Discussion
I've been lurking here for a fair while and after a few false starts, i finally have the opportunity to buy a lotus. It would be my only car, but then i don't drive to work and so only really need a motor for messing around in and for driving down to france and around Italy on Honeymoon in June (If i can convince Mrs Rory to pack lightly enough).
So my question is this, should i be buying one of these
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/327873.htm
Or going the whole hog and picking up one of these, albeit an 02 model for around 13k.
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/327799.htm
Or even finding the middle ground in a S2 with 135 upgrade.
Living in Ireland i can't test drive them all, so i rely on your considerable wisdom.
thanks
So my question is this, should i be buying one of these
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/327873.htm
Or going the whole hog and picking up one of these, albeit an 02 model for around 13k.
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/327799.htm
Or even finding the middle ground in a S2 with 135 upgrade.
Living in Ireland i can't test drive them all, so i rely on your considerable wisdom.
thanks
Hmm I'd say get the most for the money you're willing to spend.
Of the 2, the sports t', coming in around £10K is a good price.
The 111S at 47K miles is a slippery slope for you around the price you're looking at (£14K)... you can start to get to the MY04 models of the 111S at around £15/16K which have the roof that doesn't lead, then for around £17/18K you're in a 111R, then £20K your in an Exige, then you're just a Top Gear episode away from a £25K Exige S, and then... you get the point
Basically, if you go the 111S your insurance will go up as its a group 20 and the base one is around 18 (but not sure for a sports) and you'll have a load of fun in the base one any way.
So be happy and go an the Sports or Crazy & the Exige S PP
Of the 2, the sports t', coming in around £10K is a good price.
The 111S at 47K miles is a slippery slope for you around the price you're looking at (£14K)... you can start to get to the MY04 models of the 111S at around £15/16K which have the roof that doesn't lead, then for around £17/18K you're in a 111R, then £20K your in an Exige, then you're just a Top Gear episode away from a £25K Exige S, and then... you get the point
Basically, if you go the 111S your insurance will go up as its a group 20 and the base one is around 18 (but not sure for a sports) and you'll have a load of fun in the base one any way.
So be happy and go an the Sports or Crazy & the Exige S PP
Yeah that 111S is a fair bit more money .
I guess the question is, from looking at the classifieds, it would appear as though you can get a standard s2 for 11k , a 135 upgraded one for 12k, or an early 111s for 13k. Which one would you go for? There's no K series tuning specialists here to breathe on them so later upgrades would be tough. Do all early 111s blow their radiators, or is just those on pistonheads?
I ruled out an s1 (though i love them and they are not gay), because it will be mine and my (future) wife's only car and it's just too difficult to get in and out of.
thanks
I guess the question is, from looking at the classifieds, it would appear as though you can get a standard s2 for 11k , a 135 upgraded one for 12k, or an early 111s for 13k. Which one would you go for? There's no K series tuning specialists here to breathe on them so later upgrades would be tough. Do all early 111s blow their radiators, or is just those on pistonheads?
I ruled out an s1 (though i love them and they are not gay), because it will be mine and my (future) wife's only car and it's just too difficult to get in and out of.
thanks
Hi Rory,
The 111S you were looking at is my car!
Now obviously I'm a little biased here, but I've had both the Sports Tourer and this current 111S and honestly you'll kick yourself in a couple of months if you don't get the more powerful car. The ST is great of course, I loved mine to bits and wished I'd never sold it for that pesky Boxster (now THATS a really unreliable car, don't get me started!
but the 111S is a much more sorted car. A bit more refined, a bit more comfortable but much more grunt in the lower ranges, plus the heater works in them unlike in the earlier cars!
As for my particular car it's one of the good ones!
Don't listen to some of the things you hear on here about them being unreliable. You're not going to get too many people who post on forums like this to say how they drove to work the other day and the car DIDNT break down! People only tend to go on about what goes wrong with them. I've driven loads of sports cars and the Elises I've had have cost me the least to run and fix out of all of them.
head gaskets can go and because that can be quite expensive you tend to hear a lot about that. But actually you can get it fixed reasonably cheaply (£500-600 ish) which is nothing in sportscar terms! (my Boxster cost me over £5000 and a court case to fix, so I'm very picky about choosing my cars!) And actually they can go at anytime regardless of age and mileage. You'll hear a lot of talk about not revving the engine over 3000 rpm or so until the oils warmed up which is good advice, if you go out on a test drive and somebody canes their car right out of the drive then my advice would be to walk away, I'd be wondering what kind of sympathy that car would have been shown in it's life!
The other things that can go are alternators and steering racks, again, not the end of the world stuff. (mines been sorted on both these things!)
If you havent already seen it check out my website which has some more info about the car: www.supermachine.co.uk
Sorry, sales patter *off*
Andy
The 111S you were looking at is my car!
Now obviously I'm a little biased here, but I've had both the Sports Tourer and this current 111S and honestly you'll kick yourself in a couple of months if you don't get the more powerful car. The ST is great of course, I loved mine to bits and wished I'd never sold it for that pesky Boxster (now THATS a really unreliable car, don't get me started!
but the 111S is a much more sorted car. A bit more refined, a bit more comfortable but much more grunt in the lower ranges, plus the heater works in them unlike in the earlier cars!As for my particular car it's one of the good ones!
Don't listen to some of the things you hear on here about them being unreliable. You're not going to get too many people who post on forums like this to say how they drove to work the other day and the car DIDNT break down! People only tend to go on about what goes wrong with them. I've driven loads of sports cars and the Elises I've had have cost me the least to run and fix out of all of them.
head gaskets can go and because that can be quite expensive you tend to hear a lot about that. But actually you can get it fixed reasonably cheaply (£500-600 ish) which is nothing in sportscar terms! (my Boxster cost me over £5000 and a court case to fix, so I'm very picky about choosing my cars!) And actually they can go at anytime regardless of age and mileage. You'll hear a lot of talk about not revving the engine over 3000 rpm or so until the oils warmed up which is good advice, if you go out on a test drive and somebody canes their car right out of the drive then my advice would be to walk away, I'd be wondering what kind of sympathy that car would have been shown in it's life!
The other things that can go are alternators and steering racks, again, not the end of the world stuff. (mines been sorted on both these things!)
If you havent already seen it check out my website which has some more info about the car: www.supermachine.co.uk
Sorry, sales patter *off*
Andy
yes you probably are mad, but what the hell - go for it.
just to throw another thought your way - how about arranging drives of both when you come over? Prob the best way for you to compare.
(my 2p is to go for the one you'll keep longer i.e. the 111s as you'll probably hanker after it in a years or so's time....)
just to throw another thought your way - how about arranging drives of both when you come over? Prob the best way for you to compare.
(my 2p is to go for the one you'll keep longer i.e. the 111s as you'll probably hanker after it in a years or so's time....)
Thanks for the replies. The 111s does look like a nice'un and will take some thought. I need to take a look at my finances and work out what the VRT would be to bring it over. Does it have A/C?
I know what you mean about the long term, it just seems as though elises are seldom long term purchases (aside from some of the hardcore posters to whom i doth my cap) as kids tend to get in the way. It'd currently be an only car theres no room for dickie seats.
Rory
I know what you mean about the long term, it just seems as though elises are seldom long term purchases (aside from some of the hardcore posters to whom i doth my cap) as kids tend to get in the way. It'd currently be an only car theres no room for dickie seats.
Rory
Edited by RoryH on Friday 4th January 23:29
Go for the 111s. You'd get sound deadening, more comfortable seats, better heater & also easier short tail roof (with insulation on the 04 I believe ?).
The 111s is a much more comfortable drive & you'll want the extra bit of grunt to save yourself the embarrasment of vectra's going past you on the motorway!
The 111s is a much more comfortable drive & you'll want the extra bit of grunt to save yourself the embarrasment of vectra's going past you on the motorway!
RoryH said:
Thanks for the replies. The 111s does look like a nice'un and will take some thought. I need to take a look at my finances and work out what the VRT would be to bring it over. Does it have A/C?
I know what you mean about the long term, it just seems as though elises are seldom long term purchases (aside from some of the hardcore posters to whom i doth my cap) as kids tend to get in the way. It'd currently be an only car theres no room for dickie seats.
Rory
Can see what you mean about the short term issue, but get one thats a keep and if your circumstances change get the wife/girlfriend a focus type car and keep the elise. lets face it if you have a sprog you'll need 2 cars. (well that would be my future argument)I know what you mean about the long term, it just seems as though elises are seldom long term purchases (aside from some of the hardcore posters to whom i doth my cap) as kids tend to get in the way. It'd currently be an only car theres no room for dickie seats.
Rory
Edited by RoryH on Friday 4th January 23:29
I use mine every day for work and love it.
wrt to the unreliabilty things, i agree with what has been posted above i.e. people only moan when something goes wrong which in 99.7% of cases is never, so you only here about the bad stuff. take a look on the porsche forum and see how many threads there are there about unreliability, broken engines, warrenty jobs etc....and this is from a 'bullet proof' supercar. not having a dig a porsches as i love 'em, just illustrating my point.
wrt to my elise, i've had 1 minor issue to do with the electrics playing silly buggers.garage fixed it in 10 mins (basically they hadnt connected the battery connectors on tight enough) apart from that all is good. esp with the roof off and doing over 6k rpm.....
go on, look at those finances then go for a couple of test drives...........
Andy's car looks very nice, and has clearly been looked after by an enthusiastic owner (nice website and pics Andy, BTW).
At that price it's a good deal too having had the recent work done. Worth a look if you're planning on coming over.
The steering rack replacement alone has saved you £500, and he's right, they do go. All 3 of my Elises have needed new ones.
At that price it's a good deal too having had the recent work done. Worth a look if you're planning on coming over.
The steering rack replacement alone has saved you £500, and he's right, they do go. All 3 of my Elises have needed new ones.
S Works said:
Andy's car looks very nice, and has clearly been looked after by an enthusiastic owner (nice website and pics Andy, BTW).
At that price it's a good deal too having had the recent work done. Worth a look if you're planning on coming over.
The steering rack replacement alone has saved you £500, and he's right, they do go. All 3 of my Elises have needed new ones.
The man talks sence. TAt that price it's a good deal too having had the recent work done. Worth a look if you're planning on coming over.
The steering rack replacement alone has saved you £500, and he's right, they do go. All 3 of my Elises have needed new ones.
The mere fact that the seller is an enthusiastic owner would fill me with confidence the 111S would be my Elise of Choise in your budget ... especialy as an only car.
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