Basic 2014 Elise - performance
Discussion
I have had the SC Elise, and now 240 Exige.
The SC cars are bonkers on the road, probably just that we bit too quick actually. On track, different story, the power can be utilised.
I done Hethel track day, which involved driving many laps around the track in a standard 1.6. I was expecting it to be a boring 20 minutes due to having owned the SC variants, however I was pleasantly surprised at how capable this car was. It was great fun, loved every minute of it. Yes you have to rev It, but to me that is all part of the involvement.
For the road, you could still get yourself into a lot of trouble in the 1.6, but on the other hand It is probably just about right power wise to exploit its full power.
I would have a 1.6 in a heart beat, defo loads of fun to be had. Totally different to the 135, so no comparison whatsoever. I would not go into the Elise with expectations alongside a 135. Just try It, keep an open mind and enjoy It.
The SC cars are bonkers on the road, probably just that we bit too quick actually. On track, different story, the power can be utilised.
I done Hethel track day, which involved driving many laps around the track in a standard 1.6. I was expecting it to be a boring 20 minutes due to having owned the SC variants, however I was pleasantly surprised at how capable this car was. It was great fun, loved every minute of it. Yes you have to rev It, but to me that is all part of the involvement.
For the road, you could still get yourself into a lot of trouble in the 1.6, but on the other hand It is probably just about right power wise to exploit its full power.
I would have a 1.6 in a heart beat, defo loads of fun to be had. Totally different to the 135, so no comparison whatsoever. I would not go into the Elise with expectations alongside a 135. Just try It, keep an open mind and enjoy It.
hajaba123 said:
I've had an S2 'S' then a Z4Mcoupe, then a S2 S/C and now an M135i, I'm only 5 ft9 so not completely qualified!
The S felt slow, the supercharged was one of the best cars I have ever owned and felt just as torquey and fast as the M135i.
No experience of the new one but I think I would be disappointed.
Your car history really interests me, I have an E92 M3 with the comp pack and before a Z4M. I'm looking at a swap to Exige 220 however have never driven one and am a bit concerned about aspects like motorway driving in a down pour, leaving it on the street uncovered etc etc. Any experiences you could share to help me decide if it is the right thing for me?The S felt slow, the supercharged was one of the best cars I have ever owned and felt just as torquey and fast as the M135i.
No experience of the new one but I think I would be disappointed.
Ed T said:
hajaba123 said:
I've had an S2 'S' then a Z4Mcoupe, then a S2 S/C and now an M135i, I'm only 5 ft9 so not completely qualified!
The S felt slow, the supercharged was one of the best cars I have ever owned and felt just as torquey and fast as the M135i.
No experience of the new one but I think I would be disappointed.
Your car history really interests me, I have an E92 M3 with the comp pack and before a Z4M. I'm looking at a swap to Exige 220 however have never driven one and am a bit concerned about aspects like motorway driving in a down pour, leaving it on the street uncovered etc etc. Any experiences you could share to help me decide if it is the right thing for me?The S felt slow, the supercharged was one of the best cars I have ever owned and felt just as torquey and fast as the M135i.
No experience of the new one but I think I would be disappointed.
Driving in the rain, and dark were both pretty grim but you soon get used to it. I found it useful to convince myself that no one could see me and that those that could were trying to kill me. I'd say get them driven in the sort of circumstances that you drive in. ie book some rush hour test drives if that's what you're likely to do, dont just get the approved route showing how great it will be on twisty country roads.
I miss having the roof off, want an M4 convertible now,,,,,
How does the M3 compare to the Z4M?
Sorry OP crashed your thread a bit. Z4M was great but the M3 has a bit more to it, v8 is fab and the down shifts with the DCT are epic. Motorway slip roads demonstrate the speed differential too. The Z4M had the fact that you were sat on the rear wheels so could feel the rear tyre behaviour a bit batter. M3 awesome all rounder. I have a desire for an exige though before kids arrive on the scene etc, imagine the exige is much more of an event. May miss the M3 tho, ideally both but don't need two cars.
OP personally I think having the. M135 and then an elise sounds perfect if you need two cars. I don't know but I imagine on occasions such as slip roads and motorways you'd be willing it to pick up. 111R or elise Sc out of the question?
OP personally I think having the. M135 and then an elise sounds perfect if you need two cars. I don't know but I imagine on occasions such as slip roads and motorways you'd be willing it to pick up. 111R or elise Sc out of the question?
Ed T said:
Sorry OP crashed your thread a bit. Z4M was great but the M3 has a bit more to it, v8 is fab and the down shifts with the DCT are epic. Motorway slip roads demonstrate the speed differential too. The Z4M had the fact that you were sat on the rear wheels so could feel the rear tyre behaviour a bit batter. M3 awesome all rounder. I have a desire for an exige though before kids arrive on the scene etc, imagine the exige is much more of an event. May miss the M3 tho, ideally both but don't need two cars.
OP personally I think having the. M135 and then an elise sounds perfect if you need two cars. I don't know but I imagine on occasions such as slip roads and motorways you'd be willing it to pick up. 111R or elise Sc out of the question?
Hi no worries. I would need to sell the M135i as currently £400 a month and I think my fiancee would kill me if I proposed adding another £300 a month on an elise lol.OP personally I think having the. M135 and then an elise sounds perfect if you need two cars. I don't know but I imagine on occasions such as slip roads and motorways you'd be willing it to pick up. 111R or elise Sc out of the question?
I would hope to pick up a cheap lease car - say £120ish per month and then £299 for the Elise to keep things manageable financially.
If I had a wad of cash to offset the cost of a used car, I'd probably go down the used route but with the final payment on the new elise bringing down the monthly payments it's the easiest route to go.
Looking at the faster models, I genuinely wouldn't be happy paying more than the £29k the basic model costs. I think part of that is the huge discount I got on the M135i which brought it to this price bracket and I think I'd feel cheated if I spent over £30k in the elise for a lot less in terms of equipment etc.
Don't get me wrong, I know you don't buy an elise for creature comforts as such - for me, I'd be looking for something that gives me the fun and feel good factor I had when I used to run a Boxster. The M135i is an amazing car but it just lacks that spark that makes me excited to drive it every day.
just to add my 10 pence OP, i've got a club racer 1.6 with the TRD airbox (a must on this car!) and a 2bular exhaust.
for country road blatting and general hoonery its is about as fast as id want to go, it will get to 70/80 in short order and the 6 speed box is really very good, for trackdays, tracks like curborough (short sprint tracks) are loads of fun in the 1.6, where it basically becomes a giant go cart and is so much fun you remember the sensation in your hands and bottom way after you've pulled off the track.
i use mine as a daily and it gets 40 MPG, is a cheap company car (only £2075 @ 40%) and gets a lot of attention, all of it positive (so far) it has an absolutely idiot proof stability control system, which is the best I've ever experienced for moments where your not concentrating (i would have certainly stacked a non stability control elise by now)
However, if you were using it on a proper track like say silverstone/donnington/brands etc it might feel a tad underpowered on the straights, its ample in corners and will readily break traction into smokey drifty things if that's what you want.
on the road, in normal traffic, overtakes are going to require lots of revs and attention, you wont just floor it in 4th and expect it to jump like a 35i will.
overall though its been a great car, and although a new one will depreciate, it has the highest (67.8%) retained value over three years of ANY car in production (bar your bugatti's etc)
for country road blatting and general hoonery its is about as fast as id want to go, it will get to 70/80 in short order and the 6 speed box is really very good, for trackdays, tracks like curborough (short sprint tracks) are loads of fun in the 1.6, where it basically becomes a giant go cart and is so much fun you remember the sensation in your hands and bottom way after you've pulled off the track.
i use mine as a daily and it gets 40 MPG, is a cheap company car (only £2075 @ 40%) and gets a lot of attention, all of it positive (so far) it has an absolutely idiot proof stability control system, which is the best I've ever experienced for moments where your not concentrating (i would have certainly stacked a non stability control elise by now)
However, if you were using it on a proper track like say silverstone/donnington/brands etc it might feel a tad underpowered on the straights, its ample in corners and will readily break traction into smokey drifty things if that's what you want.
on the road, in normal traffic, overtakes are going to require lots of revs and attention, you wont just floor it in 4th and expect it to jump like a 35i will.
overall though its been a great car, and although a new one will depreciate, it has the highest (67.8%) retained value over three years of ANY car in production (bar your bugatti's etc)
Edited by Richard-G on Tuesday 17th June 11:33
Martin_M said:
Tiger Tim said:
In my opinion if you're buying an elise for outright speed or even having that as a key want/need then you've missed the point entirely.
If you haven't driven any elise variant then it'll all make sense after.
Not at all. I recognise that the Elise lacks the outright speed of my bmw, hence my question. I think that the 'fun factor' of the elise and the sense of occasion driving it will more than make up for any performance shortcomings. I was just keen to hear from actual owners who may have been in a similar situation.If you haven't driven any elise variant then it'll all make sense after.
In an ideal world, it would be nice to buy a faster version but for me, the elise isn't the kind of car I'd want to spend a lot of money on for a more powerful engine or on options - the whole appeal for me is the basic no frills nature of it.
I'll give it another 6 months and pay Brandon at Murray Motors a visit, during which time I'll probably find that my 6 foot 4 frame won't fit lol...although I believe probax seats can help?
I sold my E46 M3 a few months ago, my daily is now a VW transporter Kombi for karting around anything you like. I bought a 111s Ok a bit more power than the basic elise of current guise. The M3 had much more torque and more than double the power and torque, but also a fair hike in weight. Driving a light mid RWD car is just intoxicating on the right roads, I find myself exploring various B roads on the way home just to exploit the elise a bit more. The M3 was my road and track day companion and in a straight line i am confident would muller the elise. Height wise i am 6ft3 in the standard touring seats, i find they fit great. The biggest PITA is the rear view mirror of all things, obstructs my view on left handers. A few solutions to that though. A pal of mine is 6ft4 he had a VX220 for a while a fitted fine, also driven mine with no issues. Your flexibility will be the bigger issue! Removable steering wheel is a consideration... I did come very very close to buying a M135i but the elise just felt special. especially stepping from van to elise. Sense of occassion then off B road hunting. On the commute to work the elise is pretty boring it can do it all right but never get to exploit the car, a big tdi would see you off a roundabout. My elise had a radio which i switched on one, its a rather pointless addition for me. And one big thing your missing, ability to take the roof off! If its not hosing it down, roof is off, only adds to the pleasure imho. I always though the part of the machien things was BS but start winding up the elise and it just pulls you in.
My take... M BMW to elise, both brilliant cars. The E46 M3 is a really properly stunning all rounder, from 5 up camping trips to 2 hours solid around knockhill to 30mpg commutes to work in winter. The M135i felt like the right replacement for all those reasons. However, I wanted something a bit more simple, back to basics. Actually wanted to go back in time and buy a classic but i lack storage. If you want something that does everything, M car. If you want sense of occasion, makes you focus and walk away with a smile wondering where you could go to next, the Elise.
I'm not sure you should be comparing Elise 1.6 performance with an M135i, as it's simply far, far slower. In fact a couple of years ago Evo magazine did a track test at Bedford, Elise 1.6 Vs Leon Cupra Mk2. The Cupra obliterated the Elise, and that is today a 7 year old car which is itself greatly surpassed by a M135i in performance terms.
I've got a M135i and an Elise 111R and I'd honestly find it difficult to live with either as an only car. The M135i is a great all rounder and I do love it for what it is - fast, comfortable, refined and premium feeling, but despite the oomph I never really get the urge to take it by the scruff of the neck. It doesn't reward anything like the Elise (as you know the M135i steering is completely without feel) and it just doesn't have that something "special" about it, so it isn't a car I get real satisfaction from driving (it's not a "Sunday morning blast" type car for me)
After using it for commuting for a few days I'm just itching to drive the Elise, and it's the total opposite in every way. It rattles and feels a bit flimsy in comparison to the BMW, but the response of the na engine and in fact the response of every input feels so immediate and alive that before I've even got out of the end of my road I've got a smile on my face
Before I took delivery of the BMW I had a couple of weeks without an everyday car so had to use the Elise as my daily and I did frustrate me, particularly in traffic. When the road conditions are perfect I can't think of anything else I'd rather drive. For 80% of my driving that's not the case so if I was forced to choose one car to do everything the BMW would make more sense, but the Elise really does make the perfect weekend toy and occasional commuter.
With regards to power I'm sure the BMW is considerable quicker over 60, even than the 111r, but to me this really doesn't matter - the Elise feels quick, feels alive and feels special, and the balance of the car and banzai nature of the 111r will always put a smile on my face.
If you drive on open roads I expect the 1.6 might leave you wanting more power, but on the really twisty stuff I can fully enjoy the balance of the Elise without even hitting the second cam (so probably around the 1.6 power level) so I think you need to be sure where and how you'll use it. I'd certainly recommend though looking at your manmaths again to see if a non-depreciating older R would make more sense.
After using it for commuting for a few days I'm just itching to drive the Elise, and it's the total opposite in every way. It rattles and feels a bit flimsy in comparison to the BMW, but the response of the na engine and in fact the response of every input feels so immediate and alive that before I've even got out of the end of my road I've got a smile on my face
Before I took delivery of the BMW I had a couple of weeks without an everyday car so had to use the Elise as my daily and I did frustrate me, particularly in traffic. When the road conditions are perfect I can't think of anything else I'd rather drive. For 80% of my driving that's not the case so if I was forced to choose one car to do everything the BMW would make more sense, but the Elise really does make the perfect weekend toy and occasional commuter.
With regards to power I'm sure the BMW is considerable quicker over 60, even than the 111r, but to me this really doesn't matter - the Elise feels quick, feels alive and feels special, and the balance of the car and banzai nature of the 111r will always put a smile on my face.
If you drive on open roads I expect the 1.6 might leave you wanting more power, but on the really twisty stuff I can fully enjoy the balance of the Elise without even hitting the second cam (so probably around the 1.6 power level) so I think you need to be sure where and how you'll use it. I'd certainly recommend though looking at your manmaths again to see if a non-depreciating older R would make more sense.
Olivera said:
I'm not sure you should be comparing Elise 1.6 performance with an M135i, as it's simply far, far slower. In fact a couple of years ago Evo magazine did a track test at Bedford, Elise 1.6 Vs Leon Cupra Mk2. The Cupra obliterated the Elise, and that is today a 7 year old car which is itself greatly surpassed by a M135i in performance terms.
http://www.evo.co.uk/trackdays/features/234246/evo...
Jaguar XFR 1:27.9
Lexus IS-F 1:28.1
Porsche Boxster S (987) 1:28.1
Subaru WRX STI 1:28.3
SEAT Leon Cupra R 1:28.7
Bentley Continental Supersports 1:29.2
Lotus Elise Club Racer 1:29.2
Renaultsport Mégane 250 Cup 1:29.9
Vauxhall VXR8 Clubsport Tourer 1:29.9
Honda NSX 1:30.1
about half a second slower than a cupra, which is only half a second away from a boxter S. That's not obliteration, unless your accustomed to Clarkson levels of Hyperbole...
Flat6 said:
I've got a M135i and an Elise 111R and I'd honestly find it difficult to live with either as an only car. The M135i is a great all rounder and I do love it for what it is - fast, comfortable, refined and premium feeling, but despite the oomph I never really get the urge to take it by the scruff of the neck. It doesn't reward anything like the Elise (as you know the M135i steering is completely without feel) and it just doesn't have that something "special" about it, so it isn't a car I get real satisfaction from driving (it's not a "Sunday morning blast" type car for me)
After using it for commuting for a few days I'm just itching to drive the Elise, and it's the total opposite in every way. It rattles and feels a bit flimsy in comparison to the BMW, but the response of the na engine and in fact the response of every input feels so immediate and alive that before I've even got out of the end of my road I've got a smile on my face
Before I took delivery of the BMW I had a couple of weeks without an everyday car so had to use the Elise as my daily and I did frustrate me, particularly in traffic. When the road conditions are perfect I can't think of anything else I'd rather drive. For 80% of my driving that's not the case so if I was forced to choose one car to do everything the BMW would make more sense, but the Elise really does make the perfect weekend toy and occasional commuter.
With regards to power I'm sure the BMW is considerable quicker over 60, even than the 111r, but to me this really doesn't matter - the Elise feels quick, feels alive and feels special, and the balance of the car and banzai nature of the 111r will always put a smile on my face.
If you drive on open roads I expect the 1.6 might leave you wanting more power, but on the really twisty stuff I can fully enjoy the balance of the Elise without even hitting the second cam (so probably around the 1.6 power level) so I think you need to be sure where and how you'll use it. I'd certainly recommend though looking at your manmaths again to see if a non-depreciating older R would make more sense.
+1After using it for commuting for a few days I'm just itching to drive the Elise, and it's the total opposite in every way. It rattles and feels a bit flimsy in comparison to the BMW, but the response of the na engine and in fact the response of every input feels so immediate and alive that before I've even got out of the end of my road I've got a smile on my face
Before I took delivery of the BMW I had a couple of weeks without an everyday car so had to use the Elise as my daily and I did frustrate me, particularly in traffic. When the road conditions are perfect I can't think of anything else I'd rather drive. For 80% of my driving that's not the case so if I was forced to choose one car to do everything the BMW would make more sense, but the Elise really does make the perfect weekend toy and occasional commuter.
With regards to power I'm sure the BMW is considerable quicker over 60, even than the 111r, but to me this really doesn't matter - the Elise feels quick, feels alive and feels special, and the balance of the car and banzai nature of the 111r will always put a smile on my face.
If you drive on open roads I expect the 1.6 might leave you wanting more power, but on the really twisty stuff I can fully enjoy the balance of the Elise without even hitting the second cam (so probably around the 1.6 power level) so I think you need to be sure where and how you'll use it. I'd certainly recommend though looking at your manmaths again to see if a non-depreciating older R would make more sense.
Never had a BMW. Had an Audi A3 Convertible. OK, not a performance car but very accomplished, comfortable and practical. It was brand new. It 'replaced' my Elise R. After three months I just wanted to sell it and get back into a Lotus. As stated, they rattle, they are impractical but so much more fun. Bought an Exige. I could and would use it as a daily but I do too many miles so its just for the fun days. For me its just about smiles per miles and my car just gives me so many.
As for performance, I too think the OP should reassess his needs. I'm sure getting into a second hand higher performance model will be as financially sound as you can get.
Thanks for the feedback guys - much appreciated.
With regard to second hand vs new - there's nothing much more I can say on the matter other than to offer an example of a mere £20k loan which would be £600 + over 3 years based on a quick on-line search. This compared to a new example at £299 per month puts things into perspective. My M135i is so new that I'm not going to be making money on it if I sell it within the next year or so which again, points to going down the new route as opposed to used. If I was prepared to put £x down against a used example and then borrow the rest then it may well be a different story but the wife to be already has our existing funds spent when we return from our wedding/honeymoon in a few weeks lol
With regard to second hand vs new - there's nothing much more I can say on the matter other than to offer an example of a mere £20k loan which would be £600 + over 3 years based on a quick on-line search. This compared to a new example at £299 per month puts things into perspective. My M135i is so new that I'm not going to be making money on it if I sell it within the next year or so which again, points to going down the new route as opposed to used. If I was prepared to put £x down against a used example and then borrow the rest then it may well be a different story but the wife to be already has our existing funds spent when we return from our wedding/honeymoon in a few weeks lol
2006 111r owner here. So obviously faster than the S, but here's my experience anyway..
Have raced a m135 about 6 months ago. Cars were not too far off, the lotus was quicker off the line the BM clawed it back almost instantly, he started slightly pulling away from me after 70. Generally they were quite well matched up to 80.
Was only a quick spurt over a mile or two. But I was very surprised at how even they were. I think if your going to do the Elise thing, you really need to do it from the mentality that the experience is about driving something totally unique.
It handles like nothing else. Very precise, very mechanical whilst giving all your senses a real bashing. My Elise is in the process of being sold, but I am very glad I scratched my Lotus itch.
If you don't want a step down in performance maybe you should aim for an R/SC
Have raced a m135 about 6 months ago. Cars were not too far off, the lotus was quicker off the line the BM clawed it back almost instantly, he started slightly pulling away from me after 70. Generally they were quite well matched up to 80.
Was only a quick spurt over a mile or two. But I was very surprised at how even they were. I think if your going to do the Elise thing, you really need to do it from the mentality that the experience is about driving something totally unique.
It handles like nothing else. Very precise, very mechanical whilst giving all your senses a real bashing. My Elise is in the process of being sold, but I am very glad I scratched my Lotus itch.
If you don't want a step down in performance maybe you should aim for an R/SC
Edited by GhostDriver on Tuesday 24th June 15:50
Martin_M said:
Dr Rick, thanks very much for the offer. I'm based in Glasgow. I finish up for the school holidays in a couple of weeks so perhaps we could arrange to meet up then if you're around.
Given you're a Weegie based person you'll know the area. I'm based in Eurocentral on a typical work day, but as mentioned earlier, I do visit other offices we have around the local area on a fairly frequent basis. As you noted, school holidays are coming up which means I'm away this next week including the weekends either side. This week is a bit of a challenge; I'm arranging to sell a Defender (fingers crossed), plus holiday prep, plus I'm in the run up to a house move. But I'm sure I can sort something out.PM me some dates and contact details and we'll see what happens.
I know this is probably well known now but I've only just become aware that the Elise is being totally revamped come 2015...I like the back but not so keen on the side profile.
Oh...and the £35k base price :-(
http://www.caranddriver.com/news/lotus-elise-news-...
Oh...and the £35k base price :-(
http://www.caranddriver.com/news/lotus-elise-news-...
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