Honda Elise or Elise SC?

[Dakkon]

Hi,

Honda conversions have been around for a few years and I know some topics have done them to death, but I am hoping that some subjective views can be found nowadays?

To buy an S1 Elise and do the Honda conversion, I think you are looking at around £25k band for simlar money you can buy an Elise SC, both have comparible power although the SC weighs a little more.

Just wondered as to the pro's and con's by those who know a little more about Loti than me? I am very tempted by the S1 Honda conversion and being about to tweak the car to exactly how I want it, just to add this would be as a track car mainly.

Thoughts welcome

[The Bandit]

I've got an S2 SC thats got quite a few mods and I've driven/followed a good friends Honda S1 for a few years now so take your preferences from below...

(Same driver and similar set up - both have Nitrons, brakes, arb, similar geo, AD08Rs) the S1 is much quicker track and road
S1 feels like a proper race car, S2 is much more civilised (quieter, more space inside etc)
Honda is more expensive to run (fuel, maintenance etc)
S2 is pretty bomb proof reliability wise (but it's a newer car, all S1s are knocking on for 15 years old now so budget for more bits falling off)
Honda gearbox is miles better than the Toyota one

Having driven the Honda recently back to back with my car I got out of it grinning like an idiot with my ears ringing so that should tell you enough!
It's a proper event and every petrolhead should try it. The K20 is probably the best production engine ever made..

So if you don't mind plenty of fettling/fiddling then the S1 is for you.
The S2 is more 'stick fuel in it and drive it' and is much easier day to day/long trips.
For track only the S1 wins all day though.

Good luck.

[Exige77]

^^^^What Bandit said.

Stick an SC on the Honda and it's a different animal again. It's a bit of an monster.

[Dakkon]

Thanks for the replies, it echoes what I suspected.

I currently run a 350Z and have a BBK on it to use on the track, but it is a somewhat blunt instrument. Very seriously considering trading for an S1 Elise, sort out the brakes and suspension and then Honda engine conversion later in the year.

[lee111s]

You'll save a ton of cash if you buy one that's already converted.

I think WillB has an early s2 (bascially an s1 with a different body) honda converted car for sale for about 16k.

[Mike22233]

The Bandit said:

I've got an S2 SC thats got quite a few mods and I've driven/followed a good friends Honda S1 for a few years now so take your preferences from below...

(Same driver and similar set up - both have Nitrons, brakes, arb, similar geo, AD08Rs) the S1 is much quicker track and road
S1 feels like a proper race car, S2 is much more civilised (quieter, more space inside etc)
Honda is more expensive to run (fuel, maintenance etc)
S2 is pretty bomb proof reliability wise (but it's a newer car, all S1s are knocking on for 15 years old now so budget for more bits falling off)
Honda gearbox is miles better than the Toyota one

Having driven the Honda recently back to back with my car I got out of it grinning like an idiot with my ears ringing so that should tell you enough!
It's a proper event and every petrolhead should try it. The K20 is probably the best production engine ever made..

So if you don't mind plenty of fettling/fiddling then the S1 is for you.
The S2 is more 'stick fuel in it and drive it' and is much easier day to day/long trips.
For track only the S1 wins all day though.

Good luck.

Really? S1 Elise is much quicer with a standard honda engine? What are power to weight differences between the cars?

Presumably the S1 Honda is supercharged? Obviously the stock car is rather light.

[Dakkon]

Mike22233 said:

The Bandit said:

I've got an S2 SC thats got quite a few mods and I've driven/followed a good friends Honda S1 for a few years now so take your preferences from below...

(Same driver and similar set up - both have Nitrons, brakes, arb, similar geo, AD08Rs) the S1 is much quicker track and road
S1 feels like a proper race car, S2 is much more civilised (quieter, more space inside etc)
Honda is more expensive to run (fuel, maintenance etc)
S2 is pretty bomb proof reliability wise (but it's a newer car, all S1s are knocking on for 15 years old now so budget for more bits falling off)
Honda gearbox is miles better than the Toyota one

Having driven the Honda recently back to back with my car I got out of it grinning like an idiot with my ears ringing so that should tell you enough!
It's a proper event and every petrolhead should try it. The K20 is probably the best production engine ever made..

So if you don't mind plenty of fettling/fiddling then the S1 is for you.
The S2 is more 'stick fuel in it and drive it' and is much easier day to day/long trips.
For track only the S1 wins all day though.

Good luck.

Really? S1 Elise is much quicer with a standard honda engine? What are power to weight differences between the cars?

Presumably the S1 Honda is supercharged? Obviously the stock car is rather light.

Elise SC is 220bhp, S1 with K20 is around 230bhp with re-map, if you then SC the K20 you are looking at 350+bhp, when you then take into account the lightness of the S1, it's power to weight becomes pretty impressive

[Exige77]

Honda S1 NA will destroy a 220 BHP Yota Elise/Exige.

K20 is a great engine and the Honda gear ratios also help greatly.

It's the engine that should have been in the S1 in the first place.

[danwebster]

Honda S1 any day of the week....as others already said, an n/a K20 powered S1 will annihilate supercharged toyota exiges...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dveoInVZCNU

I'm slightly biased as I gave up a proper job to build them for a living though

[The Bandit]

Mike22233 said:

The Bandit said:

I've got an S2 SC thats got quite a few mods and I've driven/followed a good friends Honda S1 for a few years now so take your preferences from below...

(Same driver and similar set up - both have Nitrons, brakes, arb, similar geo, AD08Rs) the S1 is much quicker track and road
S1 feels like a proper race car, S2 is much more civilised (quieter, more space inside etc)
Honda is more expensive to run (fuel, maintenance etc)
S2 is pretty bomb proof reliability wise (but it's a newer car, all S1s are knocking on for 15 years old now so budget for more bits falling off)
Honda gearbox is miles better than the Toyota one

Having driven the Honda recently back to back with my car I got out of it grinning like an idiot with my ears ringing so that should tell you enough!
It's a proper event and every petrolhead should try it. The K20 is probably the best production engine ever made..

So if you don't mind plenty of fettling/fiddling then the S1 is for you.
The S2 is more 'stick fuel in it and drive it' and is much easier day to day/long trips.
For track only the S1 wins all day though.

Good luck.

Really? S1 Elise is much quicer with a standard honda engine? What are power to weight differences between the cars?

Presumably the S1 Honda is supercharged? Obviously the stock car is rather light.

N/a S1 Honda will be around 230bhp and 750kgs and Elise SC is 217bhp and around 930kgs.
The weight difference is noticeable...
Oh and trust me I've done plenty of drag races (in Germany of course) with an S1 Honda and it leaves me for dead everywhere

[Mike22233]

The Bandit said:

N/a S1 Honda will be around 230bhp and 750kgs and Elise SC is 217bhp and around 930kgs.
The weight difference is noticeable...
Oh and trust me I've done plenty of drag races (in Germany of course) with an S1 Honda and it leaves me for dead everywhere

I noticed the S1 is also more twitchy.
What engine is it then? My old ep3 k20 engine was 197bhp.

[economicpygmy]

Its the same K20A2, although many people have fitted JDM cams. The different intake and exhaust (full system) results in increased power after a remap; more than a standard EP3 Type-R.

http://www.dyno-plot.co.uk/dyno/dynoplot/id%26sort...

[The Bandit]

Exige77 said:

^^^^What Bandit said.

Stick an SC on the Honda and it's a different animal again. It's a bit of an monster.

You can say that again, I screamed like a girl in your car!

[fatwomble]

The Bandit said:

You can say that again, I screamed like a girl in your car!

Where was his hand though