Discussion
hi all.
having stuffed my cerbera at christmas im on the look out for a new toy with the esprit on the shortlist.
so a few questions,
would the s4s,gt3 and early v8 all have the same basic interior design?
i really like the look of the s4s but they are pretty hard to find so what do you think of early v8 cars,are they a bit problematic?
if so is a gt3 a safer bet in terms of reliability etc.
do you miss the slight power deficit in relation to other models?
bear in mind the performance of my cerbera and the fact that it was very reliable.
thanks .
mike.
having stuffed my cerbera at christmas im on the look out for a new toy with the esprit on the shortlist.
so a few questions,
would the s4s,gt3 and early v8 all have the same basic interior design?
i really like the look of the s4s but they are pretty hard to find so what do you think of early v8 cars,are they a bit problematic?
if so is a gt3 a safer bet in terms of reliability etc.
do you miss the slight power deficit in relation to other models?
bear in mind the performance of my cerbera and the fact that it was very reliable.
thanks .
mike.
mlumb said:
hi all.
having stuffed my cerbera at christmas im on the look out for a new toy with the esprit on the shortlist.
so a few questions,
would the s4s,gt3 and early v8 all have the same basic interior design?
Sorry to hear about the cerbera - hope you're ok?
S4s and GT3/v8 up to 97 model year have a square shaped dash. 98-on cars get a nicer interior with a rounded binacle.
mlumb said:
i really like the look of the s4s but they are pretty hard to find so what do you think of early v8 cars,are they a bit problematic?
if so is a gt3 a safer bet in terms of reliability etc.
do you miss the slight power deficit in relation to other models?
Yes, a gt3 is a good bet regarding reliability. Prob be cheaper to run than a V8. I've run both and that is my experience.
mlumb said:
bear in mind the performance of my cerbera and the fact that it was very reliable.
thanks .
mike.
If you want cerbera performance then you won't get it with a stock 240 bhp GT3. Its quick but not in the same league as your tvr. Handling is very nice thought so maybe it won't actually be any slower over your favorite road? A v8 will be similar performance to your cerb (but in fact not *quite* as quick in stock form). Cerbera I believe is sub 9 seconds to 100mph which compares with about 9.5 seconds for a v8-gt. You CAN get some great upgrades for a gt3 - chip, filter, exhaust, de-cat etc but you'll always have some lag... There are also options for a v8 (e.g. puk's 440bhp chip) but you'll have to take a bit of care with your transmission if you go this route..
Suggest you drive a few cars and see what you think.
The sound of the V8 is really nice.
The 4 cyl is easier to self maintain and I suspect cheaper for shop repairs than a V8.
V8's are nice. In either case the tranny is a common weak point. Not much too much diference in performance from an S4s vs V8 but the V8 has a much better sound and a tad quicker. Drive both and decide.
Calvin
The 4 cyl is easier to self maintain and I suspect cheaper for shop repairs than a V8.
V8's are nice. In either case the tranny is a common weak point. Not much too much diference in performance from an S4s vs V8 but the V8 has a much better sound and a tad quicker. Drive both and decide.
Calvin
mlumb said:
cheers for that.
is the early v8 a no go area then or just a bit risky?
mike.
A well maintained early v8 will be a a better bet than a poorly maintained 4 cylinder. Buy a good early v8 and you'll be fine, but the risk is that if does go wrong then i can be expensive to put right. If you work on the car yourself this may be less of an issue - for me, no time or skill means everything is done at the dealership.. All my costs on my v8 and GT3 are in my profile, but bear in mind that the v8 was my only car for a long time - if yours is a low mileage weekend toy then you won't spend anywhere near what i have
Check espritfactfile and lotusespritworld for lots of info.
cnh1990 said:
Not much too much diference in performance from an S4s vs V8 but the V8 has a much better sound and a tad quicker. Drive both and decide.
Yes, but the drive is quite different.. S4s has turbo lag and heavy clutch where v8 has little or no lag and a lighter clutch. Both are fantastic cars
cheers
Rob
I had a nice GT3 - was just a little too slow for me (previously had a 911) although the handling was sublime :-) Can hurtle round corners very rapidly, certainly quicker than the Porsche or a Cerebera.
Stuck a PUK chip in it (+40ish hp) which made quite a big difference.
Running costs were very reasonable even used as an every day driver. Had no major issues with it - and the only bad expense was the Cambelt (C) service.
A couple of months ago my willpower broke and I sold the GT3 to a friend and bought a 2000V8. Performance is better but compared to the chipped version of the GT3 not massively until you get to higher speeds. Still terrific handling and fun, but much more expensive so far.
Done the classic breaking of the gearbox :-/ which cost me £2k to get sorted. Plus had to buy 2 new cats (knew this one was coming when I bought the car tho) which ate another £1500.
Despite this the V8 is tremendous fun and I wouldnt exchange it for anything. Not much on the road that is quicker point to point and a lot more fun to drive than the 911.
In conclusion if you liked the grunt of the cerbera you would be better off with a V8 or S4S - if you are into handling and not SO bothered about that extra 1 sec to 100mph then get the GT3 (and save yourself some cash)
(I used both cars as daily drivers)
Whatever you do have fun :-)
Kev.
Stuck a PUK chip in it (+40ish hp) which made quite a big difference.
Running costs were very reasonable even used as an every day driver. Had no major issues with it - and the only bad expense was the Cambelt (C) service.
A couple of months ago my willpower broke and I sold the GT3 to a friend and bought a 2000V8. Performance is better but compared to the chipped version of the GT3 not massively until you get to higher speeds. Still terrific handling and fun, but much more expensive so far.
Done the classic breaking of the gearbox :-/ which cost me £2k to get sorted. Plus had to buy 2 new cats (knew this one was coming when I bought the car tho) which ate another £1500.
Despite this the V8 is tremendous fun and I wouldnt exchange it for anything. Not much on the road that is quicker point to point and a lot more fun to drive than the 911.
In conclusion if you liked the grunt of the cerbera you would be better off with a V8 or S4S - if you are into handling and not SO bothered about that extra 1 sec to 100mph then get the GT3 (and save yourself some cash)
(I used both cars as daily drivers)
Whatever you do have fun :-)
Kev.
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