111R - talk to me
Discussion
Terry tibbs voice :-)
Being serious though am starting to get a liking for the toyota supercharged 111R. Whats not to like? So what should i be looking for apart from avoiding ones that may have been thrashed mercilessly on trackdays!
Whats a reasonable budget to get into one thats lowish mileage ie 30k or so and proper history?
Being serious though am starting to get a liking for the toyota supercharged 111R. Whats not to like? So what should i be looking for apart from avoiding ones that may have been thrashed mercilessly on trackdays!
Whats a reasonable budget to get into one thats lowish mileage ie 30k or so and proper history?
The Elise 111R isn't supercharged, it's VVTL (it is 190bhp though) - same engine as in the non-supercharged S2 Exige. FYI there's also an "Elise R" which is just a later version of the 111R (they renamed it when they brought in the 134bhp Elise S I think)
An actual 111R/R that is showing as 134bhp on a pistonheads advert is probably a case of pistonheads picking up the performance spec from the wrong model (e.g. from the non-supercharged 134bhp Elise S). You sometimes get it the other way around as well (134bhp cars listed with more).
Can't help with budget advice - it's been a year or so since I was looking at them myself (I went with a Europa S instead in the end) - if you're not on SELOC it's worth signing up there and asking there - SELOC can also be useful for getting opinions on specific cars up for sale that catch your eye.
An actual 111R/R that is showing as 134bhp on a pistonheads advert is probably a case of pistonheads picking up the performance spec from the wrong model (e.g. from the non-supercharged 134bhp Elise S). You sometimes get it the other way around as well (134bhp cars listed with more).
Can't help with budget advice - it's been a year or so since I was looking at them myself (I went with a Europa S instead in the end) - if you're not on SELOC it's worth signing up there and asking there - SELOC can also be useful for getting opinions on specific cars up for sale that catch your eye.
Oh - something that sprang to mind to be aware of is the factory cam-profile change point - it's at 6200rpm and while some people like the strong "kick" at this point when it changes to the high cam, others find it a bit annoying trying to then keep it on that cam and that it's such a marked change. You can get an ECU reflash to lower the change point to 5700rpm which a number of owners opt for 
.
.200Plus Club said:
Ok cheers. I had seen one with a blower on the toyota engine and assumed they all were at 190bhp. Have been in an elise with the 200bhp type R engine which was seriously rapid.
Most of the Type R Elise's have more than 200 HP and more torque than the equivalent Yota Mota.They are different animals.
Skaffen said:
You can supercharge a 111R - either fitting the factory supercharger used on the Exige S (without the charge cooler) or one of the other aftermarket options - but they don't come like that as standard. And with a supercharger you'll manage a bit more than 190bhp 
..or you can by and Elise SC which is the factory Supercharged version. These had 220bhp200Plus Club said:
Anything to worry about with the toyota engined cars or even the ones with factory blower? Never had a supercharged car and feeling need to scratch the itch :-)
I owned an Elise SC (i.e. factory supercharged) for two years.I used it for weekend fun and trackdays. Was completely and utterly reliable, no problems at all in those two years. I think the engines are very reliable. (As you'd expect being a Toyota unit)
You might find this video interesting; it's me at Snetterton. The yellow car in front of me had a Supercharged Honda engine:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWmYYbwYQa0
200Plus Club said:
Anything to worry about with the toyota engined cars or even the ones with factory blower? Never had a supercharged car and feeling need to scratch the itch :-)
They can suffer from oil surge/starvation problems if used on sticky tyres and/or on track because the sump isn't baffled and the pick-up is right at one end. The only other common problem seems to be drivers "buzzing" the engine because the gearbox gate is rather narrow, making it easy to get second when you want fourth, or similar. I have a 2004 111R that I have owned since mid 2007.
As an early post said - thoroughly reliable and I have never had any major problems with the car. The Toyota engine will never miss a beat. Some issues that come to mind -
- get rid of the standard exhaust and air intake box. Replace with a Larini or Tubular exhaust and install a Hurricane or similar induction. Main advantage of this is the soundtrack is vastly improved from the factory sounding sewing machine
- there is a resistor pack under the front clam which controls the cabin fan and heater. It tends to fail due to moisture ingress. I have had it replaced once and it has failed again. It is a front clam off job!
- upgrade to HID headlights if still with the factory standard. First time I drove at night with the standard lights was very scary.
- usual Bilstein shock absorber replacements with corrosion on the top mounting ring. This is not a Lotus issue - it's a Bilstein one.
Apart from that, the only other problem you will have is getting that silly grin off your face when you hit 2nd cam and listen to the engine screaming.
Many other threads will say try a number of different Elise variants and see which one you like the most. They all have different feels.
Best of luck with your decision!
As an early post said - thoroughly reliable and I have never had any major problems with the car. The Toyota engine will never miss a beat. Some issues that come to mind -
- get rid of the standard exhaust and air intake box. Replace with a Larini or Tubular exhaust and install a Hurricane or similar induction. Main advantage of this is the soundtrack is vastly improved from the factory sounding sewing machine
- there is a resistor pack under the front clam which controls the cabin fan and heater. It tends to fail due to moisture ingress. I have had it replaced once and it has failed again. It is a front clam off job!
- upgrade to HID headlights if still with the factory standard. First time I drove at night with the standard lights was very scary.
- usual Bilstein shock absorber replacements with corrosion on the top mounting ring. This is not a Lotus issue - it's a Bilstein one.
Apart from that, the only other problem you will have is getting that silly grin off your face when you hit 2nd cam and listen to the engine screaming.
Many other threads will say try a number of different Elise variants and see which one you like the most. They all have different feels.
Best of luck with your decision!
For a factory SC you should budget £24-26k for an 08-59 plate car, more for the revised shape 'S2.5'(10 onwards).
Prices on all Lotus's are very strong so if you see a cheap one there'll be a good reason for it.
Check condition and history rather than just mileage(sevices are every 12 months or 9k miles whichever comes first).
Get it inspected by a respected indy(whereabouts are you? Plenty around the UK though).
Need any more help just pm
Prices on all Lotus's are very strong so if you see a cheap one there'll be a good reason for it.
Check condition and history rather than just mileage(sevices are every 12 months or 9k miles whichever comes first).
Get it inspected by a respected indy(whereabouts are you? Plenty around the UK though).
Need any more help just pm
Owned a 111R for 10yrs, one of the very first, 60K Miles, used every day for the commute and then weekend blats.
Only thing that has failed, is the heater blower, twice. Last one was a month ago and its an expensive fix for what it is, as the front clam has to come off.
I'm in the process of trying to convince SWMBO, that its time for a change, but I am only going to look at the Exige 220/240s that are out there.
111R/R's are holding their value pretty well now, doubt you will find many below £13K and only then if they are in poor condition/cat D's.
One thing that I would suggest, is if you like bright coloured Elise's, get one. Mine is magnetic blue and in 10yrs I've had 5 different people drive into me. 4 of them when I was stationary, 2 of them with me sat in it. Every time they have said they just didnt see me.
Only thing that has failed, is the heater blower, twice. Last one was a month ago and its an expensive fix for what it is, as the front clam has to come off.
I'm in the process of trying to convince SWMBO, that its time for a change, but I am only going to look at the Exige 220/240s that are out there.
111R/R's are holding their value pretty well now, doubt you will find many below £13K and only then if they are in poor condition/cat D's.
One thing that I would suggest, is if you like bright coloured Elise's, get one. Mine is magnetic blue and in 10yrs I've had 5 different people drive into me. 4 of them when I was stationary, 2 of them with me sat in it. Every time they have said they just didnt see me.
Don't be put off by a car that has been tracked. I track mine and hardly drive it on the road, but I guarantee it is in much better nick than some of the cars used just on the road, as I meticulously maintain it.
Go and try some. I would go for a minimum of the 111r as you can supercharge it later.
I started with a 111s, I've had my 111r for 4 years and will be supercharging it in the spring
Go and try some. I would go for a minimum of the 111r as you can supercharge it later.
I started with a 111s, I've had my 111r for 4 years and will be supercharging it in the spring
Am fond of the elise as friends have them and ive been out on track with them loads. Went in a supercharged type r elise which was probably fastest thing on track then. Retained value is also good with them which is nice. Starting to look at cars. Should check insurance cover cost at some point too lol
Gassing Station | Elise/Exige/Europa/340R | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff