Sean’s Exige: Keeping Him Honest
Sean Shepard has always loved lightweight, lithe cars – machines that reward precision and force the driver to extract all that the platform offers in braking and cornering. His journey began with an S2000, and the challenge of rolling entry speed kept him engaged and entertained, even when Mustangs came firing past him.
Spec Miata and the intensity of wheel-to-wheel racing kept the flame alight, but after growing tired of doing bodywork after most weekends, he looked for an alternative that would keep him entertained. With his rising standards, that was not easy to do.
One of the few cars which truly fit the bill was a highlighter-yellow Lotus Exige. Stripped-down and crashed several times already, the Exige was about as dedicated as one can ask a production car to be. Its 270-hp 2ZZ engine and mild aero upgrades made it far faster than any of his previous cars, and its edgier character – almost sports prototype-like – never let him rest a moment.
Nitron coilovers, as well as a setup that suited it to Hoosiers – Shepard’s tire of choice – made it quite fast from the first weekend.
He gelled with it immediately. His first weekend with the car, he gave it a quick alignment before running in NASA TT2 at Utah Motorsports Campus. With his father standing by, the two couldn’t believe their luck as Sean came in first.
While its braking and cornering were phenomenal, the Exige had flaws. The supercharger caused heat soak, the power delivery was peaky, and gearing issues made it less competitive in his chosen class. After a year and a half of remarkable success, rod knock signaled it was time for a change.
Shepard opted for a Honda K24 swap with a few bolt-ons: the more efficient RBC intake from a 2006-2011 Civic Si, a J37 70mm throttle body, and a DTR K24 Lotus header. They had to change the oil pump to a ported pump since the standard oil pump doesn’t prevent cavitation over 8,000 rpms. “We’re not currently revving that high, but we’re planning to soon,” he added.
commissioning TrackSpec Autosports for a full rewire, PDM, AiM dash, and Haltech ECU. Unfortunately, an improperly sleeved built engine from a reputable engine builder failed almost immediately. Learning from the mistake, he installed a stock K24 with select upgrades, detuning it to fit classing requirements. The new setup shed 50 lbs, improved reliability, and maintained competitive performance.
Braking improvements followed, swapping out oversized Cup brakes for better ABS functionality and 15” wheels. Despite its class limitations, the Exige’s extreme cornering speeds made it a formidable competitor – though it still struggled in straight-line acceleration.
Yes, the car is not cheap to get into, and the Lotus tax is present in just about every part. Thankfully, the tire bill isn’t terrible as the Lotus is light and balanced and low on power.
In order to get the lap time done, Sean needs to drive flat out and leave nothing on the table. If its remarkable braking and cornering performance are exploited, it’s one of the fastest cars on any given day, even though a Spec E46 has the legs on it down most straights. It will still do remarkable times at power tracks, as seen below:
It’s a car that keeps him honest, and just as importantly, entertained. He fears a bigger, more powerful car might become bland with time, but the Exige, with its unforgiving nature, forces him to bring his A-game every time.
