RE: Lotus Elise Cup 250: Driven

RE: Lotus Elise Cup 250: Driven

Author
Discussion

kambites

67,462 posts

220 months

Friday 29th April 2016
quotequote all
AER said:
My S1 only weights 730kg or so and it didn't have a radio either!
There's no denying that these Toyota engined Elises are rather porky things. It's closer in weight to an MX5 than to an early S2 let alone an S1.

ZP

14,673 posts

188 months

Friday 29th April 2016
quotequote all
Yet my V6 Exige makes my Boxster Spyder feel like it's spent a day in a Greggs 'eat all you can'.

kambites

67,462 posts

220 months

Friday 29th April 2016
quotequote all
ZP said:
Yet my V6 Exige makes my Boxster Spyder feel like it's spent a day in a Greggs 'eat all you can'.
I think they feel lighter than they are. The Evora certainly does.

sideways sid

1,371 posts

214 months

Friday 29th April 2016
quotequote all
ZP said:
Yet my V6 Exige makes my Boxster Spyder feel like it's spent a day in a Greggs 'eat all you can'.
I was just wondering how the Elise 250 Cup compares to a an Exige S as an ownership proposition.

Similar price once optioned to similar spec (a/c etc). I guess the Elise is more track focussed, and the Exige better for road use?

framerateuk

2,730 posts

183 months

Friday 29th April 2016
quotequote all
SidewaysSi said:
Why do people always put Caterham and Lotus in the same bracket? The Elise is loads more practical and can be a sole car to do it all. It is also at least 95% as exciting as the Seven.

Maybe but a Seven is a right pain in the arse when used for anything other than a blat or trackday.
Agreed - most people (myself included) will just use their 7's purely for that though - blats and trackdays.

One thing that does bother me slightly about owning a 7 is that I'm so far from most race tracks (being near Cardiff), that it's a right horrible motorway trek to get anywhere. I think that journey would be easier in an Elise. I can't bring myself to replace it though as I love driving the 7 so much.

CABC

5,536 posts

100 months

Friday 29th April 2016
quotequote all
framerateuk said:
SidewaysSi said:
Why do people always put Caterham and Lotus in the same bracket? The Elise is loads more practical and can be a sole car to do it all. It is also at least 95% as exciting as the Seven.

Maybe but a Seven is a right pain in the arse when used for anything other than a blat or trackday.
Agreed - most people (myself included) will just use their 7's purely for that though - blats and trackdays.

One thing that does bother me slightly about owning a 7 is that I'm so far from most race tracks (being near Cardiff), that it's a right horrible motorway trek to get anywhere. I think that journey would be easier in an Elise. I can't bring myself to replace it though as I love driving the 7 so much.
You can easily drive for hours in a modern Elise. seats are great and earplugs useful.
If i had the space i think a 7 and a Sprinter van combo would be a great choice ( i presume a 7 would fit in a Sprinter?). esp if i could sleep above the car before trackdays.

SidewaysSi

10,742 posts

233 months

Friday 29th April 2016
quotequote all
CABC said:
framerateuk said:
SidewaysSi said:
Why do people always put Caterham and Lotus in the same bracket? The Elise is loads more practical and can be a sole car to do it all. It is also at least 95% as exciting as the Seven.

Maybe but a Seven is a right pain in the arse when used for anything other than a blat or trackday.
Agreed - most people (myself included) will just use their 7's purely for that though - blats and trackdays.

One thing that does bother me slightly about owning a 7 is that I'm so far from most race tracks (being near Cardiff), that it's a right horrible motorway trek to get anywhere. I think that journey would be easier in an Elise. I can't bring myself to replace it though as I love driving the 7 so much.
You can easily drive for hours in a modern Elise. seats are great and earplugs useful.
If i had the space i think a 7 and a Sprinter van combo would be a great choice ( i presume a 7 would fit in a Sprinter?). esp if i could sleep above the car before trackdays.
I have a Seven and a modified S1 Elise. The Lotus is by far and away the more rounded car. And as much fun as the Caterham.

Hellers

134 posts

172 months

Monday 2nd May 2016
quotequote all
Lotus Cars apparently applied to patent their own dual clutch transmission in 2010:

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/update-...

But it's too small and light for their own cars? Go figure...

Baryonyx

17,990 posts

158 months

Monday 2nd May 2016
quotequote all
Blackbird425 said:
Spot on. Looks ridiculous. A lovely thing when they introduced it some 15 years ago. They've slowly been ruining it since.
Yes, the S1 was a great looking car. The S2 gas always looked rather goofy and time hasn't made it look any better.

Baryonyx

17,990 posts

158 months

Monday 2nd May 2016
quotequote all
Blackbird425 said:
Spot on. Looks ridiculous. A lovely thing when they introduced it some 15 years ago. They've slowly been ruining it since.
Yes, the S1 was a great looking car. The S2 gas always looked rather goofy and time hasn't made it look any better.

itcaptainslow

3,694 posts

135 months

Monday 2nd May 2016
quotequote all
CABC said:
framerateuk said:
SidewaysSi said:
Why do people always put Caterham and Lotus in the same bracket? The Elise is loads more practical and can be a sole car to do it all. It is also at least 95% as exciting as the Seven.

Maybe but a Seven is a right pain in the arse when used for anything other than a blat or trackday.
Agreed - most people (myself included) will just use their 7's purely for that though - blats and trackdays.

One thing that does bother me slightly about owning a 7 is that I'm so far from most race tracks (being near Cardiff), that it's a right horrible motorway trek to get anywhere. I think that journey would be easier in an Elise. I can't bring myself to replace it though as I love driving the 7 so much.
You can easily drive for hours in a modern Elise. seats are great and earplugs useful.
If i had the space i think a 7 and a Sprinter van combo would be a great choice ( i presume a 7 would fit in a Sprinter?). esp if i could sleep above the car before trackdays.
I've done just that in my S3-just driven it 400 miles to the Ring. Supremely comfortable and surprisingly OK on the motorway-with the roof down at 80mph conversation need not be shouted and the stereo was more than audible.

SpudLink

5,671 posts

191 months

Monday 2nd May 2016
quotequote all
deltashad said:
.... If its bought for track days then the options including the awful spoilers will put it closer to 55k....
Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think this car is available without the aero parts. I think the option is to pay extra to have them made from carbon fibre.

I had the opportunity to drive the Elise S Cup on the Hethel track recently. I do believe the wing/splitter/diffuser (or glued on tat if you prefer) make a real difference through the high speed corner.

Tickle

4,881 posts

203 months

Monday 2nd May 2016
quotequote all
SpudLink said:
Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think this car is available without the aero parts. I think the option is to pay extra to have them made from carbon fibre.

I had the opportunity to drive the Elise S Cup on the Hethel track recently. I do believe the wing/splitter/diffuser (or glued on tat if you prefer) make a real difference through the high speed corner.
Lotus exclusive will let you customise a new car how you want it.

Vee12V

1,329 posts

159 months

Wednesday 4th May 2016
quotequote all
SpudLink said:
deltashad said:
.... If its bought for track days then the options including the awful spoilers will put it closer to 55k....
Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think this car is available without the aero parts. I think the option is to pay extra to have them made from carbon fibre.

I had the opportunity to drive the Elise S Cup on the Hethel track recently. I do believe the wing/splitter/diffuser (or glued on tat if you prefer) make a real difference through the high speed corner.
Correct. Aero parts come with the car as standard, 4K extra if you want them in CF. And it really is functional aero, starts really working from about 60 mph.

Ozzie Osmond

21,189 posts

245 months

Wednesday 4th May 2016
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I simply don't understand why anyone would pay Exige V6 money for this Elise.

ZP

14,673 posts

188 months

Wednesday 4th May 2016
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Guess it depends what they use it for - it'll certainly have cheaper consumables on track than the V6.

SpudLink

5,671 posts

191 months

Wednesday 4th May 2016
quotequote all
At that price, the V6 Exige would not be as track focused as this. As the previous poster says, it depends what you plan to use it for.

Craikeybaby

10,369 posts

224 months

Wednesday 4th May 2016
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Personally I prefer a smaller car, so would go for the Elise over the Exige.

JRzwevegem

55 posts

153 months

Friday 27th May 2016
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Am i the only one that thinks this is an ugly car? Especially from the back

Glenn63

2,732 posts

83 months

Sunday 7th June 2020
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Holy thread resurrection! Has anyone got one of these that would like to share their opinions/experiences? I have an estate for daily/dog duties but looking at these for fun blats/ road trips and track days but would have to be used occasionally for daily duties (<10mile trips to work/gym etc) if the missus has the estate. After the convertibles thread I was leaning towards a TVR but think I want something newer and more track friendly but with a soft top/removable roof and love the look of these.
Edit to add it will be most likely be kept outside and driven to/from any circuits nearest being an hour away.