Elise prices. What's going on?

Elise prices. What's going on?

Author
Discussion

Frimley111R

16,951 posts

248 months

Thursday 17th October 2024
quotequote all
fridaypassion said:
Frimley111R said:
I was a pax in a 410. It was like being shot out of a cannon! And there's a YT vid showing one beating a McLaren in a drag race so....
Having until very recently owned a 600 LT I confirm that video was staged they are absolutely different levels of performance to the Lotus.
I don't think it's staged (Having driven a 600 too). The Exige is ballistic off the line as it's so light, you can see it gets the jump on the McLaren but the McLaren is soon flying and would have been well clear on a longer track but in the distance they covered it was enough for the Exige to maximise its start. Another 20 meters and it would have been a different story.

The McLaren, like a lot of these cars, shows that its power really makes the biggest difference as speed increases. The Exige is super quick from a standing start and at lower speeds but aero and sheer power make the difference in the end. It simply can't continue to accelerate as fast as the McLaren at higher speeds.

otolith

61,170 posts

218 months

Thursday 17th October 2024
quotequote all
I can believe that the Exige can get the jump off the line on something substantially quicker but with a less rear biased weight distribution, given that neither would be able to put down everything they've got. Not for long, though.

dunc_sx

1,657 posts

211 months

Thursday 17th October 2024
quotequote all
fridaypassion said:
* Lots of info *
Nice one thanks.

Also, McLaren 600LT 0 to 60 is 2.9s, how short was this drag race?

Dunc.

fridaypassion

10,021 posts

242 months

Thursday 17th October 2024
quotequote all
Frimley111R said:
I don't think it's staged (Having driven a 600 too). The Exige is ballistic off the line as it's so light, you can see it gets the jump on the McLaren but the McLaren is soon flying and would have been well clear on a longer track but in the distance they covered it was enough for the Exige to maximise its start. Another 20 meters and it would have been a different story.

The McLaren, like a lot of these cars, shows that its power really makes the biggest difference as speed increases. The Exige is super quick from a standing start and at lower speeds but aero and sheer power make the difference in the end. It simply can't continue to accelerate as fast as the McLaren at higher speeds.
The 410 is quick but its literally nothing at all like a 600LT. The 600 LT also has a much more sophisticated TC system that is devastatingly effective at getting the power down Vs Lotus's 15 year old system. It also has far shorter gearing than the Lotus. Absolute different levels of car. half a second quicker to 60 on the stats.

edoverheels

469 posts

119 months

Thursday 17th October 2024
quotequote all
Fridaypassion - thanks for the super useful, informative post and sharing that hard won knowledge. As a Lotus fanboy and like all petrolheads, always on the look out for my next ruinous financial decision it was really interesting. Thanks.

edoverheels

469 posts

119 months

Thursday 17th October 2024
quotequote all
I haven’t driven a McLaren, in fact I have never even been in a moving one. However I have been on a few track days and quite often at Lotus on Track events there may be a couple of McLarens and they are so obviously faster than anything else there. They seem to be in at a different level as has been said.

fridaypassion

10,021 posts

242 months

Thursday 17th October 2024
quotequote all
Yes they are rapid I have a 400BHP VX220 Track car that is a tad quicker than a komotec 475 V6 and I can't keep behind any McLaren for more than 2 corners. We have full aero etc all the toys on that car as well!

GTRene

18,862 posts

238 months

Thursday 17th October 2024
quotequote all
fridaypassion said:
Yes they are rapid I have a 400BHP VX220 Track car that is a tad quicker than a komotec 475 V6 and I can't keep behind any McLaren for more than 2 corners. We have full aero etc all the toys on that car as well!
sounds like fun in a VX220 with 400hp, now I mentioning it, I also went in such with around the same hp, it had 420hp, it was a car for sale and the owner was my passenger, I must say he tuned it well, it did not feel scary, could handle that power easy, it did not felt that powerful as I had in mind, yes it was fast but very controllable (in the Dry)

He said on a wet highway it could be scary sometimes with such big turbo and higher speeds.

I almost forgot about hat drive in that tuned 420hp Turbo speedster(owned a standard opel speedster turbo myself back then)

fridaypassion

10,021 posts

242 months

Friday 18th October 2024
quotequote all
Yes it's a pussycat to drive with supercharger power delivery is very smooth. The chassis could take 500bhp easily for track use. It's not really road drivable as we run 800/900 springs and you need heat in the tyres

itcaptainslow

4,058 posts

150 months

Friday 18th October 2024
quotequote all
The list of potential V6 maladies has certainly put me off...! The 220 S I've owned since new has been pretty reliable (only had to replace the air con condenser!) although it's been treated with kid gloves to an extent - no wet or winter use and always serviced even if the mileage is sub-1000 in a year.

I frequently eye up an Evora but it's probably sensible just to stick!

Puzzles

2,834 posts

125 months

Friday 18th October 2024
quotequote all
I think the only thing that would get me out my S1 is one of the late 250bhp versions.

If the ac breaks I’d be fking annoyed though.

John Henry

141 posts

182 months

Friday 18th October 2024
quotequote all
I believe the AC pipes and gubbins were revised for the later cars. Everytime I drive mine I run the AC for a while as I’m jittery about it packing up. I also think the late cars are actually, finally fast. Even in comparison with modern stuff. At least to 50/60mph.

Puzzles

2,834 posts

125 months

Friday 18th October 2024
quotequote all
Thanks John, do you know what they changed?

As I read horror stories about condensers, pipes in sills, problems with the electrical part etc.

giveitfish

4,158 posts

228 months

Friday 18th October 2024
quotequote all
Can confirm that A/C pipes in sills still an issue in 2016 cars

otolith

61,170 posts

218 months

Friday 18th October 2024
quotequote all
Mine doesn't have AC, and I'm glad!

giveitfish

4,158 posts

228 months

Friday 18th October 2024
quotequote all
I’m the opposite, wouldn’t be without it! I remember after a 500 mile trip home from Le Mans one year in blazing sun in my S1 I had to throw away my t-shirt lol. When I got out of the car I’d sweated so much there was an outline of the seatbelt marked in salt!

mario328

151 posts

140 months

Friday 18th October 2024
quotequote all
giveitfish said:
Can confirm that A/C pipes in sills still an issue in 2016 cars
After reading that "list" of faults with the V6 Exige I thought... Wow, I've had one major fault as in the aircon pipes in the RHS sill, got them replaced a few years ago and it has been faultless since. The only other niggle I have suffered in 11years of ownership and 19k miles is a seized windscreen washer motor, which cost me less than £50 to DIY fix.

GTRene

18,862 posts

238 months

Friday 18th October 2024
quotequote all
Puzzles said:
I think the only thing that would get me out my S1 is one of the late 250bhp versions.

If the ac breaks I’d be fking annoyed though.
Those do look lovely indeed, looked at a few a while ago online and the specs.

looks like a great combo and you could tune it a bit more later on when you want more, but the base is already very good, great combo.

itcaptainslow

4,058 posts

150 months

Friday 18th October 2024
quotequote all
giveitfish said:
I’m the opposite, wouldn’t be without it! I remember after a 500 mile trip home from Le Mans one year in blazing sun in my S1 I had to throw away my t-shirt lol. When I got out of the car I’d sweated so much there was an outline of the seatbelt marked in salt!
One of the reasons I traded up from an S1 to an S3 was air con. It's nice to have the option to either have the roof off & air con blowing cold air over you, or if you're in the midday blazing sun, roof on and air con on. My Irish skin doesn't take well to being burnt!

The air con in my S3 is also way more efficient since fitting the Eliseparts alloy radiator set & upgraded fans.

highway

2,336 posts

274 months

Friday 18th October 2024
quotequote all
Puzzles said:
Thanks John, do you know what they changed?

As I read horror stories about condensers, pipes in sills, problems with the electrical part etc.
My car is a final edition from 2021 so amongst the last Elises. I had the geo tweaked and the friendly specialist told me he AC unit had been changed from earlier cars. I believe the pipes were the problem and their design was changed as well. Don’t know what MY that was effective, perhaps from the MY17 facelift?