Lotus Elise Mk1 anybody got experience of these cars
Discussion
phazed said:
2 things, LHD and yank! I could never have either........
Back to basics, look at the spec of this.
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/v...
That's some spec, having spent the last 5 years trying to build in reliability to my Tvr I'm loath to risk losing that. Back to basics, look at the spec of this.
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/v...
Only now that I come to consider selling it do I get the picture, new windscreen for one, it all adds up until you've got a car that cost far more than I'd get back for it and doubtless have a lessor car to replace it with for the same money.
I think I've got to a point where I say stop and sell, or keep and finish off the job I started.
only by looking at other cars has it sunk in just how good the Tvr is and how close I am to having a car I'm very confident with.
After a year of running the car with MBE and removing all the starting and idle issues that often plague these great cars I'm totally confident in its cold and hot starting ability for one thing. Id bet my car would start under a foot of snow and -10 degrees easy.
ETA the door wouldn't open though
I know driving a Lotus or a VX such as the one above would provoke huge driving based emotions but yesterday trying to stop the wheels spinning in third gear at 75 mph in the Tvr whilst going down a country lane and jumping from one bump to the next is pretty engaging in itself and gets the blood pumping something a kin to a motorbike, not many cars do that.
next to the Elise yesterday my car looked more extreme, it is more extreme.
Just not as quick through apexes.
The Lotus appeals to the youth in me
Light
Chuckable
Race car feel to the cab,
Easy to work on
Reliable
Fast with the right engine
Downside cos I'm now actually old
No boot space
Can't get in it
Very small car
Alloy corrosion in winter.
Other than that I think both the Lotus and VX versions of this brilliant design are great little cars and demand big respect.
If I wanted a summer car to do the odd trackday and weekend fun, it's right up there as the best you can get.
Mazda, brill cars but I'd rather have the real thing in the Tvr.
Edited by ClassiChimi on Friday 4th November 08:24
if you want quiet and fast FI 4.6 engine 
There really is very little out there that gets near a Tvr for the money, even after sorting one they are comparatively cheap.
Once there sorted they become cheaper to own and so the cost per bhp is goes down, it's a very practical car if you don't go to the extreme they maintain a level of usability that's actually getting cheaper by the day.
Soon we'll be the only ones with a few spaneers actually able to take our cars apart in a lock up.
Using the trusty RV huge back up and knowledge available, cheap to repair
Glorious engine.
I suppose we'll just have to keep swapping our winter /summer tyre wheel combo's over to maintain grip and we'll on our way again
There really is very little out there that gets near a Tvr for the money, even after sorting one they are comparatively cheap.
Once there sorted they become cheaper to own and so the cost per bhp is goes down, it's a very practical car if you don't go to the extreme they maintain a level of usability that's actually getting cheaper by the day.
Soon we'll be the only ones with a few spaneers actually able to take our cars apart in a lock up.
Using the trusty RV huge back up and knowledge available, cheap to repair
Glorious engine.
I suppose we'll just have to keep swapping our winter /summer tyre wheel combo's over to maintain grip and we'll on our way again
Richards up soho cruising around wearing a Tux, maybe 
My envy holds no bounds
As usual I've gone full circle and come running back to the Tvr without even driving a Lotus, hmm!
Just getting up close was enough for me to feel my base instinks, I'll not buy one so it's not fair to be test driving one.
I'm not far from Silverstone and a friend knows a highly respected Lotus dealer so we might take a look on a sunny day and maybe I'll drive one.
Every time I try and dismiss these darn Lotus I think of another fact I'd like to know,
Just realised I'd not checked the weight of one.
My envy holds no bounds
As usual I've gone full circle and come running back to the Tvr without even driving a Lotus, hmm!
Just getting up close was enough for me to feel my base instinks, I'll not buy one so it's not fair to be test driving one.
I'm not far from Silverstone and a friend knows a highly respected Lotus dealer so we might take a look on a sunny day and maybe I'll drive one.
Every time I try and dismiss these darn Lotus I think of another fact I'd like to know,
Just realised I'd not checked the weight of one.
N7GTX said:
That's a good site that is. Very light, 1/4 mile times aren't bad.
CF Bedford van engine.
cheap parts
Exotic cars are addictive
All I can say is there's hardly any cars worth looking at unless your going north of 25/30 K
Lotus on the other hand, don't even need to be that fast, all those great drivers who've driven them, it must be something to own the keys too a mean Lotus
There's a really sorted Renault GTA my mates got, that's still on my radar as it's cheap and hits allsorts of buttons when driving it.
He happens to know them inside out as he's done what many of us have done with our Tvr's rebuild them!
The simple fact is non of these cars will have the grunt of a good Tvr.
cheap parts
Exotic cars are addictive
All I can say is there's hardly any cars worth looking at unless your going north of 25/30 K
Lotus on the other hand, don't even need to be that fast, all those great drivers who've driven them, it must be something to own the keys too a mean Lotus
There's a really sorted Renault GTA my mates got, that's still on my radar as it's cheap and hits allsorts of buttons when driving it.
He happens to know them inside out as he's done what many of us have done with our Tvr's rebuild them!
The simple fact is non of these cars will have the grunt of a good Tvr.
N7GTX said:
The new series of Wheeler Dealers starts this week and the prize car to win in the draw is, unbelievably, a Lotus Elise valued at £15k (they say).
So there you go Alun, a cheap way to your dream car and you get to keep the Chim too.
Sadly I've concluded the Elise is not my dream car but I'll enter anyway So there you go Alun, a cheap way to your dream car and you get to keep the Chim too.
I had the choice of a VW caddy or the Tvr today, as it was -6 and ice all over the car at 6 am I thought I'd use the Tvr
Started on the key after one full engine revolution and after warming it for about 30 seconds, I was off and running.
On about 1500 revs I was getting wheel spin out of a junction, don't half wake you up Iain. The Tvr is still a bit of a dream really.
Hope your in good spirits mate.
Excellent view speedtwelve
For me to have a Lotus I'd have to sell my Tvr to fund its purchase, I've now avoided getting a drive in a Lotus or VX mainly because im sure I'll really fall for them both.
The mere idea of selling my Tvr to swap then gets me looking at the Tvr more clinically, it's better than even I thought!
It does a Mirriad of things well, by employing a more upto date Ecu etc it's become so good I struggle to see or hear cars that run better, I'm getting 25 mpg regularly and on a constant 70-90 mph it's touching 30 mpg,
Whatever I got from a Lotus it will not have the charm of my Tvr.
The VX would allow me to have a very nice car and change in my pocket, but owning a car with the distinguished name of Lotus or Tvr is hard to beat, Lotus represents design excellence
Tvr represent bonkers over powered cars that take muscles to drive.
It shouldn't be forgotten that Tvr' s are rather good round tracks themselves.
What I have observed and admired is the Lotus owners are similar to Tvr boys, lots of valuable info out there, loads of upgrades and things you can do with the cars,
I've realised my Tvr Chimaera is part of me, I've put many upgrades and changes into the car, I know every inch of it,
It's very personal and by using expensive but worthy Tvr experts to do the technical stuff I've ended up with a car that's elevated it above the norm. Removed some of the base reasons for not trusting a Tvr (electrics) etc and so it's like many of the Lotus I looked into, personalised, really loved and made better and better by enthusiastic owners.
For some time I've been thinking, thatsit, it's done, the car is sorted, I don't have any work to do,,, that leads to thinking of other projects,
First time I've thought of anything but a Tvr for almost 5 years,
What I've come to the conclusion is my Tvr is actually all I need and more, I can concentrate on other aspects of the car and keep developing it, suspension and stiffer chassis for a start.
I've become more satisfied with what a Tvr Chimaera is, a truelly great car with many fine virtues, simple in construction and parts plentyfull, the easiest chassis to work on and an engine that's got tonnes of back up and tuning possibilities.
Cheap wheel bearings, bushes and wishbones, compared to anything like them they are like the last form of DIY home brewed sportscar, Brit development at its best, shed cars that go like s
t off a stick
For me to have a Lotus I'd have to sell my Tvr to fund its purchase, I've now avoided getting a drive in a Lotus or VX mainly because im sure I'll really fall for them both.
The mere idea of selling my Tvr to swap then gets me looking at the Tvr more clinically, it's better than even I thought!
It does a Mirriad of things well, by employing a more upto date Ecu etc it's become so good I struggle to see or hear cars that run better, I'm getting 25 mpg regularly and on a constant 70-90 mph it's touching 30 mpg,
Whatever I got from a Lotus it will not have the charm of my Tvr.
The VX would allow me to have a very nice car and change in my pocket, but owning a car with the distinguished name of Lotus or Tvr is hard to beat, Lotus represents design excellence
Tvr represent bonkers over powered cars that take muscles to drive.
It shouldn't be forgotten that Tvr' s are rather good round tracks themselves.
What I have observed and admired is the Lotus owners are similar to Tvr boys, lots of valuable info out there, loads of upgrades and things you can do with the cars,
I've realised my Tvr Chimaera is part of me, I've put many upgrades and changes into the car, I know every inch of it,
It's very personal and by using expensive but worthy Tvr experts to do the technical stuff I've ended up with a car that's elevated it above the norm. Removed some of the base reasons for not trusting a Tvr (electrics) etc and so it's like many of the Lotus I looked into, personalised, really loved and made better and better by enthusiastic owners.
For some time I've been thinking, thatsit, it's done, the car is sorted, I don't have any work to do,,, that leads to thinking of other projects,
First time I've thought of anything but a Tvr for almost 5 years,
What I've come to the conclusion is my Tvr is actually all I need and more, I can concentrate on other aspects of the car and keep developing it, suspension and stiffer chassis for a start.
I've become more satisfied with what a Tvr Chimaera is, a truelly great car with many fine virtues, simple in construction and parts plentyfull, the easiest chassis to work on and an engine that's got tonnes of back up and tuning possibilities.
Cheap wheel bearings, bushes and wishbones, compared to anything like them they are like the last form of DIY home brewed sportscar, Brit development at its best, shed cars that go like s
t off a stick Gassing Station | General TVR Stuff & Gossip | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff