RE: PH Buying Guide: Lotus Elise S1

RE: PH Buying Guide: Lotus Elise S1

Tuesday 5th July 2011

PH Buying Guide: Lotus Elise S1

The evergreen Elise S1 was a star in its day - and it still looks tempting



Lotus knew it was on to a good thing with the original Elise. It had 1300 orders banked, complete with £1000 deposits, by the time the first car was delivered to its owner in August 1996. In theory, that should have been the first three years' production accounted for, but by this stage Lotus' management had decided to up the output from 400 cars per year to 2500.

Much of the Julian Thomson-penned Elise's early success stemmed from its superglue handling, unerring steering feel and brisk, if not outright fast, performance. These factors were helped by an all-up weight of just 723kg for the early car. Here was the true British sports car successor to the original Lotus Elan, so ably aped by the Mazda MX-5 that showed there was still massive demand for simple roadsters.

Search for Lotus Elise S1s here

Brett may think it looks best in the dark...
Brett may think it looks best in the dark...
Another key factor in the Elise's runaway success from the off was its price. The original and basic 1.8-litre car started at £18,950, though most buyers added extras such as leather seats, metallic paint and front driving lamps to push the price above £20,000.

Even so, the Elise was astounding value for money for a Lotus. It could cover 0-60mph in 5.5 seconds and a top speed of 124mph was plenty for road and track work. The engine was lifted wholesale from the MGF, so it was a 118bhp 1.8-litre K Series motor. As the Elise developed, Lotus offered a Sport 190 model in 1997 for £33,500 with a 190bhp version of the same engine. It provided 0-60mph in just 4.4 seconds and 141mph.

Only a handful of Sport 190s were built, and it was soon followed by the more affordable Sport 135 in 1998. It cost £28,950, covered 0-60mph in 5.8 seconds and had a 127mph. Production numbers for the Sport 190 and 135 models are included in the overall figures for the Series 1 Elise, of which 8,613 were made between 1996 and the last one leaving the showroom in 2001 as the S2 Elise arrived. Lotus also supplied 180 completely knocked down kits to its parent company Proton for assembly abroad and eight GT1 Elise-based racers were produced with a 3.5-litre V8 and power up to 550bhp.

...but we like 'copper chopper cam'.
...but we like 'copper chopper cam'.
Lotus added the 111S to the Elise range in 1999 to offer a more practical alternative to the entry-level car. The 111S used the MGF's 143bhp VVC variable valve timing version of the K Series engine. In the Lotus, it served up 0-60mph in 5.6 seconds, 130mph and cost from £26,950. A total of 1489 111S cars were produced and it was followed in 2000 by the Sport 160, which managed 337 units.

The Sport 160 was the final version of the Elise based on the basic model. It had 160bhp to give 0-62mph in 5.0 seconds and a top speed of 129mph. There were also the Exige models based on the same chassis as the Elise, the Sport Elise with 203bhp 1.8-litre engine that cost £55,000 for a season's racing, and the stripped to the bones 340R. However, here we'll concentrate on the Elise S1 rather than its more exotic derivatives.

Contents list:
PH Buying Guide - Lotus Elise S1

Introduction (viewing now)

Powertrain
Rolling Chassis
Body
Interior
Insurance Quotes

Search for Lotus Elise S1s here



(PS. Please share general comments, thoughts and feedback about Elise S1 ownership on this article thread. For specific comments about any of the 'detail' topics listed above - they've all got their own threads. Cheers! Ed.)

Author
Discussion

Curry Burns

Original Poster:

5,620 posts

214 months

Tuesday 5th July 2011
quotequote all
Nice article Alasdair! thumbup

On a seperate note, I think I met your lady wife last month, I believe she is a trainer for the Farming style company I work for. She's a lovely lady!!




Gad-Westy

14,521 posts

212 months

Tuesday 5th July 2011
quotequote all
Great read. Can't help thinking that early cars might be a reasonable investment, you'd certainly not lose much now.

If I'm being picky, I don't think the S160 has the close ratio box, just standard ratios.

wooooody

918 posts

236 months

Tuesday 5th July 2011
quotequote all
Gad-Westy said:
Great read. Can't help thinking that early cars might be a reasonable investment, you'd certainly not lose much now.

If I'm being picky, I don't think the S160 has the close ratio box, just standard ratios.
Yes. It was really based on the 111s from a styling POV (grilles, headlight covers, spoiler, carbon effect dash on the later ones) but with a tuned non-VVC K series & standard box. Of course there were a few other special things thrown in the mix as well, maily the wheels, seats & suspension.

Lawrence5

1,253 posts

234 months

Tuesday 5th July 2011
quotequote all
Great cars

I had worked for Lotus so when I went out to buy a sports car I was determined to get a TVR. Drove a Chimp but came home with an Elise. Steering and handling are amazing..... only sold it as I bought an S2 135R. Easy car to drive and live with and not the compromise I thought - it was my only car for 2yrs ultra reliable having only paid out on consumables and only lost circa £1k in depreciation.

The start of trackdays added to the success and the fact the K series had been in Rover/MG's race program meant plenty of cheap go faster bits for a chassis that could take more power.





Still a benchmark for many engineers..... there won't be cars like this in the future so buy now biggrin

DeadMeat_UK

3,058 posts

281 months

Tuesday 5th July 2011
quotequote all
Great article.

And if I may recommend to all readers of this thread, if you like sports cars, and track days, and you haven't owned an Elise S1, DO IT.

I bought a new one and had it as my only car for 4 years. It was a great bit of kit for sheer driving enjoyment and handling. Especially as the roads generally get slower and busier, something you can have fun in at normal road speeds is a big plus.


10navigator

7 posts

152 months

Tuesday 5th July 2011
quotequote all
First posting. Here goes-------
I was hooked on the Elise in 1998 when I went as a guest to a track day at Brands organised by Nelmes of Romford.
I handed over a deposit and eagerly awaited my car. But wait ! What was this? News of a hotter version in the pipeline (111s), so I transferred my order and awaited the 'S.'
Lotus obviously realised they were onto a winner and soon a plethora of hotter sexier versions of the Elise were being mooted. I found that a bit frustrating, because just when you were ready to shoot at the target and decide which model, Lotus would move it. It was a marketing ploy, and a successful one at that.
In 2000, I waded into the deep end and weighed in my 111S (with 3000 miles on the clock) for a 340-R (#315/340). It was a hoot at track days, except at 7000 rpm where it missed intermittently (a problem shared by other 340-R owners). I had the 'track pack' fitted to no avail, and had the car back to Lotus for re-mapping on two occassions. The fault was never entirely cured but since it only manifested itself near max-revs, then it wasn't too much of a problem, (except on track days).
I'd had the car for 10 months and done 3000 miles, when I was made an offer of early retirement, which I took and moved in toto out to Spain. I sold my £36,500 'dune buggy on steroids' in a hurry for £19,000, to a B.A. pilot who was also an Elise owner, (nice chap).
I note on coches.net a car website here in Spain, there's a 4000km 340-R for sale (LHD) and the seller is asking 45,000 euros !!!! Holy smoke!
Me? I'm just negotiating with Danny at MK cars in Maltby to build me a 'Busa powered Indy, left hooker for use here in Spain.
Once that adrenalin bug bites, you stay bitten.

piquet

614 posts

256 months

Tuesday 5th July 2011
quotequote all

whosgotazure111s

15 posts

157 months

Tuesday 5th July 2011
quotequote all
I wish I'd never sold my Elise. So much fun, so many memories. I'm sure that nothing will ever match it for everything that it offered. A 997 doesn't.

Rawwr

22,722 posts

233 months

Tuesday 5th July 2011
quotequote all
I still think the S2 was the better, more entertaining car.

vrooom

3,763 posts

266 months

Tuesday 5th July 2011
quotequote all
Have those car price range bottomed out or there is lot of way to go?

Thepetrolhead

17 posts

240 months

Tuesday 5th July 2011
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Glorious Exmoor

I've owned mine for 7 years. I'll keep it until I can no longer get in it! Dry Summer use only - currently 20k miles. I hate to admit it, but the most I've clocked in one year is about 800 miles. It took me a long time to find a mint one. My OCD fetish and ex concours nut, means it's factory fresh biggrin


oodam

40 posts

250 months

Tuesday 5th July 2011
quotequote all
Thinking about buying an Elise? Just do it, they are flippin fantastic.

I have had mine for 9 years as an everyday car, covered 130000 miles (105k myself) and it still looks great and goes like stink.

whosgotazure111s

15 posts

157 months

Tuesday 5th July 2011
quotequote all
thepetrolhead:

You're teasing me now! Ruby was my second choice colour when I bought my 111S new. Ordered in April 1999 and bought in September 1999. Part-ex'd in March 2008 for a 997. 111S had 35k on the clock then. What a muppet I was. Would love to know how/where it is now. My plate came off and it wore V542 FDD (I think - maybe the 'F' is wrong?!) when I parted with it.

Wasn't using it much towards the end as 2 small kids couldn't fit in it but they could in a 997.

PM me when you want to sell your car!

Thepetrolhead

17 posts

240 months

Tuesday 5th July 2011
quotequote all
What would I replace it with?

I believe, IF you can get a mint one and keep it, it's only going to increase in value. It took me about 9 months to find a 'minter' and this was after a reply to a Wanted advert - purchased privately.

As a toy, it just ticks all the boxes.

whosgotazure111s said:
thepetrolhead:

You're teasing me now! Ruby was my second choice colour when I bought my 111S new. Ordered in April 1999 and bought in September 1999. Part-ex'd in March 2008 for a 997. 111S had 35k on the clock then. What a muppet I was. Would love to know how/where it is now. My plate came off and it wore V542 FDD (I think - maybe the 'F' is wrong?!) when I parted with it.

Wasn't using it much towards the end as 2 small kids couldn't fit in it but they could in a 997.

PM me when you want to sell your car!

davislove

2,295 posts

245 months

Tuesday 5th July 2011
quotequote all
EVERY car enthusiast must experience an Elise before they die!

mikey P 500

1,236 posts

186 months

Tuesday 5th July 2011
quotequote all
Brings back happy memories of my old one, which was the same Colour.


Esprit

6,370 posts

282 months

Tuesday 5th July 2011
quotequote all
Good article.

I miss my old one frown



I owned it for just over 2 years. I was the third owner and I sold it back to the original owner because he regretted selling it so much. He owns it to this day.

I changed it for this, which I used for 6 months and have since spent 3.5 years rebuilding to concours condition:



Then convinced my father to buy one to keep us both amused while my Exige was in the build:



Which sadly came to a tragic end a few months back, almost killing my father frown:



Still, the completion of the Exige isn't far away and I can't wait to experience having my own Lotus to use again!

polus

4,343 posts

224 months

Tuesday 5th July 2011
quotequote all
Keep going George!!!

Know the feeling though, really missing mine this summer frown, the handling really is cloud9 (off road for similar complete rebuild + uprated everything + Honda K/SC biggrin )

Turnamere

315 posts

234 months

Tuesday 5th July 2011
quotequote all
If you truly enjoy driving then the Elise is a must own car. It's no coincidence that the Elise is still used as the benchmark for handling and steering response 15 years on!

I can't see me selling mine until I have to be assisted from it due to age and infirmity.

In my early driving days I owned a MKII RS2000 and a previous owner came up to me and advised me never to sell it, didn't listen, traded against an Ur Quattro but still missed the RS on the right roads. I don't intend to make the same mistake twice.

norman156

2,050 posts

195 months

Tuesday 5th July 2011
quotequote all
Would love one of these one day, wished they didn't hold their value quite so well! The cheaper end of the market seems to have been stuck rigidly at around £8k for quite a few years now...