RE: PH Heroes: Lotus Elise S2

RE: PH Heroes: Lotus Elise S2

Wednesday 20th February 2008

PH Heroes: Lotus Elise S2

It is the featherweight sports car that packs a heavyweight punch. Don Szmidt looks at the Lotus Elise...



It’s hard to believe that the Series 2 Elise was launched as far back as October 2000. The little Lotus manages to look fresh eight years on and still turns heads – it is a real double take design. Arguably there is a purity of design and an organic quality to the Elise Series 1 which the later car simply does not have, but somehow the S2 says more about what it was meant to do. The S2 has a design which portrays purpose in every sense, from the intakes and venting at the front, to the heavily featured splitter at the rear. You look at the car and you just know it’s going to be fun and very, very quick.

The S1 was a fantastic car, much praised for its


handling and driving purity, but Lotus wanted to go one better. The second car was the first Lotus to be created on a computer, with a design brief to produce a shape that was both modern and timeless. The Elise was now sharper, more aggressive and closer to the ground. It had pronounced rear haunches to emphasis its rear-drive layout, and wheels and tyres that better filled the arches. The principle designer in charge of the Elise shape, Steve Crijns, wanted the body to look as if it was shrink-wrapped around the components, with the design features not there just for stylistic effect. The result was a car that looked meaner and more purposeful.


This sense of purpose and simplicity continues inside the car. The large areas of exposed anodized aluminium remind you of what you are in and why you are there. It’s not all basic functional stuff as in a Caterham, the switchgear is good and the lighting pushbuttons are almost whimsical. I’m sure that the guys at Lotus had a little giggle to themselves when they chose pink and blue speedo and rev counter lighting. There is also a nod to practicality, with under dash shelving and even elasticated netting behind the seats for a bit more storage. What more do you need?

It seemed impossible to better the Elise’s already perfect chassis, but Lotus engineers thought it was worth a try. Through a lot of hard work and determination Lotus achieved the impossible – a better handling Elise. The S2 had less roll, better ride, more grip and improved stability. The re-mapped K series engine is still a little gem. Free-revving and eager, it just shouts ‘give me more’, especially as


it hits the magic 4000. No matter what spec you get you’re going to hit 60 in about five seconds, but the car is equally happy pootling around town when needs be. But even then it’s very much you and the car – there is no power steering or feather touch brakes here. The physical driving experience is still elemental; it’s noisy, and poor surfaces will knock it off line alarmingly at times, but hey, just go with the flow. The driving position is spot-on and the steering is kart direct.


The S2 Elise's tenacious front end grip is helped by the downforce created by the car’s aerodynamics. The downforce is balanced over the front and rear axles meaning this is no lairy tail-wagging beast – it is neat, precise, point and shoot. The S1 was known to be a little tail happy when pushed and this has largely been dialled out on the S2, not to say that it can't be done, obviously. Aerodynamically the S2 is superbly balanced and this all adds to the planted feel of the car. If you really, really push the Elise it will tell you that things could get messy with a bit of gentle understeer. Just take the hint, back off a little and it'll tighten the line. The dry grip really is phenomenal and in the wet it is designed to be not far off.

Let’s be honest though - there are downsides to the Elise. The nature of the Elise’s construction around it’s bonded and extruded aluminium chassis means that the sill is still a hurdle (though slightly less so than the S1) and has resulted in comments ranging from ’just as well I’m wearing my best knickers’ through to unprintable expletives during a complete jamming of a mate of mine. Cramp had set in half way through the fiasco and a busy Tesco car park was brought to a standstill in the process.


Other downsides? To my mind the gear selection is still not great: I crave for a light and delicate ’snick snick’ and it just doesn’t. Get over it. Window winder mechs can rattle when the windows are lowered and if you have the hard-top it can creak, but this can be fixed with a re-tighten and a bit of silicone on the seals. However, the S2 soft top really is waterproof and simple to fit.

In the end the Elise is such an addictive little package it is hard not to like it. When you raise the garage door in the morning it just makes you grin. And that’s before you’ve turned the key…

PH Hero Rating: 9/10

Author
Discussion

Ikemi

Original Poster:

8,436 posts

204 months

Wednesday 20th February 2008
quotequote all
Excellent article and spot on with some of those descriptions thumbup I'm almost tempted to sell the S1 in exchange for the S2, but I still need to some time to decide! Anyway, they are fantastic cars ... Couldn't see myself without one now!

williamssam

733 posts

219 months

Wednesday 20th February 2008
quotequote all
Love them, I've lusted after one of these for years. Im looking at gettin one after i've finished my degree, though still can't make my mind up between the elise and vx220.

aww999

2,068 posts

260 months

Wednesday 20th February 2008
quotequote all
Excellent article . . . what price for a decent example these days?

kambites

67,442 posts

220 months

Wednesday 20th February 2008
quotequote all
aww999 said:
Excellent article . . . what price for a decent example these days?
For early examples they start at about:
2000 Standard car (120bhp), about 10 grand.
2002 111S (160bhp) about 15 grand.
2004 111R (190bhp) about 18 grand.

Edited by kambites on Wednesday 20th February 12:30

R.P.M

1,874 posts

220 months

Wednesday 20th February 2008
quotequote all
Only a 9 out of 10?

Must be a typo.

RPM

Vooley

146 posts

218 months

Wednesday 20th February 2008
quotequote all
Having never driven either I cant comment on that front, but the S2 is a very ugly car IMO.

Give me a S1 anyday (one of the best looking cars ever in the correct colours)!

Frimley111R

15,490 posts

233 months

Wednesday 20th February 2008
quotequote all
Vooley said:
Having never driven either I cant comment on that front, but the S2 is a very ugly car IMO.

Give me a S1 anyday (one of the best looking cars ever in the correct colours)!
WOW, Stevie Wonder on PH!

riwiho

3,794 posts

214 months

Wednesday 20th February 2008
quotequote all
My S2 has been a revolation to me. It's what driving is all about, you just want to drive drive drive

chrisjl

785 posts

281 months

Wednesday 20th February 2008
quotequote all
article said:
...look as if it was shrink-wrapped around the components, with the design features not there just for stylistic effect.
How's that explain the plasticy bits and look-like-a-vent-but-don't-go-anywhere details then? e.g. on the tail, near the lights, the "vents" don't actually have holes behind them.

Still prefer the organic, draped-over-the-mechanicals form of the S1 (but then I may be biased).

num2uk

148 posts

227 months

Wednesday 20th February 2008
quotequote all
Sorry but I can't help but think the S1 Elise is the real hero here.

It was a revelation when it first released, helped bring Lotus some much needed cash and without the S1 there wouldn't be an S2.

Both cars are brilliant but the S1 was the original and purer version of the concept.

Scottie - NW

1,282 posts

232 months

Wednesday 20th February 2008
quotequote all
num2uk said:
Sorry but I can't help but think the S1 Elise is the real hero here.

It was a revelation when it first released, helped bring Lotus some much needed cash and without the S1 there wouldn't be an S2.

Both cars are brilliant but the S1 was the original and purer version of the concept.
Totally agree, I'd rather buy a S2 than S1, but the S1 is the real PH hero.

Gooby

9,268 posts

233 months

Wednesday 20th February 2008
quotequote all
num2uk said:
Sorry but I can't help but think the S1 Elise is the real hero here.

It was a revelation when it first released, helped bring Lotus some much needed cash and without the S1 there wouldn't be an S2.

Both cars are brilliant but the S1 was the original and purer version of the concept.
But the S2 is the car they were aiming for in the first place.

Negative Creep

24,930 posts

226 months

Wednesday 20th February 2008
quotequote all
Mmmmmmmmmmmm I always preferred the looks of the S2. I want very much.

patmahe

5,743 posts

203 months

Wednesday 20th February 2008
quotequote all
I have an elise s2 and can confirm all of the above its a fantastic car that communicates with you in a way you never thought man and machine could. You tell it what you want it to do, and it will respond (dont ask me how), usually with a firm yes, and if you're being silly it'll inform you with a gentle controllable loss of grip, a simple lift or correction from you and all is well.

It looks fantastic, it may not be to everyones taste but it is certainly to mine. It goes like stink too and costs peanuts to run (compared with stuff of similar performance) its comfy and snug and even has a decent boot (looks smaller than it is because of the small opening).

All in all a brilliant car and as things stand I never ever want to sell mine.

xyphod

352 posts

196 months

Wednesday 20th February 2008
quotequote all
How I miss my old S1. The only car I have ever driven that put a smile on my face, even if I was just going the the super market and back.
You could tinker with it to your hearts contend. Its amazing what you could get out of the humble K-series.

Personally I prefer the looks of the S1. It looked like a mini Super car, whereas to me the S2 just looks like a modern sports car.

VxDuncan

2,850 posts

233 months

Wednesday 20th February 2008
quotequote all


Spot the gayer!

hbaumhardt

950 posts

278 months

Wednesday 20th February 2008
quotequote all
"The S2 Elise's tenacious front end grip is helped by the downforce created by the car’s aerodynamics."

LOL at "tenacious" and "downforce" ... unless the test car had 195 tyres, plynths machined for camber and a tigga! splitter smile Then you can enjoy S1 oversteer.

Edited by hbaumhardt on Wednesday 20th February 14:01

num2uk

148 posts

227 months

Wednesday 20th February 2008
quotequote all
Gooby said:
num2uk said:
Sorry but I can't help but think the S1 Elise is the real hero here.

It was a revelation when it first released, helped bring Lotus some much needed cash and without the S1 there wouldn't be an S2.

Both cars are brilliant but the S1 was the original and purer version of the concept.
But the S2 is the car they were aiming for in the first place.
You're right the S2 is proably the car Lotus would have bought out in the first place if they weren't broke, but they didn't and I'm glad.

Either way both cars are fantastic, if any one reading this is considering getting one, do it, you won't regret it they really are fantastic to drive and on a sunny day it will not fail to put a smile on you face



DucatiGary

7,765 posts

224 months

Wednesday 20th February 2008
quotequote all
had both

s1 kills s2

really is a different car.

end of story.

kambites

67,442 posts

220 months

Wednesday 20th February 2008
quotequote all
To my mind the S1 is too hardcore for a daily driver and too soft for a weekend toy - if I wanted a weekend toy/track car I'd look at Sevens and Atoms, not Lotuses.

The S2 is a good compromise between usability as a daily drive and fun at the weekends.