Advise on buying an Elise ?
Discussion
Love the thread.
I am in exactly the same boat, although initially I was after a 996 911 I think an elise would now be a much better fit.
Hopefully my old mx5 is sold next week and this should leave a good Elise sized hole on my driveway.
Although I will probably have to get a drive in a 911 before I go for an Elise I would love to know how you get on.
S or R, easy question to answer when youtube is the only test drive, the R sounds incredible.
Keep up the good work.
I am in exactly the same boat, although initially I was after a 996 911 I think an elise would now be a much better fit.
Hopefully my old mx5 is sold next week and this should leave a good Elise sized hole on my driveway.
Although I will probably have to get a drive in a 911 before I go for an Elise I would love to know how you get on.
S or R, easy question to answer when youtube is the only test drive, the R sounds incredible.
Keep up the good work.
Love the thread.
I am in exactly the same boat, although initially I was after a 996 911 I think an elise would now be a much better fit.
Hopefully my old mx5 is sold next week and this should leave a good Elise sized hole on my driveway.
Although I will probably have to get a drive in a 911 before I go for an Elise I would love to know how you get on.
S or R, easy question to answer when youtube is the only test drive, the R sounds incredible.
Keep up the good work.
I am in exactly the same boat, although initially I was after a 996 911 I think an elise would now be a much better fit.
Hopefully my old mx5 is sold next week and this should leave a good Elise sized hole on my driveway.
Although I will probably have to get a drive in a 911 before I go for an Elise I would love to know how you get on.
S or R, easy question to answer when youtube is the only test drive, the R sounds incredible.
Keep up the good work.
Thanks....
I think is going to be slow burn to scratch this itch, need to get a few ducks in line first :-)
New electric garage door fitted on Saturday, it goes up, and it goes down, what more can a man want !
The garage is full of - rubbish, other people's stuff and stuff that should in the shed, need to complete
the boarding out of the loft !
Also the run in to the garage is not finished, hangover from the Builders leaving 5 years ago.
Apart from these minor issues of garage access, it's all systems go, I want one, I need to drive a few,
then pull the trigger on the right Elise.
For completeness I think I need to drive both the 111s and the 111r, rather than just jump to an
unsupported decision of just going for a 111R
Almost forgot, need to put one of my Kids on EBay to pay for the Elise, I pretty sure the small ginger one will fetch a premium ;-)
I think is going to be slow burn to scratch this itch, need to get a few ducks in line first :-)
New electric garage door fitted on Saturday, it goes up, and it goes down, what more can a man want !
The garage is full of - rubbish, other people's stuff and stuff that should in the shed, need to complete
the boarding out of the loft !
Also the run in to the garage is not finished, hangover from the Builders leaving 5 years ago.
Apart from these minor issues of garage access, it's all systems go, I want one, I need to drive a few,
then pull the trigger on the right Elise.
For completeness I think I need to drive both the 111s and the 111r, rather than just jump to an
unsupported decision of just going for a 111R
Almost forgot, need to put one of my Kids on EBay to pay for the Elise, I pretty sure the small ginger one will fetch a premium ;-)
Edited by Los Endos on Tuesday 25th September 18:48
I'd also like to know your thoughs on a S vs R after you've driven both as i'm also in the same position. I'm hoping to test drive both this weekend if we have some nice weather. I'm leaning towards the R as its going to be an everyday commuter for me and the R seems to be less hassle, but i may be wrong. The cheaper running costs of the S look attractive but in the grand scheme of things i dont think it makes much difference.
un1eash said:
I'd also like to know your thoughs on a S vs R after you've driven both as i'm also in the same position. I'm hoping to test drive both this weekend if we have some nice weather. I'm leaning towards the R as its going to be an everyday commuter for me and the R seems to be less hassle, but i may be wrong. The cheaper running costs of the S look attractive but in the grand scheme of things i dont think it makes much difference.
Careful of your terminology. The Elise S and Elise 111S are not the same car and have completely different engines. 
un1eash said:
I'd also like to know your thoughs on a S vs R after you've driven both as i'm also in the same position. I'm hoping to test drive both this weekend if we have some nice weather. I'm leaning towards the R as its going to be an everyday commuter for me and the R seems to be less hassle, but i may be wrong. The cheaper running costs of the S look attractive but in the grand scheme of things i dont think it makes much difference.
Yep no problem lets share notes :-)Looks like the weather is finally picking up in the NorthWest, so I need to make a plan ;-)
I may integrate my test drives into WFH !
Just got back from test driving a 2005 111R and 2003 111S back to back. At the begining of the day i was leaning towards getting a 111R due to its toyota engine and what seems easier up keep. I was a passenger at first in the 111R and it felt very quick but it felt quicker then what it was actually doing. It made alot of noise and high revs but then was only doing normal speeds. When it came to my turn i found you really had to get the revs up before feeling the power and found it near impossible to get it above 6k rpm on normal roads. The gear change was quite stiff and at first i struggled to change gears quickly and smoothly. Brakes were very good and handling as expected, it had quite a race car feel to it.
After the 111R i took the 111S for a quick spin and it felt completely different, the power is just there as soon as you press the pedal and it felt more refined, gear changes were smoother and overall it was just alot more easiser to drive around town. The only downside was the non servo brakes but then i'd get use to this over time.
The 111S i drove had a lotus exhaust and ITG induction where as the 111R was stock. The 111R sounded great but i think i'd still get an exhaust and filter on the car i buy as the 111S just sounded that bit better. After driving both, although only being a small test drive ive decided i want a 111S, for my everyday needs it fits the bill better. Its a little bit cheaper to insure, tax and fill up at the pump but then servicing is a little more when needed. I feel i wont get the most out of a 111R unless i was taking it on track.
After the 111R i took the 111S for a quick spin and it felt completely different, the power is just there as soon as you press the pedal and it felt more refined, gear changes were smoother and overall it was just alot more easiser to drive around town. The only downside was the non servo brakes but then i'd get use to this over time.
The 111S i drove had a lotus exhaust and ITG induction where as the 111R was stock. The 111R sounded great but i think i'd still get an exhaust and filter on the car i buy as the 111S just sounded that bit better. After driving both, although only being a small test drive ive decided i want a 111S, for my everyday needs it fits the bill better. Its a little bit cheaper to insure, tax and fill up at the pump but then servicing is a little more when needed. I feel i wont get the most out of a 111R unless i was taking it on track.
Los Endos said:
What about the Toyota powered S with the lower power ?
May be able to help here.Previously ran a 111R and now run a Toyota powered S (lower powered one). My car is exclusivly used on the road and I had a similar experience to you, found I was constantly chasing the second CAM in the R. The S feels very similar up to 6k rpm where the cam would have kicked in. In the S it carries on for a bit more, nice lineiar delivery which suited my style of driving.
Don't ignore a good exhaust note. This really changes the whole experience and the standard exhaust on the Elise is not known for its volume. Introducing a good sound makes any Elise plenty more exciting.
For me I will enjoy this S and then when I want/need more power I'll get a supercharged on. Nice 2008 SC.
As has been said drive as many as you can, they're all good and only you will know which suits you and your needs. I live a couple of miles from CN and you'd be welcome to have a passenger ride if you're ever down in the area again (weather has been impressively wet recently though).
If you're in the NW the. Signed up to NORLOG and come over for a meet.
FYI To confuse matters Lotus recently launched a new S which is actually supercharged. Not the best naming conventions if you ask me.
Hoddo said:
Los Endos said:
What about the Toyota powered S with the lower power ?
May be able to help here.Previously ran a 111R and now run a Toyota powered S (lower powered one). My car is exclusivly used on the road and I had a similar experience to you, found I was constantly chasing the second CAM in the R. The S feels very similar up to 6k rpm where the cam would have kicked in. In the S it carries on for a bit more, nice lineiar delivery which suited my style of driving.
Don't ignore a good exhaust note. This really changes the whole experience and the standard exhaust on the Elise is not known for its volume. Introducing a good sound makes any Elise plenty more exciting.
For me I will enjoy this S and then when I want/need more power I'll get a supercharged on. Nice 2008 SC.
As has been said drive as many as you can, they're all good and only you will know which suits you and your needs. I live a couple of miles from CN and you'd be welcome to have a passenger ride if you're ever down in the area again (weather has been impressively wet recently though).
If you're in the NW the. Signed up to NORLOG and come over for a meet.
FYI To confuse matters Lotus recently launched a new S which is actually supercharged. Not the best naming conventions if you ask me.
I'll sign up to Norlog now, since I'm very much NW based -)
Never driven an S so can't comment on the difference. All I know that as an R owner, you learn to live with the second cam. Only frustrating if you get caught out by 'surprise' and have to drop a cog or two. When you know in advance that you're going for a 'burst' then keeping the revs up becomes second nature and makes the car fly. It remains a personal choice but I never regret mine. Comforted in the knowledge it has a Toyota engine, which may not be bullet proof as some suggest but remains high on reliability. I believe resale values remain higher as a result, even if there is no real justification as the Rover lump has much to offer. However, ask anyone on the street to choose between a Rover or a Toyota and I'm convinced the greater percentage will pick the Toyota. This may upset the purists but remember not all buyers take the trouble to gather all the information or advice on various forums. Please note that I'm not looking to say which is better because I don't know, but I believe and understand that the less technical amongst us will go for the Toyota for no other reason that it inspires more confidence to the average man in the street. Either way, enjoy your search and post the photos once its delivered. Which ever you choose, just enjoy it as a Lotus. I admire them all wichever engine they have.
Just remember once you've decided on the engine, you've then got to think about the colour, with or without aircon, stage 1 or stage 2 exhaust and with or without a hardtop. All issues that get lots of replies
Just remember once you've decided on the engine, you've then got to think about the colour, with or without aircon, stage 1 or stage 2 exhaust and with or without a hardtop. All issues that get lots of replies
There was a real nice yellow 2007 S at the garage today aswell. The interior was lovely and was immaculate inside and out. Only concern was I thought it would feel just like the 111R but without the power boost at 6K and after driving the 111S now I'm 99% sure that's the car for me. Now just got to find one in yellow although that old English white one on here looks great.
Ermmm... Not sure if I supposed to say this but here goes...
Obviously cash comes into this calculation :-
Rover is cheaper by about 3k, same age / mileage 'ish
CN seems to be £1k over the odds when I've poured over the classified, everything is negotiable ?
Hopefully I just didn't break any rules here :-(
Obviously cash comes into this calculation :-
Rover is cheaper by about 3k, same age / mileage 'ish
CN seems to be £1k over the odds when I've poured over the classified, everything is negotiable ?
Hopefully I just didn't break any rules here :-(
So... Finally it stopped raining and the sun shone... :-)
So nipped up to CN for test drive of the 111s and 111r, bearing in mind all the comments and advice
I have been fortunate to receive via this thread, I tried to keep my mind open to both forms of this
great motor.
1st off was the 111s ( which I must admit I was sorting to lean to ), really enjoyed my first drive of an Elise, although the
pedal arrangement gave me a bit if a scare when I went to brake, as did the lack of power from the stop pedal.
The K engine I found very tractable and responsive, infact I was pleasantly surprised by the whole set-up, the sum total is way beyond my driving skills, but it feels very 'chuck able' and like its on rails :-))))
A bit noisy in the cabin with the odd rattle and click here and there, but not a deal breaker by any means !
Next came the 111r, this time with a roof on ( super impressed with the fabric roof ), this motor also had a sports exhaust
just to let you know your having a good time ;-)
I had in my head it would be a bit flat on delivery but was pleasantly surprised on performance below the magic 6k,
then I had a go at releasing the screaming banshees ( loud pedal after 6k ), errr yes, yes, and a bt more yes.
By this time I was getting a little confident to push a bit harder, by my standards, and it felt a lot sharper than the
111s but this is probably Elise A versus Elise B, can't really describe the overall difference but I found the 111r
a better connected drive, perhaps i mean taught, plus almost no rattle !
So did I buy the 111r, sadly no, it's a lovely car but the wrong colour for me and realised if this is fun toy so it has to be right
in all areas, I know I'm being a bit of girl here ;-(
However CN do having something another Elise that floats my boat in terms of spec, condition and colour, so I'm goingto sleep on it and maybe book myself another test drive when the sun shines again.
Thoughts and ideas most welcome ?
So nipped up to CN for test drive of the 111s and 111r, bearing in mind all the comments and advice
I have been fortunate to receive via this thread, I tried to keep my mind open to both forms of this
great motor.
1st off was the 111s ( which I must admit I was sorting to lean to ), really enjoyed my first drive of an Elise, although the
pedal arrangement gave me a bit if a scare when I went to brake, as did the lack of power from the stop pedal.
The K engine I found very tractable and responsive, infact I was pleasantly surprised by the whole set-up, the sum total is way beyond my driving skills, but it feels very 'chuck able' and like its on rails :-))))
A bit noisy in the cabin with the odd rattle and click here and there, but not a deal breaker by any means !
Next came the 111r, this time with a roof on ( super impressed with the fabric roof ), this motor also had a sports exhaust
just to let you know your having a good time ;-)
I had in my head it would be a bit flat on delivery but was pleasantly surprised on performance below the magic 6k,
then I had a go at releasing the screaming banshees ( loud pedal after 6k ), errr yes, yes, and a bt more yes.
By this time I was getting a little confident to push a bit harder, by my standards, and it felt a lot sharper than the
111s but this is probably Elise A versus Elise B, can't really describe the overall difference but I found the 111r
a better connected drive, perhaps i mean taught, plus almost no rattle !
So did I buy the 111r, sadly no, it's a lovely car but the wrong colour for me and realised if this is fun toy so it has to be right
in all areas, I know I'm being a bit of girl here ;-(
However CN do having something another Elise that floats my boat in terms of spec, condition and colour, so I'm goingto sleep on it and maybe book myself another test drive when the sun shines again.
Thoughts and ideas most welcome ?
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