RE: Lotus Elise S1: Spotted
Discussion
What are the best modifications for an S1? Mine currently has upgraded toe links, pro alloy radiator and Nitron NTR dampers.
Getting quickshift, Ali belled discs and RS42s and a quick rack this week.
Think I need either a Larini or 2ubular next. Then maybe a CR box?
My car is a little stiff on the road but I love its sharpness and body control.
Getting quickshift, Ali belled discs and RS42s and a quick rack this week.
Think I need either a Larini or 2ubular next. Then maybe a CR box?
My car is a little stiff on the road but I love its sharpness and body control.
Buffyd said:
120 HORSEPOWER. 118 BRAKE HORSEPOWER. 120hp = 118bhp 
No it doesn't; you're possibly confusing the conversion between pferdestarke (PS) and horsepower. 120PS is probably about 118hp.Brake horsepower is horsepower at the flywheel (ignoring drivetrain losses) as though it was measured by an old device called a brake band (which would be attached to the crank). Wheel horsepower is horsepower measured at the wheels, therefore net of any drivetrain losses. Without specifying 'brake' or 'wheel', hp could refer to either.
Bought my 1999 S1 111S in 2001 with 3500 miles on it and have since added 75000. Highpoints have been a near 1100+ mile one day drive from the south coast to Budapest in perfect comfort (with earplugs, of course!) and numerous drives around the Alps (including a storming climb up the eastern side of the Stelvio).
What impresses me about the S1 is that it provides just enough and no more to enable long distance touring into far off lands through rain and shine. I've had a few drops of water onboard now and then when standing in heavy rain (not underway though) but nothing to worry about. For that reason I scoff at 340Rs and Renault Spiders.
As it's now unlikely that a car this light and this direct will ever be built again (the heavier, HGV-wide, automatic Alfa 4C doesn't appeal), I can't foresee replacing it until I'm too old to use it. The thrill of driving it after every winter break and the whole steering wheel writhing, bump-thump reality of the going-along-the-road experience, never seems to pall.
What impresses me about the S1 is that it provides just enough and no more to enable long distance touring into far off lands through rain and shine. I've had a few drops of water onboard now and then when standing in heavy rain (not underway though) but nothing to worry about. For that reason I scoff at 340Rs and Renault Spiders.
As it's now unlikely that a car this light and this direct will ever be built again (the heavier, HGV-wide, automatic Alfa 4C doesn't appeal), I can't foresee replacing it until I'm too old to use it. The thrill of driving it after every winter break and the whole steering wheel writhing, bump-thump reality of the going-along-the-road experience, never seems to pall.
AER said:
I don't miss my S1
...mainly because I still have it, unlike all the other idiots who sell theirs and then spend the rest of their lives pining for them.
Oh god what have i done!!!...mainly because I still have it, unlike all the other idiots who sell theirs and then spend the rest of their lives pining for them.
I had mine for 10 years as a daily driver. Thoroughly loved it and knew every inch of it. It was just such fun to drive. Sure they were a little wheezy after 60 and i was never a fan of the noise of the engine. I'll even forgive the puddles in the foot wells and all the times i had to push it off the drive to bump start it in the winter. I even got pretty good at the one person bump start in the car park at work!
Part of me wishes i'd kept her and just wheeled her out at weekends. Very special cars!
Sadly i think they'll become an increasingly rare sight on the roads due to some very worthy appreciation.
Mike29 said:
LewisR said:
The reason I kept it for so long after the 9 month period after I was fed up with it was to see if i would come round to it but I didn't.
I bought an E39 M5 3 years ago.
Try an Elise with a supercharger/ Honda engine/ or vx220 turbo I bought an E39 M5 3 years ago.
One other think to note; it's virtually impossible to look cool getting out of one if you're lucky enough to draw any admiring glances. I've been thrown out of night clubs with more elegance.
Even back when I was 14 or so, I remember putting refinement and low NVH as high priorities in a car. Hence my dream car then (& now) being an '87 V8 Vantage.
Still, I've tried Elise ownership, I can genuinly say that I don't like them. I don't even think they handle that well at the limit. Too snappy, lift off oversteer. I think a Mk1 MX5 is a better proposition for much less money.
LewisR said:
Mike29 said:
LewisR said:
The reason I kept it for so long after the 9 month period after I was fed up with it was to see if i would come round to it but I didn't.
I bought an E39 M5 3 years ago.
Try an Elise with a supercharger/ Honda engine/ or vx220 turbo I bought an E39 M5 3 years ago.
One other think to note; it's virtually impossible to look cool getting out of one if you're lucky enough to draw any admiring glances. I've been thrown out of night clubs with more elegance.
Even back when I was 14 or so, I remember putting refinement and low NVH as high priorities in a car. Hence my dream car then (& now) being an '87 V8 Vantage.
Still, I've tried Elise ownership, I can genuinly say that I don't like them. I don't even think they handle that well at the limit. Too snappy, lift off oversteer. I think a Mk1 MX5 is a better proposition for much less money.
They are also very benign at the limit with decent tyres and geo.
SidewaysSi said:
LewisR said:
Mike29 said:
LewisR said:
The reason I kept it for so long after the 9 month period after I was fed up with it was to see if i would come round to it but I didn't.
I bought an E39 M5 3 years ago.
Try an Elise with a supercharger/ Honda engine/ or vx220 turbo I bought an E39 M5 3 years ago.
One other think to note; it's virtually impossible to look cool getting out of one if you're lucky enough to draw any admiring glances. I've been thrown out of night clubs with more elegance.
Even back when I was 14 or so, I remember putting refinement and low NVH as high priorities in a car. Hence my dream car then (& now) being an '87 V8 Vantage.
Still, I've tried Elise ownership, I can genuinly say that I don't like them. I don't even think they handle that well at the limit. Too snappy, lift off oversteer. I think a Mk1 MX5 is a better proposition for much less money.
They are also very benign at the limit with decent tyres and geo.
SidewaysSi said:
Refinement, looking cool etc. If these are your priorities, an Elise is really not for you. I don't give a monkeys about such things.
They are also very benign at the limit with decent tyres and geo.
Benign, I'd never had that impression, as per:They are also very benign at the limit with decent tyres and geo.
http://www.evo.co.uk/trackdays/theory/234088/track...
I have written many times that the Elise is an admittedly entertaining, but often tricky little beast, a fact which the Lotus guys will politely admit if you ask them the right question. It’s better now than it has ever been, simply because those same guys have now spent so much time fiddling with it. The main problem is simply that the Rover (or nowadays the Toyota) engine and gearbox is hung right out at the back and this makes for a substantial rearward weight bias – exactly the same characteristic that endowed rear-engined Porsches with a reputation upon which the company is still trying to put a positive spin. In fact it’s amazing how similar an early 911 and an Elise feel from the driving seat.
danp said:
SidewaysSi said:
Refinement, looking cool etc. If these are your priorities, an Elise is really not for you. I don't give a monkeys about such things.
They are also very benign at the limit with decent tyres and geo.
Benign, I'd never had that impression, as per:They are also very benign at the limit with decent tyres and geo.
http://www.evo.co.uk/trackdays/theory/234088/track...
I have written many times that the Elise is an admittedly entertaining, but often tricky little beast, a fact which the Lotus guys will politely admit if you ask them the right question. It’s better now than it has ever been, simply because those same guys have now spent so much time fiddling with it. The main problem is simply that the Rover (or nowadays the Toyota) engine and gearbox is hung right out at the back and this makes for a substantial rearward weight bias – exactly the same characteristic that endowed rear-engined Porsches with a reputation upon which the company is still trying to put a positive spin. In fact it’s amazing how similar an early 911 and an Elise feel from the driving seat.
However my car on proper geo and with LTS spec tyres really is benign. Unless you do something daft of course in which case most cars will cause you some problems).
Mine will understeer and lift off oversteer, however it is easily caught, even at track speeds. It will also happily power oversteer and allow you to hold a drift. I don't fear my car at all and it does everything I could possibly ask of it.
I also believe the K engines are lighter and sat lower so it is less of an issue.
danp said:
Benign, I'd never had that impression, as per:
http://www.evo.co.uk/trackdays/theory/234088/track...
I have written many times that the Elise is an admittedly entertaining, but often tricky little beast, a fact which the Lotus guys will politely admit if you ask them the right question. It’s better now than it has ever been, simply because those same guys have now spent so much time fiddling with it. The main problem is simply that the Rover (or nowadays the Toyota) engine and gearbox is hung right out at the back and this makes for a substantial rearward weight bias – exactly the same characteristic that endowed rear-engined Porsches with a reputation upon which the company is still trying to put a positive spin. In fact it’s amazing how similar an early 911 and an Elise feel from the driving seat.
Thanks for that, very informative reading.http://www.evo.co.uk/trackdays/theory/234088/track...
I have written many times that the Elise is an admittedly entertaining, but often tricky little beast, a fact which the Lotus guys will politely admit if you ask them the right question. It’s better now than it has ever been, simply because those same guys have now spent so much time fiddling with it. The main problem is simply that the Rover (or nowadays the Toyota) engine and gearbox is hung right out at the back and this makes for a substantial rearward weight bias – exactly the same characteristic that endowed rear-engined Porsches with a reputation upon which the company is still trying to put a positive spin. In fact it’s amazing how similar an early 911 and an Elise feel from the driving seat.
I have read some bad things about some geometry set-ups, so much so I had mine checked over as one of the first jobs when I got it. S160 geo, bilsteins finished with AD08-R's seem to be the sweet spot for my dry weather road trips.
Edited by Tickle on Wednesday 5th August 19:13
SidewaysSi said:
The point at the end re. Having a proper setup holds true. The early cars on Pirelli tyres were no doubt a handful.
However my car on proper geo and with LTS spec tyres really is benign. Unless you do something daft of course in which case most cars will cause you some problems).
Mine will understeer and lift off oversteer, however it is easily caught, even at track speeds. It will also happily power oversteer and allow you to hold a drift. I don't fear my car at all and it does everything I could possibly ask of it.
I also believe the K engines are lighter and sat lower so it is less of an issue.
One of THE definitive PH cars imho. I've driven one on one of those drivers days. I've got no idea what the set up was, but it was great to get a bit sideways and was pretty snappy acceleration-wise too on a what was a short circuit. It's the only one I've ever driven, but I've always fancied one.However my car on proper geo and with LTS spec tyres really is benign. Unless you do something daft of course in which case most cars will cause you some problems).
Mine will understeer and lift off oversteer, however it is easily caught, even at track speeds. It will also happily power oversteer and allow you to hold a drift. I don't fear my car at all and it does everything I could possibly ask of it.
I also believe the K engines are lighter and sat lower so it is less of an issue.
I came away very impressed. It's nice to hear how adjustable they are, to get them to meet that personal sweet spot.
One day.
kambites said:
They are extremely geometry sensitive. I do mine every year with the service.
Me too. Don't believe all you read in the press - there are numerous Lotus specialists out there who have had 20 years' experience with these cars. They can make them drive how you personally want.I will be picking mine up on Saturday with a few new upgrades and a fresh geo. Wife is away on Sunday so will be spending all day thrashing about - can't wait!!
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