RE: Lotus Elise Sprint
Discussion
That interior looks great, for a car which has function > form.
I wish they'd extended the nice alcantara (?) covering to the instrument binnacle / cowl area though, when they've gone to so much effort making the gearshift surround look that good, only to leave the big hunk of plastic above / around the steering wheel, where your eyes are drawn to!
I wish they'd extended the nice alcantara (?) covering to the instrument binnacle / cowl area though, when they've gone to so much effort making the gearshift surround look that good, only to leave the big hunk of plastic above / around the steering wheel, where your eyes are drawn to!
Lefty said:
Too expensive still.
The s1 was £18k in 1996. 20 years of CPI inflation takes that to about £27k. At £30k this would be a lot more attractive than it is at £37k.
Fourth post in. Nice one. Perhaps you could mention second-hand Porsche for a full house.The s1 was £18k in 1996. 20 years of CPI inflation takes that to about £27k. At £30k this would be a lot more attractive than it is at £37k.
I think there's a post further down about the cost being more or less bang on comparable.
I think it looks great, wish I had the funds.
leglessAlex said:
Lefty said:
Too expensive still.
The s1 was £18k in 1996. 20 years of CPI inflation takes that to about £27k. At £30k this would be a lot more attractive than it is at £37k.
I'm not sure. This article indicates that the Elise was £18,990 in 1996, and using the Bank of England inflation calculator that gives £32,712 in 2016. Seems ok to me when this claims the current Elise Sport costs £29,900 today. The s1 was £18k in 1996. 20 years of CPI inflation takes that to about £27k. At £30k this would be a lot more attractive than it is at £37k.
Sure, faster or lighter versions are more, possibly too, expensive, but it seems the most basic Elise you can buy is much the same cost as it was 20 years ago once inflation has been taken into account, possibly a little cheaper.
Step in the right direction, but from the perspective of a 10yo S2 Elise owner I can't imagine putting my money into a newer version of my car whilst the fundamental flaws still exist such as questionable toe-links, plastic radiator endcaps and suspension that looks like it's from the deck of the titanic after 20 road miles.
I love my Elise to bits, but my £30k would be spent on an S2 project in which all the above has been rectified. Oh, and with a Honda engine.
I love my Elise to bits, but my £30k would be spent on an S2 project in which all the above has been rectified. Oh, and with a Honda engine.
Absolutely agree - and that was my point earlier. It's a lovely car, but has it moved the game on much from the s2? I really don't see it, save for a slightly smarter interior and that glorious looking gearshifter.
Nevertheless, good luck to Lotus - I hope the marque begins to prosper.
Nevertheless, good luck to Lotus - I hope the marque begins to prosper.
kambites said:
Tickle said:
IIRC the ‘s’ in the 111s also stood for Sprint; it was originally called the Elise Sprint but Mercedes objected due to their Sprinter vans in the late 90’s.
You may be right but it would be rather odd, given that the "S" in 111S denoted the "luxury" version. Of the various special editions and Sport versions offering more power, the 111S was the best, using the Variable Valve Control K-series with 143bhp. It was to have been called Elise Sprint after the hottest Elan, but Mercedes scuppered that, claiming it would cause confusion with the Sprinter van. Incredible but true.
What ever the 'S' stands for, I would not call the 111s luxurious, certainly not the S1 anyway
benjiwengy said:
This is obviously a far better product than the original s1. If you don't mind the extra 41kg, knock £5000 off, and it will still be better at more or less the same price. Yes, ideally we want everything cheaper. Perhaps this Lotus should be, but they'll have a better idea about marginal returns than us. If people bought Lotus in the same numbers as Porsche then they would be cheaper. It's a Catch 22. Lotus needs to be profitable in order to make desirable product. Maybe Elise2 will crack it.
I googled 'Elise 2'Not what I was expecting - but it does have two motors apparently!
Tickle said:
What ever the 'S' stands for, I would not call the 111s luxurious, certainly not the S1 anyway
Actually with the S1 you may be right, I was thinking of the S2 where the "111S" was the better equipped (it had carpets!) version of the "111" which was the base VVC car. Lotus' naming conventions are nothing if not inconsistent.
Tickle said:
EVO S1 buyers guide:
Of the various special editions and Sport versions offering more power, the 111S was the best, using the Variable Valve Control K-series with 143bhp. It was to have been called Elise Sprint after the hottest Elan, but Mercedes scuppered that, claiming it would cause confusion with the Sprinter van. Incredible but true.
Yet Mercedes were quite happy to use the name Esprit as a trim level. Funny folk over at Mercedes. Of the various special editions and Sport versions offering more power, the 111S was the best, using the Variable Valve Control K-series with 143bhp. It was to have been called Elise Sprint after the hottest Elan, but Mercedes scuppered that, claiming it would cause confusion with the Sprinter van. Incredible but true.
framerateuk said:
Lovely stuff.
The 1.8 version looks great on paper. This is the only sort of thing I could bring myself to replace my Caterham with. That said, my garage is *really* small and I think fitting it in and opening the doors might be a struggle!
If you're reasonably limber you can always climb over the doors. The 1.8 version looks great on paper. This is the only sort of thing I could bring myself to replace my Caterham with. That said, my garage is *really* small and I think fitting it in and opening the doors might be a struggle!
They're not that much higher than the sills anyway.
kambites said:
framerateuk said:
Lovely stuff.
The 1.8 version looks great on paper. This is the only sort of thing I could bring myself to replace my Caterham with. That said, my garage is *really* small and I think fitting it in and opening the doors might be a struggle!
If you're reasonably limber you can always climb over the doors. The 1.8 version looks great on paper. This is the only sort of thing I could bring myself to replace my Caterham with. That said, my garage is *really* small and I think fitting it in and opening the doors might be a struggle!
They're not that much higher than the sills anyway.
framerateuk said:
Lovely stuff.
The 1.8 version looks great on paper. This is the only sort of thing I could bring myself to replace my Caterham with. That said, my garage is *really* small and I think fitting it in and opening the doors might be a struggle!
Just push the car in and out of the garage. The garage at my old house was pretty narrow so I used to push my S1 in and out of it. No problem. The 1.8 version looks great on paper. This is the only sort of thing I could bring myself to replace my Caterham with. That said, my garage is *really* small and I think fitting it in and opening the doors might be a struggle!
I've got to say, if I had £40k burning a hole in my pocket, I think I'd get one of these. Not even the supercharged one - I'd go for the little 1.6.
A car like this, with a small footprint, modest power and light weight makes far more sense on our congested roads than any other new 'fun' car I can think of. Obviously, a car with heaps of power is fun in a 'sledgehammer to crack a nut' kind of way, but seriously, the occasions when you can actually use all that power are so fleeting, and cars now are so insulated from the road, that to get the sensation of going 'fast' you are really in with a chance of losing your licence if caught.
I'll have mine in that lovely sky blue please
A car like this, with a small footprint, modest power and light weight makes far more sense on our congested roads than any other new 'fun' car I can think of. Obviously, a car with heaps of power is fun in a 'sledgehammer to crack a nut' kind of way, but seriously, the occasions when you can actually use all that power are so fleeting, and cars now are so insulated from the road, that to get the sensation of going 'fast' you are really in with a chance of losing your licence if caught.
I'll have mine in that lovely sky blue please
leglessAlex said:
Lefty said:
Too expensive still.
The s1 was £18k in 1996. 20 years of CPI inflation takes that to about £27k. At £30k this would be a lot more attractive than it is at £37k.
I'm not sure. This article indicates that the Elise was £18,990 in 1996, and using the Bank of England inflation calculator that gives £32,712 in 2016. Seems ok to me when this claims the current Elise Sport costs £29,900 today. The s1 was £18k in 1996. 20 years of CPI inflation takes that to about £27k. At £30k this would be a lot more attractive than it is at £37k.
Sure, faster or lighter versions are more, possibly too, expensive, but it seems the most basic Elise you can buy is much the same cost as it was 20 years ago once inflation has been taken into account, possibly a little cheaper.
£37k is an extraordinary amount of money for something that would be way slower than a decent hot hatch in a straight line/round a circuit.
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