RE: Lotus Elise Cup 250: Driven
Discussion
Glenn63 said:
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.
Plenty of Lotus chat on the £30k sports cars thread...Edit to add it will be most likely be kept outside and driven to/from any circuits nearest being an hour away.
Glenn63 said:
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.
I swapped a S1 for a S3 partially due to the better usability (even though I don’t use mine daily). The air con, better roof (which doesn’t leak!), cruise control, lower sills, Probax seats and better insulation add up to something with a little commitment you could use every day. If I weren’t so precious over mine I’d quite happily use it as my everyday car.Edit to add it will be most likely be kept outside and driven to/from any circuits nearest being an hour away.
As an added bonus the lack of weight means it does great fuel economy (I’ve seen mid 40’s MPG on a run) and is light on consumables-despite several track days the tyres and brake pads haven’t taken a battering.
Glenn63 said:
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.
I have one. Got the CF spoiler and front splitter for the looks (because I didn't want the union jack stickers over the sides of the spoiler, and they were chucked in FOC), but honestly you can't tell the difference between the CF and non-CF from the driver's seat. Edit to add it will be most likely be kept outside and driven to/from any circuits nearest being an hour away.
We did four days in the Elise 220 Sports doing the Lotus License at Hethel a few months after getting ours, and the 250 definitely feels far more lively, sticky and nimble. You might not notice it in isolation (because the 220 is also excellent), or even at legal road speeds, but it certainly comes alive when you get using the performance.
We picked the 250 because it's the Elise's swansong. There'll never be another car like it from Lotus, and probably from anyone. Light cars are rare, petrol cars will soon be on their way out. To buy and drive one of the last, great, true driver's cars ever made is absolutely a privilege, and always an event.
I'll never sell it.
If you can, do. You won't regret it.
ETA: Oh, and the gearbox is quite good if you are smooth and don't try to bash it round like an old taxi. The exposed linkages are a work of art.
This is ours, before fitting the CF bits.
Edited by Baldchap on Monday 8th June 15:46
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff