RE: PH Heroes: Lotus Elise S2
Discussion
Gargamel said:
As any owner will tell you, small things on all these cars make a BIG difference, tyre pressure, brand of tyre, suspension geomentary, tracking, balancing, corner weights, everything. A well sorted one feels brilliant a bad one like an absolute dog (and sounds like pot black over rough surfaces.....)
God I miss that car ......
So true and why many apparantly cheap cars aren't really cheap. A suspension refresh will cost about £1500 in parts. Add labour and the costs of getting the geometry set and you've probably got another £1200, maybe more. Many S1s and early S2 will now need this work. Then budget some cash for niggles that will need sorting.God I miss that car ......
BUT its a bloody marvellous little car. As others have said the real hero is the S1 - it saved Lotus. I bought an S1 as a second 'fun' car and ran it for a year as my main car. I sold my second car and now just have the Elise which is slowly being turned into a more track orientated toy. (Fortunately the missus car can cart the kids/shopping etc around!).
I used to think my S1 looked a bit 'cutesy'. However a change of wheels (finished black to contrast the silver paintjob) and ride height lowered by 50mm by the fitting of Nitron suspension and she now looks quiet mean - and gets lots of admiring glances from all ages
BTW I'm fifty and have no problems doing 600 mile round trips to get to a track day.
Speaking as someone who has covered well over 120,000 miles in an Elise S1, Elise S2 and 340R (as well as having driven every derivative with the exception of the 2-11), I feel I can speak quite objectively about the cars here.
If I was to have another Lotus, it'd be a bog standard K-Series S2 without any options. You can drive the hell out of it and it encourages you to want to drive it and push it hard and everything you do in it rewards you in some way (except when you crash, I suppose).
The S1 is a great car but it's a great car with flaws when it comes to comfort and build quality. The S2 isn't exactly a Rolls Royce Phantom but it's a nicer place to be when you're caning it. The 340R is on another planet altogether and a massive attention w
e. The only trouble with the 340R is you could never get rid of that 'the engines about to let go' feeling when you were driving hard.
If I was to have another Lotus, it'd be a bog standard K-Series S2 without any options. You can drive the hell out of it and it encourages you to want to drive it and push it hard and everything you do in it rewards you in some way (except when you crash, I suppose).
The S1 is a great car but it's a great car with flaws when it comes to comfort and build quality. The S2 isn't exactly a Rolls Royce Phantom but it's a nicer place to be when you're caning it. The 340R is on another planet altogether and a massive attention w
e. The only trouble with the 340R is you could never get rid of that 'the engines about to let go' feeling when you were driving hard."If I was to have another Lotus, it'd be a bog standard K-Series S2 without any options. You can drive the hell out of it and it encourages you to want to drive it and push it hard and everything you do in it rewards you . . ."
So, I bought a bog-standard 2002 K-Series S2 Sport Tourer. I had been looking at getting an Elise for about two years now, but pressure of work, things to do at home, you know. Then, my daughter bought me an Elise trackday, and I just wouldn't shut up. She said, just go get one!
And lo and behold, a couple of weeks ago, I did. Awwww! What a fabulous drive!
Every time I get into it, strap it on, light the fires, and hit the gas . . . I just grin. Do I hammer it? Sure! Country roads and low gear and the rev-counter hitting the red - what enormous fun! No matter what I do, and I drive hard, it runs on tramlines.
Regardless of the fact that the S1 is the car that saved Lotus, and will always be remembered as such, it's a fact that the S2 is just a much nicer car. It's just as much of a blast as the S1, and the rough edges have been filed off. I love it.
And BTW, the driving position is just perfect for a 5' 8" female at 150 pounds. It feels like I am just wearing the car (sitting in a Porsche, by comparision, feels like I'm sitting on a heavily upholstered bar stool - yeeuch).
I do, however, have to remember to wear my best knickers.
So, I bought a bog-standard 2002 K-Series S2 Sport Tourer. I had been looking at getting an Elise for about two years now, but pressure of work, things to do at home, you know. Then, my daughter bought me an Elise trackday, and I just wouldn't shut up. She said, just go get one!
And lo and behold, a couple of weeks ago, I did. Awwww! What a fabulous drive!
Every time I get into it, strap it on, light the fires, and hit the gas . . . I just grin. Do I hammer it? Sure! Country roads and low gear and the rev-counter hitting the red - what enormous fun! No matter what I do, and I drive hard, it runs on tramlines. Regardless of the fact that the S1 is the car that saved Lotus, and will always be remembered as such, it's a fact that the S2 is just a much nicer car. It's just as much of a blast as the S1, and the rough edges have been filed off. I love it.
And BTW, the driving position is just perfect for a 5' 8" female at 150 pounds. It feels like I am just wearing the car (sitting in a Porsche, by comparision, feels like I'm sitting on a heavily upholstered bar stool - yeeuch).
I do, however, have to remember to wear my best knickers.
Edited by donnapkelly on Tuesday 26th August 00:20
donnapkelly said:
"If I was to have another Lotus, it'd be a bog standard K-Series S2 without any options. You can drive the hell out of it and it encourages you to want to drive it and push it hard and everything you do in it rewards you . . ."
So, I bought a bog-standard 2002 K-Series S2 Sport Tourer. I had been looking at getting an Elise for about two years now, but pressure of work, things to do at home, you know. Then, my daughter bought me an Elise trackday, and I just wouldn't shut up. She said, just go get one!
And lo and behold, a couple of weeks ago, I did. Awwww! What a fabulous drive! Every time I get into it, strap it on, light the fires, and hit the gas . . . I just grin. Do I hammer it? Sure! Country roads and low gear and the rev-counter hitting the red - what enormous fun! No matter what I do, and I drive hard, it runs on tramlines.
Regardless of the fact that the S1 is the car that saved Lotus, and will always be remembered as such, it's a fact that the S2 is just a much nicer car. It's just as much of a blast as the S1, and the rough edges have been filed off. I love it.
And BTW, the driving position is just perfect for a 5' 8" female at 150 pounds. It feels like I am just wearing the car (sitting in a Porsche, by comparision, feels like I'm sitting on a heavily upholstered bar stool - yeeuch).
I do, however, have to remember to wear my best knickers.
So, I bought a bog-standard 2002 K-Series S2 Sport Tourer. I had been looking at getting an Elise for about two years now, but pressure of work, things to do at home, you know. Then, my daughter bought me an Elise trackday, and I just wouldn't shut up. She said, just go get one!
And lo and behold, a couple of weeks ago, I did. Awwww! What a fabulous drive!
Every time I get into it, strap it on, light the fires, and hit the gas . . . I just grin. Do I hammer it? Sure! Country roads and low gear and the rev-counter hitting the red - what enormous fun! No matter what I do, and I drive hard, it runs on tramlines. Regardless of the fact that the S1 is the car that saved Lotus, and will always be remembered as such, it's a fact that the S2 is just a much nicer car. It's just as much of a blast as the S1, and the rough edges have been filed off. I love it.
And BTW, the driving position is just perfect for a 5' 8" female at 150 pounds. It feels like I am just wearing the car (sitting in a Porsche, by comparision, feels like I'm sitting on a heavily upholstered bar stool - yeeuch).
I do, however, have to remember to wear my best knickers.
Edited by donnapkelly on Tuesday 26th August 00:20
Glad that you're pleased. They're great aren't they? 
RobM77 said:
Glad that you're pleased. They're great aren't they? 
Maybe you guys could help a newbie? Passenger side window was fine, but after a 200 mile trip in the m-way, it didn't go to the top at the rear. FYI, I'm an engineer, and yes, I did read the f***ing manual, but all that happened after half an hour's fiddling with the reaction channel was to create the same half inch space at the front as well.
Front and back are now even: but now, the window doesn't go to the top at all. Could you (or anyone else) give me some links to a possible answer, or perhaps more practically, where should I be posting this question.FYI I'll leave this here for a day or two, then I'll edit this stuff out, because it's not relevant to this thread.
donnapkelly said:
RobM77 said:
Glad that you're pleased. They're great aren't they? Maybe you guys could help a newbie? Passenger side window was fine, but after a 200 mile trip in the m-way, it didn't go to the top at the rear. FYI, I'm an engineer, and yes, I did read the f***ing manual, but all that happened after half an hour's fiddling with the reaction channel was to create the same half inch space at the front as well.
Front and back are now even: but now, the window doesn't go to the top at all. Could you (or anyone else) give me some links to a possible answer, or perhaps more practically, where should I be posting this question.FYI I'll leave this here for a day or two, then I'll edit this stuff out, because it's not relevant to this thread.
I'm commuting down the motorway at the moment, so using my BMW. However, yesterday I took the Elise (as I sometimes do if it's dry). Despite only getting five minutes of country lanes in the car it just reminded me why it's the best road car I've ever driven. The steering feel and chassis feel are just perfect. All of the controls are perfectly weighted. The car also shrinks round you so you feel you can almost touch the front and rear. I just can't imagine a better driving experience, which is why I'm not bothering to look for another car - I'll never sell it.
donnapkelly said:
RobM77 said:
Glad that you're pleased. They're great aren't they? Maybe you guys could help a newbie? Passenger side window was fine, but after a 200 mile trip in the m-way, it didn't go to the top at the rear. FYI, I'm an engineer, and yes, I did read the f***ing manual, but all that happened after half an hour's fiddling with the reaction channel was to create the same half inch space at the front as well.
Front and back are now even: but now, the window doesn't go to the top at all. Could you (or anyone else) give me some links to a possible answer, or perhaps more practically, where should I be posting this question.FYI I'll leave this here for a day or two, then I'll edit this stuff out, because it's not relevant to this thread.
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