RE: Lotus Elise Sport 135 PH Fleet

[Tivo]

Just to confuse you some more maybe?

[zebedee]

Si_man306 said:

I loved my S2 exige but hated it at the same time (daily driver)- it was the most utterly useless car for uk roads and just about any type of travel.

I sold it and probably miss it around 1 day a year- when i'm on my own, it's very sunny and there are no cars on surrey's back roads.

I can't imagine how people manage with S1s.

If you want the same feeling but total practicality, check out the boxster spyder. They're in the region of 30k sadly but suffering near zero depreciation and as a lightweight, very special edition they are just like driving a better-built exige.

I think if you're looking at the toybaru's though you should check out the 350/370z's as I think they offer more fun for similar cash (and is what I went for).

You were on the wrong roads clearly! And why couldn't people manage with S1s? I think if anything they had more space behind the seats than the S2 - enough space overall for 2 to go camping for a long weekend anyway. S1s also suffering zero depreciation/possibly appreciation.

[colin1976]

996 with (front) passenger seat removed.
One of these to keep the mud off the carpet:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?Mod...
Could probably get away with just removing the wheels - so relatively little hassle.
Still leaves room for a passenger (or 2?) when not carrying bikes.

Alternatively get a nice, cheap hot hatch to run alongside the Elise.

Edited by colin1976 on Friday 10th May 21:35

[Fantuzzi]

GregorFuk said:

Si_man306 said:

I can't imagine how people manage with S1s.

I just managed a three day tour of Scotland in an S1 with my 8 month pregnant wife. We packed light and had a fantastic time. I must admit though it's a fun car for me, comes out on sunny days only, I doubt I could be bothered with it as daily drive.

But on the right day I'm not sure driving can get much better.

Please give me a google map link!

That looks awsome. Although cant imagined your wife liked the hooning in her condition!

[Marvin Trill]

KEEP IT !!!!! Don't get rid of it you will only regret it, keep it for "weekends driving holidays" and track days. Tax it for just summer time and enjoy driving Nirvana on blightys best tracks and public roads.

[LewisR]

I had an S2 Elise for 2 1/2 years. Got fed up with it after 9 months and utterly hated it by the time I sold it. As another writer wrote, I miss it about 1 day a year.

You sit so low, you can't see over crash barriers when approaching round-a-bouts, so you end up being slower than Vauxhall Vectras.

[pboyd]

LewisR said:

I had an S2 Elise for 2 1/2 years. Got fed up with it after 9 months and utterly hated it by the time I sold it. As another writer wrote, I miss it about 1 day a year.

You sit so low, you can't see over crash barriers when approaching round-a-bouts, so you end up being slower than Vauxhall Vectras.

Pistonheads. Full of people who only love easy to live with cars and don't like raw driving experiences.

[Mr_C]

I've had mine for 8 years.
for 7 years it was my daily drive.
last year I bought a 'practical' daily drive and put the Elise away....


.. where it stayed for a year (!!). It did a few hundred miles at the very most (one track day at Donington).

I got it out this year, sold the practical daily drive and started using it again.

I love it again now, it's just awesome.

[pboyd]

Mr_C said:

I've had mine for 8 years.
for 7 years it was my daily drive.
last year I bought a 'practical' daily drive and put the Elise away....


.. where it stayed for a year (!!). It did a few hundred miles at the very most (one track day at Donington).

I got it out this year, sold the practical daily drive and started using it again.

I love it again now, it's just awesome.

Surprised it took one year to miss it

[zebedee]

It depends what else is going on in your life really. I'm struggling to fit a busy work year, cycling and time with family in as it is so I'm not that fussed that I'm not getting Elise based thrills by the week month or quarter... But still nice to know it is there and ready to play when I get the chance.

[I WISH]

GregorFuk said:

I sold my first S1 Elise after I suffering from a constant feeling of inferiority. It wasn't fast enough, It wasn't a Porsche, It was made of plastic, It was powered by Rover. Truth be told, I instantly missed it once it was gone.
Fast forward 6 months and I found myself back in S1 Elise. It occurs to me now that bar a Caterham nothing made by any of the main car manufacturers comes close to the rawness and undiluted driving experience you get in an S1 Elise. No power assistance of any type, no electronic intervention of any sort. As modern cars become more and more cosseted, even the ones that claim to offer raw driving pleasure; I genuinely think the S1 driving experience becomes something to be savored.

In short, don’t sell. You’ll regret it.

Exactly!

I bought my S1 brand new in 1998. Never regretted it ..... and would NEVER consider selling it.

[zebedee]

The number of people I have met, who when I say I have an Elise say "ooh, I used to have a [MGB/Spitfire/Elan/Stag etc etc]." The next sentence is always. "I wish I hadn't sold it."

I don't want to become another one!

[otolith]

Can't think of much I'd change my Elise for but another Elise or Exige. A Caterham, perhaps, though I'm not sure I want to keep one outdoors, or a Ginetta. Everything else just seems to be too compromised for the needs of people who will use them to sit in London traffic jams.

[AyBee]

otolith said:

Can't think of much I'd change my Elise for but another Elise or Exige. A Caterham, perhaps, though I'm not sure I want to keep one outdoors, or a Ginetta. Everything else just seems to be too compromised for the needs of people who will use them to sit in London traffic jams.

Do you leave yours on the street Steve? Would love a 111R but I'm a London dweller and every escape from London seems to be with a bike so it's a struggle to justify

[otolith]

Parked on the driveway - wouldn't want to keep one parked on the street simply because of the vulnerability to parking shunts.

[Mr_C]

pboyd said:

Surprised it took one year to miss it

We had a lot of rain last year

I've used it more in the last few months than the whole of last yr

[pboyd]

Mr_C said:

We had a lot of rain last year

I've used it more in the last few months than the whole of last yr

Doesn't ruin my driving fun that much!

[MKnight702]

To be honest, I know what you mean about falling out of love with a car through lack of use. I'm in a similar position and I keep looking at something a little more practical for use more of the year.

The only difference is, I am thinking of buying an Elise as a more practical option.