Elise S owners views
Discussion
I've owned a couple of track orientated cars such as the Atom and R400 and although I have enjoyed them I found them too extreme for much road use. As I only do a few track days a year I'm looking at getting an Elise S, which although slower is still light weight, fun, and offers fresh air motoring.
Have any you got experience of the three cars and is the S still fun on the track?
Have any you got experience of the three cars and is the S still fun on the track?
I've only had mine for just over a month but I love it. Found it far easier to live with and have fun than in the R as you don't have to go quite so fast to have fun as all the fun is in keeping your momentum up. I would suggest you to drive one if you haven't to make sure it will be quick enough for you as in a straight line it's not faster than my old Ibiza cupra diesel with 190hp. But then as I assume you know there not really about straight line speed.
Hope any of this helps if you want anymore help let me know as loving driving cleaning and talking about my new car
Hope any of this helps if you want anymore help let me know as loving driving cleaning and talking about my new car
I've just gone from a 270bhp Caterham to an Exige. The Caterham was significantly faster but that much power is nigh on unusable on public roads. Both cars handle very well.
I much prefer the Lotus because:
-You can go out in the rain without getting drenched.
-You haven't got to wear thermals or a helmet
-You can just jump in and go rather than bugger about with cages and harnesses.
-As the Lotus is enclosed you don't worry about parking it anywhere.
-More 'real world' fun than the Caterham IMO
I tried an Elise S a few months ago and to my mind the plus points are the same as the Exige
I much prefer the Lotus because:
-You can go out in the rain without getting drenched.
-You haven't got to wear thermals or a helmet
-You can just jump in and go rather than bugger about with cages and harnesses.
-As the Lotus is enclosed you don't worry about parking it anywhere.
-More 'real world' fun than the Caterham IMO
I tried an Elise S a few months ago and to my mind the plus points are the same as the Exige
Elise S(Toyota engined by the way,not the earlier Rover K) owner of 15 months here,love the balance and character of the car(even though some people moan about the lack of power,its still a fun challenge to extract the most from it and keep up with faster machinery).
Its done a few trackdays now and on the tighter,slower tracks its an absolute blast.Its doing Spa in October so i'll have to see if its as much fun on a 'power' circuit.
The only thing that needed changing was the standard factory suspension geometry,all S2 Elises have understeer 'built in' to the handling to stop numptys crashing(apparently)so i went to Back on Track in Guildford who(for £130)adjusted the camber on the front wheels to dial out most of the understeer and checked the rest of the geo set up.
It was a big improvement on track,much pointier front end with out adding bags of oversteer or destroying the balance
Everyone who has driven it(track or road)has been very positive(even a mate who has a Honda engined S1 says he loves the balance and feel,yes really!).
It now also has a set of 2 way Ohlins dampers which has been the best upgrade by far,allowing me to be able to keep up with most people(
) on the twistys now and,again,has'nt detracted from the overall experience.
(The standard exhaust had to go as well,it was awful!)
The later cars are very well built now and i've had no problems at all with mine.
Just worth adding that i've driven an N/A 2-11 and a Cup 260 Exige,neither of which felt like they were spectactularly superior enough to make me want to change cars.
So,the Pros:
Good balance and feel
Well built
Reliable
Cheap to run
Cons:
Will feel underpowered after an Atom/Cat
Will heavy after an Atom/Cat
Will feel slow after etc etc
Some people are constantly after more power but for me i'm happy to stick with what i've got,learn to use it to its full potential and then progress.
/Awaits the K series boys
Its done a few trackdays now and on the tighter,slower tracks its an absolute blast.Its doing Spa in October so i'll have to see if its as much fun on a 'power' circuit.
The only thing that needed changing was the standard factory suspension geometry,all S2 Elises have understeer 'built in' to the handling to stop numptys crashing(apparently)so i went to Back on Track in Guildford who(for £130)adjusted the camber on the front wheels to dial out most of the understeer and checked the rest of the geo set up.
It was a big improvement on track,much pointier front end with out adding bags of oversteer or destroying the balance
Everyone who has driven it(track or road)has been very positive(even a mate who has a Honda engined S1 says he loves the balance and feel,yes really!).
It now also has a set of 2 way Ohlins dampers which has been the best upgrade by far,allowing me to be able to keep up with most people(
) on the twistys now and,again,has'nt detracted from the overall experience. (The standard exhaust had to go as well,it was awful!)
The later cars are very well built now and i've had no problems at all with mine.
Just worth adding that i've driven an N/A 2-11 and a Cup 260 Exige,neither of which felt like they were spectactularly superior enough to make me want to change cars.
So,the Pros:
Good balance and feel
Well built
Reliable
Cheap to run
Cons:
Will feel underpowered after an Atom/Cat
Will heavy after an Atom/Cat
Will feel slow after etc etc
Some people are constantly after more power but for me i'm happy to stick with what i've got,learn to use it to its full potential and then progress.
/Awaits the K series boys
What Bandit said is prety much spot on..... I have had a Chrome Orange Elise S Touring for the past 19 months and it's awesome fun road and track The power delivery is nice and smooth and the handling is spot on imho. I would personaly reccomend upgrading the Exhaust and Air filter as my 2bular and Pipercross combo is fantastic.
Mine is up for sale atm and will be sorely missed. Its the perfect elise for road and a bit of track IMHO.
Mine is up for sale atm and will be sorely missed. Its the perfect elise for road and a bit of track IMHO.
"Just worth adding that i've driven an N/A 2-11 and a Cup 260 Exige,neither of which felt like they were spectactularly superior enough"
lol Exige Cup is 260Bhp and does the ton in sub 11 seconds V Elise S 19 seconds how much more superior did you want it ?
you will find the Elise S a bit slow after a R400 and Atom in fact its slower than 99% of the modern group of hot hatch backs also.
0-100mph as an example is about 19 seconds so on the road it will feel slow from 60-90mph where you need it for a B road blast and safe over taking.
A older S2 135R would be a better bet hold its value more and be faster.
ALso the Elise S is the cheapest car Lotus make and resale show that they drop fast as 2nd hand it is not a sort after car.
lol Exige Cup is 260Bhp and does the ton in sub 11 seconds V Elise S 19 seconds how much more superior did you want it ?
you will find the Elise S a bit slow after a R400 and Atom in fact its slower than 99% of the modern group of hot hatch backs also.
0-100mph as an example is about 19 seconds so on the road it will feel slow from 60-90mph where you need it for a B road blast and safe over taking.
A older S2 135R would be a better bet hold its value more and be faster.
ALso the Elise S is the cheapest car Lotus make and resale show that they drop fast as 2nd hand it is not a sort after car.
Edited by mrdemon on Wednesday 17th June 20:10
miro said:
What Bandit said is prety much spot on..... I have had a Chrome Orange Elise S Touring for the past 19 months and it's awesome fun road and track The power delivery is nice and smooth and the handling is spot on imho. I would personaly reccomend upgrading the Exhaust and Air filter as my 2bular and Pipercross combo is fantastic.
Mine is up for sale atm and will be sorely missed. Its the perfect elise for road and a bit of track IMHO.
I have recently bought an Elise S and was wondering about exhaust/induction upgrades - do you know if the 2bular/Pipercross gives any more power or is it just to make a nicer noise? ;-)Mine is up for sale atm and will be sorely missed. Its the perfect elise for road and a bit of track IMHO.
Cheers
Jerry
want more power by a faster car :-)
better off pt ex the S for an R with 190Bhp and having the motorsport map.
Spending money on Lotus slowest car is money down the drain where the money spent on mods would buy you a R which would hold value better.
better off pt ex the S for an R with 190Bhp and having the motorsport map.
Spending money on Lotus slowest car is money down the drain where the money spent on mods would buy you a R which would hold value better.
Edited by mrdemon on Wednesday 17th June 23:49
jerrytlr said:
miro said:
What Bandit said is prety much spot on..... I have had a Chrome Orange Elise S Touring for the past 19 months and it's awesome fun road and track The power delivery is nice and smooth and the handling is spot on imho. I would personaly reccomend upgrading the Exhaust and Air filter as my 2bular and Pipercross combo is fantastic.
Mine is up for sale atm and will be sorely missed. Its the perfect elise for road and a bit of track IMHO.
I have recently bought an Elise S and was wondering about exhaust/induction upgrades - do you know if the 2bular/Pipercross gives any more power or is it just to make a nicer noise? ;-)Mine is up for sale atm and will be sorely missed. Its the perfect elise for road and a bit of track IMHO.
Cheers
Jerry
You may be lucky and get an extra 1bhp
mrdemon said:
want more power by a faster car :-)
better off pt ex the S for an R with 190Bhp and having the motorsport map.
Spending money on Lotus slowest car is money down the drain where the money spent on mods would by you a R which would hold value better.
please lets not start this debate again! you like your car i like mine nuff said.better off pt ex the S for an R with 190Bhp and having the motorsport map.
Spending money on Lotus slowest car is money down the drain where the money spent on mods would by you a R which would hold value better.
when test driving the S found it so nice to have to concentrate on keeping the speed up and eeking out every last drop of corner speed, in the R frankly i thought i was going to kill myself and take a few others with me. this led to me not driving any faster around the corners but caning it on the straights. this is not what i wanted therefore i bought the S. yes some hot hatches will keep up with you in a straight line, the simple answer to this is, on public roads dont race them, and in fairness on a track if they are still keeping up get some driver training. i traded up from a discreetly modded ibiza cupra diesel which was faster in a straight line but not see which way the elise went on a b road or track. i also have a 600bhp plus 4 wheel drive mercedes which again would never be able to keep up.
mrdemon said:
"Just worth adding that i've driven an N/A 2-11 and a Cup 260 Exige,neither of which felt like they were spectactularly superior enough"
lol Exige Cup is 260Bhp and does the ton in sub 11 seconds V Elise S 19 seconds how much more superior did you want it ?
you will find the Elise S a bit slow after a R400 and Atom in fact its slower than 99% of the modern group of hot hatch backs also.
0-100mph as an example is about 19 seconds so on the road it will feel slow from 60-90mph where you need it for a B road blast and safe over taking.
A older S2 135R would be a better bet hold its value more and be faster.
ALso the Elise S is the cheapest car Lotus make and resale show that they drop fast as 2nd hand it is not a sort after car.
Ok,as i'm bored i'll bite Mr Mong Porsche driver....;)lol Exige Cup is 260Bhp and does the ton in sub 11 seconds V Elise S 19 seconds how much more superior did you want it ?
you will find the Elise S a bit slow after a R400 and Atom in fact its slower than 99% of the modern group of hot hatch backs also.
0-100mph as an example is about 19 seconds so on the road it will feel slow from 60-90mph where you need it for a B road blast and safe over taking.
A older S2 135R would be a better bet hold its value more and be faster.
ALso the Elise S is the cheapest car Lotus make and resale show that they drop fast as 2nd hand it is not a sort after car.
Edited by mrdemon on Wednesday 17th June 20:10
This perfectly summarises why you are such a complete and utter knob and are interested in nothing more than pub performance figure cock waving.I drove the 2-11 and the Cup 260 expecting to be blown away at the huge difference in performance and cornering speeds...and was'nt.My car gave 95% of the fun with half the cost.You do the figures knobhead.
Oh,and go and have a look at used S values,it may surprise you how 'sought' after they are(as you are basing your knowledge upon what you 'reckon' as usual rather than actual fact)
0-100 blah blah blah.Point missed again just for a change.Or does the fact that people actually want to buy 'the slowest car Lotus make' not tell you anything? Or the fact it won Evo's PCOTY in 2006 even though it does 0-100 in a week?
Why do people buy your beloved Gayman as opposed to a 997?A 2.7 Boxster instead of a 3.4S?
Different people like different cars for their own reasons,thats why I dont want a Porsche or a 111R or a 2-11 etc etc.
Come back when you've thought of a valid argument or when your Mum lets you go online again,theres a good boy
Dont worry,the Porsche driving seloc(and now PH)troll(who always has the best most fastest car in the world and knows everything about everything even though he's had to spend £100k on his Gayman to make it go faster LOL)is always fun to ridicule.
Just ask about diesels or immigrants for some more quality ignorance
Just ask about diesels or immigrants for some more quality ignorance
I'm not so sure you won't miss the grunt of the Atom/R400. If nothing else you might get fed up pulling over on straights on track to let other cars pass (I do).
I think you'll find any Elise a very sweet drive but I'd suggest trying to drive as many good examples of as many variants as you can. Given your previous fun cars you'll probably find even the S1 very civilised.
You might like the S1 Sport 160 (the lumpiness can be overcome with a trip to DVA), the S2 111S or a 111R lightly breathed on by Sinclairs (have a look at http://www.sinclairebodyshop.co.uk/downloads/power... - costs about £1k).
Whichever model you finally decide on, the suspension geometry can be adjusted to suit your preferances, brakes can be improved on over oe and Lotus and Nitron offer worthwile and proven suspension upgrades.
are you two 18 years old ?
what's with the personsal attacks.?
Is knobhead the best you can come up with Paulie lol
Owning or driving a Cayman has nothing to do with my post I did not even bring it up, Have you an inferiority complex ? seems to come across that way with your aggressive tone.
And what has my mum got to do with anything ? (may she rest in piece)
As for racing you in a G wagon Stephen , why would I want to ?
Quote "in the R frankly i thought i was going to kill myself and take a few others with me."
After that comment I dont want you in your car anywhere near me lol.
LOL you two are funny as fu4k
I think the OP after coming from a R400 and a Atom would soon want for more power than an S, so lets keep to topic before you two put him off buying into Lotus altogether as not all Lotus owners are Chavs.
As for owning a Lotus I have owned and modded a S2 2001 car which I had from new, and later owned and tracked an Exige S2, you can see me on track here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTpa8K7-Jc0&fea...
I look foward to your two track videos for future laughs.
what's with the personsal attacks.?
Is knobhead the best you can come up with Paulie lol
Owning or driving a Cayman has nothing to do with my post I did not even bring it up, Have you an inferiority complex ? seems to come across that way with your aggressive tone.
And what has my mum got to do with anything ? (may she rest in piece)
As for racing you in a G wagon Stephen , why would I want to ?
Quote "in the R frankly i thought i was going to kill myself and take a few others with me."
After that comment I dont want you in your car anywhere near me lol.
LOL you two are funny as fu4k
I think the OP after coming from a R400 and a Atom would soon want for more power than an S, so lets keep to topic before you two put him off buying into Lotus altogether as not all Lotus owners are Chavs.
As for owning a Lotus I have owned and modded a S2 2001 car which I had from new, and later owned and tracked an Exige S2, you can see me on track here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTpa8K7-Jc0&fea...
I look foward to your two track videos for future laughs.
Surely from the quote you have of me shows that actually I'm quite sensie as didn't buy the car as didn't feel I would be safe. My comment about the g wagen was purely point out that of course there are faster cars out there but that is in no way the point of the elise. If I'm in the g wagen (which would be nice as never seem to drive her any more) as soon as you use the throttle your already at the next corner and having to brake very hard to make the corner therefore I don't put my foot down in it and feel as though the power what fun is just wasted. In the R I found the same I am not a good enough driver and don't want drive fast enough on a public road for the R to be better for me. For this reason as already stated I prefer the S as it makes me think more at a speed I can handle.
So yes there are some people who just want the S. Your comment about second hand values also seems to me unfounded as resale values seem strong to me yes they are lower than an Rs but then initial cost is lower also so to be expected.
So yes there are some people who just want the S. Your comment about second hand values also seems to me unfounded as resale values seem strong to me yes they are lower than an Rs but then initial cost is lower also so to be expected.
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