Which Elise would be best for me?
Discussion
I've just moved back to the UK after many years abroad. I share a M 135i with my wife but I'm looking for a second, special car for myself. I am looking to use the car most of the year (not every day but if I need to drive somewhere and my wife has taken the BMW then it has to stand in as transport). I plan to do quite a few car trips this year (potentially down to Wales with friends in May, Classic Le Mans in July and a tour of Scotland in the autumn). It should be good for Sunday morning blasts on the back roads around Cambridge but also not too harsh for touring. I might fit in a track day or two as well.
Preferably the car should be quick without being too fast, have fully analogue controls (manual, no power steering, etc) and be light.
I have been considering early 911s (I actually had a PPI done on one yesterday - results were not as expected, which has left me unsure how to go forward).
I have also been thinking of a Caterham. I would love a Caterham but worried that they are just a bit too extreme.
Ideally the car should hold its value (so not looking at something too new).
An Elise seems like a good compromise between the 911 and the Caterham. But which model? Seems to be such an array of different ones. I will be trying a few (hoping to look at a 111 and a 190 on Monday) but any guidance from old hands based on what I want to do with it would be helpful.
Preferably the car should be quick without being too fast, have fully analogue controls (manual, no power steering, etc) and be light.
I have been considering early 911s (I actually had a PPI done on one yesterday - results were not as expected, which has left me unsure how to go forward).
I have also been thinking of a Caterham. I would love a Caterham but worried that they are just a bit too extreme.
Ideally the car should hold its value (so not looking at something too new).
An Elise seems like a good compromise between the 911 and the Caterham. But which model? Seems to be such an array of different ones. I will be trying a few (hoping to look at a 111 and a 190 on Monday) but any guidance from old hands based on what I want to do with it would be helpful.
Sounds like a s2 111s is what your looking for. 160bhp no power steering or abs, more refined than a normal s2 some come with electric windows and air con. I owned one from new for 7 years and clocked up 73k miles I absolutely loved it. Only reason I sold it was I always wanted an exige.
Sounds like a s2 111s is what your looking for. 160bhp no power steering or abs, more refined than a normal s2 some come with electric windows and air con. I owned one from new for 7 years and clocked up 73k miles I absolutely loved it. Only reason I sold it was I always wanted an exige.
There's no real consensus on which Elise variant is "best". My personal favourite is the S2 111S (which is obviously why I bought one) but I wouldn't say it's best, just that I preferred it to any of the other models available at the time.
They're all pretty simple but suffer from niggling issues; generally speaking the build quality improved (and weight increased) with each successive model year.
They're all pretty simple but suffer from niggling issues; generally speaking the build quality improved (and weight increased) with each successive model year.
That will get you just about anything other than a V6 powered car, but if you spend that much on an Elise it'll depreciate heavily. I'd suggest spending ~15k on a 111S or 111R; or perhaps 18-20k on a supercharged car. Another alternative would be to find a Honda converted car for 15-20k.
You could look at one of the more specialist cars like the S1 S160 or S190, but they aren't really ideal for touring.
You could look at one of the more specialist cars like the S1 S160 or S190, but they aren't really ideal for touring.
The budget means you are looking at anything up to a 220bhp S2 Exige S. Things like the Exige Cup 260, Elise/Exige RGB edition or MY12 Elise S would be out of reach. Not sure I agree with Kambites about the newer cars looking at heavy depreciation, the Elises and Exiges have had incredible residuals.
Get out there and try a few really. If you're happy for a car with few luxuries then you could have almost any S1 you wanted and have a very light, very raw car, or you could try an Elise SC and have a nice supercharged Toyota engine and a bit more comfort - weighs an extra 150-200kg, but still a manual, no PAS, etc.
Get out there and try a few really. If you're happy for a car with few luxuries then you could have almost any S1 you wanted and have a very light, very raw car, or you could try an Elise SC and have a nice supercharged Toyota engine and a bit more comfort - weighs an extra 150-200kg, but still a manual, no PAS, etc.
If it needs to stand in as transport from time to time, where no other car is available, you may want something with a bit of low down torque for easier relaxed driving from time to time (well, easier and relaxed from an Elise perspective - everything is relative) - so perhaps an S2 Elise SC or even an S2 Exige S.
Just my tuppence worth.
Just my tuppence worth.
Thorburn said:
The budget means you are looking at anything up to a 220bhp S2 Exige S. Things like the Exige Cup 260, Elise/Exige RGB edition or MY12 Elise S would be out of reach. Not sure I agree with Kambites about the newer cars looking at heavy depreciation, the Elises and Exiges have had incredible residuals.
From what I've seen, they've all had very similar residuals - moderate depreciation for the first three years or so, then a stabilisation at roughly half their new value. I wouldn't touch an Elise much less than three years old, personally. My car lost £10k in the first three years and about 2k in the next seven. Depreciation is never heavy by mainstream car standards, but he's not going to get a far that doesn't depreciate at all for >£20k, I doubt.
Edited by kambites on Sunday 13th April 14:07
I do think the need to rev the NA Toyota models hard is somewhat overstated, though. Obviously you've got to do it if you want all the performance, but you can punt them about in the higher gears perfectly adequately.
http://youtu.be/HvexB1K8v6k?t=2m54s
http://youtu.be/HvexB1K8v6k?t=2m54s
Don't you lose some of the linearity of throttle response with a supercharged car?
I appreciate Elise not great for touring but assume ok in comparison with an old 911 or Caterham.
I have a nice problem in that there are very many cars that I could buy. All have different advantages and disadvantages/compromises. Making the choice very difficult.
I appreciate Elise not great for touring but assume ok in comparison with an old 911 or Caterham.
I have a nice problem in that there are very many cars that I could buy. All have different advantages and disadvantages/compromises. Making the choice very difficult.
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