nearly nearly new or second hand elise

[puggti]

How much better are the S2's
if i am prepared to sell the cat, and one of my kidneys and possibly pimp my ring for a week(just kidding think this is too far for anything) i can get myself a S2 111s, on the other hand i can just sell my current car and using some savings buy a S1.

given the S2 will depreciate, and so cost me more to run over time, any comments on how much of an improvement the S2 is over the S1?

mileage doesn't seem to be an issue as there are S1's with similiar mileage to S2's about. i would be doing about 300 miles per week and it would be my only car.
people thoughts and comments appreciated.

[marcfair]

go for an S2 if your going to use for a daily driver, more refined, comfortable, easier to get in and out of

[Bonce]

Don't overstretch yourself financially because whatever people tell you, they're not always that cheap to keep on the road. A friend had to sell S2 Elise when he didn't take running costs into consideration, and the huge depreciation he suffered when he got rear-ended. He's ended up with no car and big debts when if he'd bought an S1 in the first place he'd have been fine.

[S Works]

I thought similar thoughts and decided I'd get a really nice S1 with a few creature comforts (111s seats for a start!) and see how I got on with it before making a decision on whether to spend bigger bucks.

So far the experience has been good, despite a couple of niggles (but they could have happened to any car). Currently thinking about upgrading to an S2 111s later in the year if money allows, but am planning on doing some test drives first to make my mind up. Basically because now I know I can live with a Lotus, I'm prepared to think about spending more.

If you're not worried about depreciation that much, buy a good S2 111s privately, have it checked out properly and I'm sure you'll get a very good deal.

[DanH]

Thing is, S1s are older cars so you are liable to face more costs on the servicing front. i.e. more likely ball joints are on the way out, that the suspension is dying (S1 suspension doesn't last forever) etc. etc. It could easily be a false economy if its only a couple of grand. Also the S2 engines are better protected against head gasket failure as some small modifications were made (i.e. steel dowels etc).

Also an S2 is a much better day to day proposition in terms of comfort and refinement. It loses out a tad on track handling, but is safer on the road for most people as a result.

In the end it depends on your budget. An S1 111S is only 140ish bhp unlike the S2 one, but the S1 has a closer gearbox so may be pretty much the same speed in real terms, just having to rev higher to get there and thus being noisier. You could also just consider a standard S2. The standard S2 has the close ratio gearbox unlike the standard S1, but is heavier. Dunno which that makes faster but the S2 also has a lotus tuned ECU.

>> Edited by DanH on Monday 21st June 20:29

[mat glew]

can't comment on the s2 but I've had an s1 for a year now and have used it pretty much everyday for my daily commute and weekend blasts. I don't have a problem with comfort or practicality.

Howevever as others have said it can be a false economy as I have had to spend a fair bit on ball joints etc that had worn out. Having said that the maintanance costs haven't amounted yet to the extra it would have cost ne for an S2.

[Davey S1]

S2's are for batty boys

Go for a 340R and save up for some waterproofs for the winter

[moles]

How much do people spend on average to maintain their cars per month?.

[bogie]

that depends on how many miles you do, road or track use and the condition of the car to start with !

heres an idea of some costs - sure others will post the rest

servicing every 9K miles in order AABAAC

A service £180
B service £270
C service £550

(these are all my own from mixed road with occasional track day)

brake pads (Pagids) £180 every 18K miles
brake discs (Lotus) £550 every 32K miles
rear tyres (Bridgestones)£250 every 12K miles
front tyres ("") £200 every 17K miles
geo check yearly £200

then youve got minor repairs, track rod ends, ball joints, bushes + the inevitable modifications