Lotus 2-Eleven?

[Pooh]

I am considering selling my Maserati and buying a 2-Eleven, does anybody have any experience of living with one?
Most of my driving would be on bumpy undulating roads such as the A93 Glenshee and B974 Fettercairn to Banchory roads, these are two of my possible routes to work.
Will it constantly catch the splitter on the road and be invisible to other road users?
I fancy a bare bones lightweight car that I can have fun with on the road and take on track days, I am also considering an Ariel Atom, a Caterham or an Exige but the 2-Eleven is top of the list at the moment.
Thanks,
Robert.

[Pooh]

Voldemort said:

You have an awesome route to work! But you'd be way, way braver than me to use a completely roofless car as anything other than a fine weather blatting tool.

They are fantastic roads, it would be a 3rd car and as you say it would be for fine weather blats but I would also take it to work on dry days.

[Pooh]

Atommad said:

If it's a 3rd car go for it, otherwise you'll never know. The splitter won't catch on poor roads (but will on speed bumps) but the ride might get a bit tiresome. The Atom is also a fine choice IMO. I've never owned a Caterham, I'm sure they're great if the styling floats your boat. This is a decision with the heart, logic has no place here.

That is very true but I want to be sure that what ever I buy will be able to cope with the roads I drive on.
If the splitter is not a problem(I don't drive over many speed bumps) then I am sure that I can cope with the ride.
I am tempted by the Atom but they don't seem to handle very well and I am more interested in feedback and handling than straight-line speed.
I am not sure about the styling of the Caterham so a Lotus is looking like the best option at the moment.

[Pooh]

Voldemort said:

Westfield XI? Difficult to find but affordable, unlike the original.

/curveball

The Westfield is not a car that I know a lot about, I will have a look at it.

[Pooh]

Dr_Rick said:

Was in last week; the two in Murray's showroom in Edinburgh look really cool.

I had a seat in the black one when I was there test driving an Elise, that is what got me interested in them, they do look great.

[Pooh]

Ej74 said:

Interesting post

I went from a R35 GTR to a 2-11

2-11 handles with finesse and the Atom is a ham fisted job in terms of handling.

http://youtu.be/VIpS5VrSCLE

However the Atom is faster both draw looks and attention.

The 2-11 suspension can be set for road use which makes it more compliant. I have yet to encounter a speed bump I couldn't get over - I also drive it into London and to work on occasions.

Thinking of changing to a Granturismo S MC Shift - how did you get to grips with the gearbox...cost of ownership are they really high ?

Looks like we maybe moving in opposite directions

Thanks for the info, the 2-Eleven sounds like it would suit me.
The GranTurismo is great, mine has the MC handling package and is remarkably good through the corners. I love the gearbox, banging the gear-shifts through at maximum revs is amazing and it is possible to smooth out the shifts if you lift off slightly before you shift. I never use it in auto and use sport mode as much as possible because the gear shift is smoother and it sounds incredible.
The running costs are not too bad, it is mostly fuel and tyres, servicing is every two years/12k miles and I have not had one yet.
I am not planning to sell it yet but I will probably have to release some cash for a property purchase next year and I am starting to think about what to replace it with.

[Pooh]

alicrozier said:

I can testify the 2-Eleven is awesome fun on those roads.
It's pretty (read that as extremely) full on if using anywhere near it's capabilities. You will arrive to work buzzing though, that's for sure.

It's still a little bit firm for the really bumpy bits (e.g. south side of Glenshee) and the stiff sidewall tyres maybe too much grip and sacrifice ultimate tactility. An Elise is actually a slightly better road car but the 2-Eleven is SO much fun on circuit that it more than makes up for it...

Every drive is an event and my guess is values will remain extremely strong.

edited to add:
ref your original question, no grounding and drive with lights on.

Watch out for wildlife...

Edited by alicrozier on Tuesday 26th August 13:24

Thanks, that is exactly the sort of feedback I was after, I was specifically thinking of that section of the Glenshee road.
Part of the appeal is that I think they will hold their value very well.
Driving with the lights on sounds like a good plan and I am very wary of the wildlife having fairly recently hit a red deer stag in the Alfa.

[Pooh]

the ronin said:

Always best to keep scanning the roadside..

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=7578022275947...

That is very true but at times there is not a lot you can do, in my case it was dark, the trees and bushes came right to the side of the road, the deer jumped straight out of the trees, over some bushes and landed right in front of me. It was as if it had been teleported onto the road and I barely had time to touch the brakes before I hit it, in some ways I was lucky, it could have ended up in my lap.

[Pooh]

That sounds sensible, I was on my way to work so I did not have any choice over the time of day.

[Pooh]

Back on topic, please tell me more about your 211, it looks like a pretty serious piece of kit.

[Pooh]

the ronin said:

My car is a 680 whp Lotus bd car, started life as a 2005 Elise and just morphed into this over the last 9 yrs.

You can read about the project and enjoy the fine avatars and pretty pictures here, join in...
http://www.lotussport.org/viewtopic.php?f=26&t...

That sounds insane, I will have a look at the thread and site.

[Pooh]

sone said:

I've been looking into the possibility of a 2-11 as a track/ hooning car. I've driven one on occasion on the road and always impressed by its composure. I've owned several Lotus and they generally found the earlier Exiges to feel underpowered and lacking grunt. Not so the 2-11 the one I drove was an absolute blast. Oh and the brakes are amazing.
Didn't fancy an Atom as I've seen my pals under steering and over steering all over the place in theirs.
Honestly don't think you can go wrong with a 2-11 and I think they're a safe bet with regard depreciation.

Interesting video.
http://youtu.be/ZSrdzXDH04M

The 2-11 is definitely top of the list, it is just a question of when I will change, I am very much enjoying the Maser at the moment,

[Pooh]

Thanks for the very comprehensive reply, the car sounds like a lot of fun but the total lack of storage space would be a pain.
A couple of questions:
What sort of mpg does it get in road driving?
How does the interior cope with getting wet, if it was left out in a shower of rain, would that be a problem?
Thanks,
Robert.

[Pooh]

I am surprised about the fuel consumption, it is hardly any better than my 4.7L, 440BHP 1800kg Maserati.
The shower cape sounds good, I would definitely want one of those.

Edited by Pooh on Saturday 13th September 08:59