CATHERAM OR ELISE
Discussion
adeewuff said: The Caterham is incredibly controllable before, on and past the limit of traction. The Elise, although a good handling car, has the tendancy to not be as progressive and friendly as the Caterham is. Seeing both of these cars hooning it round a track it is quite obvious that the Caterham drivers are having more fun. Just my 2p worth.
Spot on, just my expierance having owned both for 3 years. If you're wanting something for day to day, the Elise is more usable.
If it's purely a fun thing the Caterham is the boy in my expierance, but I wouldn't want to have to drive to work in the rain in it.
All 7 esque cars are absolutely awfull in the rain and I conced the Elise is better in these conditions.
People rave about the Elise handling but I'm not so sure. They grip well and certainly they allow you to go round corners faster than is prudent on the road.
However I consider handling to be what happens when you breach the limits and in the feedback and control you get and in these areas I find my Elise rather snappy and vague. I don't feel confident pushing the Elise in the way you do a front engined/ rear drive car. It feels as though it will snap and have me reversing through the hedge. From some comments maybe I need to change the tyres, but to what?
TVRs aren't renowned for their handling finesse, and yet I feel I get more feedback /co-operation and stand a better chance of catching a slide in my Tuscan than the Elise.
Put it another way, on the track I pressed sooo much harder in the Caterham and could hang the tail out at will. I've spun the Elise 4 times so far in 2 trackdays.
They're both great cars, just depends how extreme you want to be. Me, I like the most track fun oriented thing I don't have to trailer to the circuit, and for me that's the Caterham.
Maybe it's just me, go drive them both and you'll soon decide.
>> Edited by bertie on Wednesday 30th October 23:00
>> Edited by bertie on Wednesday 30th October 23:01
hi,i've never written on this subject before but having owned both i could'nt resist.The elise i had proved troublesome and not quite as powerfull as i'd hoped.I think the final insult was my lap times off Oulten Park where my previous mk1 mr2 lapped in the identical same time!!!!bizzare i know but i was driving them both on the ragged edge.My Caterham however,1600k series( trying to convert to a BE)is about 9seconds a lap faster,more fun,more controlable ,freezing cold!Even as a weekend blast its as live-able as the elise was...perhaps you can hold a few more bits in the elise on a day out but i don't feel its a problem....i'd plug for the caterham everytime.
One comment i must agree with is i would'nt want to have a pile up with the armco in the caterham ..especially backwards into it as its soooo flimsy,and the petrol tank is there too....ouch
One comment i must agree with is i would'nt want to have a pile up with the armco in the caterham ..especially backwards into it as its soooo flimsy,and the petrol tank is there too....ouch
I test drove an Elise once – and was very disappointed, but I did turn up in my Caterham. I think a few people have hit the nail on the head here: if you like exploring the limits of traction get a Caterham, and if you just like driving fast in relative comfort get an Elise. Having driven both I know what I’d prefer, I wouldn’t want a Caterham as an only car though. You really do need a second car for commuting/shopping etc. Also judging by the amount of people that crash Elise’s (mainly in the wet) must say something about it’s sometimes unpredictable handling. The cost of insurance reflects this. I pay about £250 per year for my Caterham. I’d be lucky to insure an Elise for much less than £1000....
>> Edited by dave7 on Thursday 31st October 23:52
>> Edited by dave7 on Thursday 31st October 23:52
bertie, sounds to me like you need to get your Elise's suspension geometry checked and reset.
(edit)
As for tyres, go to www.elises.co.uk to read up on the many options available.
>> Edited by Bombjack on Thursday 31st October 14:06
(edit)
As for tyres, go to www.elises.co.uk to read up on the many options available.
>> Edited by Bombjack on Thursday 31st October 14:06
Bombjack said: bertie, sounds to me like you need to get your Elise's suspension geometry checked and reset.
As for tyres, go to www.elises.co.uk to read up on the many options available.
You might be right there, any ideas as to who knows their stuff about the geometry in the East Mids?
Also I guess I should be looking at Yokahama A038 tyres?
It has struck me that the Elise being considered in an S1, have you not tried an S2 yet? Far more planted and pushes more to under than over steer. At the end of the day it all comes down to driving skill and preference. I like mid engine RR, I don't know why, I just do it's my thing. If I can develop my skill to overcome the few disadvantages between the Elise and 7 then all the better.
My current car is a Caterham with a 1.4K series engine and 6 speed box. It's my only car which means that it gets used in all weathers. It's pretty hard to get into with the hood up and you have to be careful in the wet (but I think this applies to any light RWD car). On my last track day I found that a 135 Elise was quicker than me, but I was quicker than the standard Elises.
I think they are both excellent cars and hope to test-drive an Elise this week. I reckon that a Caterham has a bit more of a track bias whereas the Elise has a bit more of a road bias. I think the Caterham is also a bit more friendly for the home tuner who wants to make minor mods on their car.
I think they are both excellent cars and hope to test-drive an Elise this week. I reckon that a Caterham has a bit more of a track bias whereas the Elise has a bit more of a road bias. I think the Caterham is also a bit more friendly for the home tuner who wants to make minor mods on their car.
My current car is a Caterham with a 1.4K series engine and 6 speed box. It's my only car which means that it gets used in all weathers. It's pretty hard to get into with the hood up and you have to be careful in the wet (but I think this applies to any light RWD car). On my last track day I found that a 135 Elise was quicker than me, but I was quicker than the standard Elises.
I think they are both excellent cars and hope to test-drive an Elise this week. I reckon that a Caterham has a bit more of a track bias whereas the Elise has a bit more of a road bias. I think the Caterham is also a bit more friendly for the home tuner who wants to make minor mods on their car.
I think they are both excellent cars and hope to test-drive an Elise this week. I reckon that a Caterham has a bit more of a track bias whereas the Elise has a bit more of a road bias. I think the Caterham is also a bit more friendly for the home tuner who wants to make minor mods on their car.
I think the difference mentioned above is more likely (Std Elise Vs 135) due to the driver. I have done a Lotus experience at Rockingham and drove both a Std Elise and an Exige and the Exige was definitly more stable at high speed corners (80mph +) but the biggest difference was the driver ...... as I say when the instructer gave me a 'hot' demo lap. I am not sure 15 hp would make a great difference.
I used to do about 12k miles in my caterham supersprint 135bhp and about 9k in my Superlight R 1.8 vhpd (190bhp)
The superlight r would whip all cars (apart from r500)cars on a circuit, its fun, mine had a windscreen and heater so it was cosy and no stones in the eyes.
Keep a winter set of tyres ie rain and a track set 032rs and you will be fine. Just normal caution of big bhp per ton and rear drive.
Every drive was an event, sure you could do about 3 hrs drive somewhere but you will be asleep when you get there, motorways are awful (noise and bumps) but the speed is instant. Got up to 135 at Goodwood and 1min 31sec and the car is very stable, you can feel whats happening.
A previous post talked about the 7 being flimsy - sorry but its not. no flex, and the chassis is strong - see the motor sport crashes. Sure your going to get hurt if you hit something but full harness on and active safety plus you dont need to take chances on the road, almost any staight and your past a normal car. Slammed into your seat is not an understatement for mid range punch.
After driving a 160 elise at MIRA sure it was fun, and dry but everything was in slow motion, the 7 is instant and very controlable and perdictable approaching and above limits.
Any PH must own a 7 at some time in their lives and you will talk about it to your grand children. It is the benchmark.
I love the Superlight R. (I think the R500 reliability is better now) but ive had no problems with the K 1.8 vhpd.
get the 7, Roadsport or a Superlight or any caterham. you will love it, your wife/gf sadly wont.
>> Edited by superlightr on Saturday 16th November 18:43
>> Edited by superlightr on Saturday 16th November 19:04
The superlight r would whip all cars (apart from r500)cars on a circuit, its fun, mine had a windscreen and heater so it was cosy and no stones in the eyes.
Keep a winter set of tyres ie rain and a track set 032rs and you will be fine. Just normal caution of big bhp per ton and rear drive.
Every drive was an event, sure you could do about 3 hrs drive somewhere but you will be asleep when you get there, motorways are awful (noise and bumps) but the speed is instant. Got up to 135 at Goodwood and 1min 31sec and the car is very stable, you can feel whats happening.
A previous post talked about the 7 being flimsy - sorry but its not. no flex, and the chassis is strong - see the motor sport crashes. Sure your going to get hurt if you hit something but full harness on and active safety plus you dont need to take chances on the road, almost any staight and your past a normal car. Slammed into your seat is not an understatement for mid range punch.
After driving a 160 elise at MIRA sure it was fun, and dry but everything was in slow motion, the 7 is instant and very controlable and perdictable approaching and above limits.
Any PH must own a 7 at some time in their lives and you will talk about it to your grand children. It is the benchmark.
I love the Superlight R. (I think the R500 reliability is better now) but ive had no problems with the K 1.8 vhpd.
get the 7, Roadsport or a Superlight or any caterham. you will love it, your wife/gf sadly wont.
>> Edited by superlightr on Saturday 16th November 18:43
>> Edited by superlightr on Saturday 16th November 19:04
Track use buy Caterham, Road use buy Elise, Track/Road use - still buy Elise. .
Would have to agree, the other alternative would be an Exige which really is a track dya tool. I really would not want to drive a Caterham on the motorway especially if the weather is bad, as always horses for courses.
Would agree - track day = Caterham, Road = Elise. I took a C7 to LM a couple of years ago and this convinced me to buy an Elise, as it was going to be my main car.
The 7 was great fun, but I feel safer in the Elise and it keeps you dry(ish) in the wet - the 7 just seemed to steam up and we had to take the roof off even in the rain.
If you have the money for a 2nd car get the 7, but if its your only car get the Liz, which I guess meands the 7 for you....
The 7 was great fun, but I feel safer in the Elise and it keeps you dry(ish) in the wet - the 7 just seemed to steam up and we had to take the roof off even in the rain.
If you have the money for a 2nd car get the 7, but if its your only car get the Liz, which I guess meands the 7 for you....
Gassing Station | Elise/Exige/Europa/340R | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff