think.
I have to say I really like the orange car but would want it metallic.
I have trouble seeing what the car will look like in different colours; I quite fancy magnum grey or a really dark metallic blue.
Bah role on July so I can go have a test drive, I want the car so I can build over the winter
I expect it's a power to weight thing. Wind-up windows, trim, a real roof, proper doors with apertures that don't require a slightly strange bracing bar.....
Do you get a spare wheel in the 5Exi? A boot?
Oh nearly forgot when I bought my Libra I could have it in virtually any colour I wanted.
Totally depends on what car you want and what you want it for. I did look at the Libra but my 5exi when finished will be used soley for fun road driving & trackdays so no boot ain't an issue.
I don't however see how anyone could call the 5exi an everday car. Looking at the roof I can't see me ever getting myself out of the car with the roof attached...
Well I'm going to buck the trend. I inteed to use mine every day for commuting to/from work. 12k for a car is a lot of money to be sitting about most of the year. To make it more practical for me as I thought it's a bit of a challege to get in and out with the roof up, I'm going for doors.
I dont think you will have to much trouble using it all year round. From what i have seen and getting in out of the 5exi with the hood on at stoneleigh there is no real problem. If you have ever tried getting in and out of a 7 type kit car in bad weather i think you would really appreciate the zip hood.
Sorry to come to this thread so late, but can you comment on how the handling compares between the two cars?
I can't help thinking that a company like Lotus has a lot more resources to spend on getting handling right on their cars, and it seems to me that a kit car manufacturer might have some constraints enforced upon them by the donor vehicle(s).
I spoke to a local tuner who knows Elises and he reckoned that kit car manufacturers always have to make some compromises but "there's a lot you can do with a sticky set of tyres". He reckons that Marlin have a good reputation but he hadn't heard of the 5exi - he remarked that it's quite a departure from their previous models.
I've also heard that (motorcycle, at least) racers spend a lot of time hand-tweaking their suspension set-ups - I guess that handling might well be one of these aspects of engineering that's more art than science.
Obviously, I'm here because I fancy a 5exi so I'm hoping that the two cars might be comparable!! Frankly, I don't have 10k to drop on a secondhand Elise today, but the 5exi stages are so affordable.
Mark at Marlin likes racing. He designed the 5EXI as a track car. The suspension is totally non Rover. It has fully adjustable suspension so can be tweeked to your liking. Not drove the Lotus so can't comment so comparisons but I know I think. The 5EXI is quick. Dylan would be the best person to comment as he has driven both.
Guys guys... I have driven both cars but please bear in mind that that doesn't make me an expert in the field of Lotus Vs Marlin.
Here's my opinion on the subject:
- 5exi suspension has no common components with the donor - so you can take rover out of the equation
- 5Exi is a bit lighter than the Elise so in that respect it defies physics in a slightly different way.
- Mark @ Marlin is very passionate about racing his 5exi so you can rest assured that the suspension setup is appropriate for track use..
- the suspension is fully adjustable and that in itself ensures that you can tweak it to suit your driving style or even driving mood on that day (for example driving through Belgium I got a bit fed up with the bumpiness of their motorways so I turned the dampers a few clicks and happy boy again.. Took 10 seconds!)
- Unfortunately I still haven't found time to take the 5exi to a track so I will have to report further once I do this.. However I can vouch that its tons and tons of fun on A and B roads!
You won't regret it!!
DO IT!!
I got a bit fed up with the bumpiness of their motorways so I turned the dampers a few clicks and happy boy again.. Took 10 seconds!)
Not an owner yet - but that one party trick alone is almost enough to make me part with the cash!
Trouble with many "sporty" cars is the harsh ride penalises touring. Nice idea to set it soft for travelling and then hard for zipping about at the destination. Soft setting again the journey home !
) and bring back all those memories during your build. 
(Hi Ferg)
