Anyone worked out their running costs

[dragstar]

hi,

just reading the thread and noticed that nobody had answered the question on safety of the car/parking it at night and potential of getting "key'd"

i have an elise and am paranoid about leaving it anywhere...how do you lot survive??

[Harris_I]

Easy - I moved abroad.

Hated all the envy generated by Brit drivers.

[toby tucker]

In my Elise running costs above, I ommited the repair costs due to some scrote who kicked a large hole in the rear end offside corner panel and rear wheel arch with what must have been steel toe capped boots !! It was a real mess.

Lotus dealer wanted ~£2.5k to repair to include replacing rear clam shell - however I got the holes fixed and body contours re-instated by glass fibre specialist in chippenham who repaired all the damage perfectly for £950.

[domster]

jonathanf said:

nothernboy said: Might still get an S4, but I always find my eye drawn back to a 996. Feel that if I don't get one soon, I might never do it. Probably not the turbo, though. If I could find one for 70k, though... I think if I was you I would go for the S4 and have the everyday practicality with almost all the performance of a 996 (non turbo). Have you driven one as they are supposed to be a real wolf in sheeps clothing?

I assumed the Esprit S4 was being talked about, as northern guy had an Elise. An S4 isn't practical, isn't a wolf in sheep's clothing and isn't really in the same league quality or price wise. An Audi S4 would be a far better bet as you suggest, Jonathan.



>> Edited by domster on Wednesday 1st October 12:03

[jjr1]

I definitely thought he was meaning an Audi S4.....

if we were talking about a Loti, then sod that, get a Porker

[Northernboy]

jonathanf said:

nothernboy said: Might still get an S4, but I always find my eye drawn back to a 996. Feel that if I don't get one soon, I might never do it. Probably not the turbo, though. If I could find one for 70k, though... I think if I was you I would go for the S4 and have the everyday practicality with almost all the performance of a 996 (non turbo). Have you driven one as they are supposed to be a real wolf in sheeps clothing?

I had the old S4, and absolutely loved it. It really was the nicest car I've ever had. I traded in my first Elise against it, and was shocked to realise I didn't have a single regret at giving the Lotus up (although I've since bought another one).

Unfortunately, it was stolen to order, presumably by the gang that did a lot of this in North London last year. insurance meant getting another one would have been prohibitive in costs, and I started doing 60 miles a day commuting, so got a Seat instead (same interior, shape, and build quality, much more frugal, much less power). That's what I have at the moment (Toledo and Elise).

The new one looks to be better by far than th,e superb old one. Sounds like they've sorted out the lack of feeling that blighted the last model.

[Northernboy]

Oh, and to make it clear, sorry, I was talking about the Audi, not the Lotus.

[domster]

My mistake. It was the Lotus Elise previous car/looking for a 996tt that made me think of an Esprit S4.

[joust]

"Only me - just popping in"

For comparison there's my Noble costs at www.lotus-elise.org.uk/noble/runningcosts.htm - £1.30 per mile without depreciation taken into account.

Quite a few people use Ted's calculator to work it out, if you do "Porsche" and "most history" on www.pistonheads.com/members/fleet.asp you'll find lots of CPM.

J

[Northernboy]

My calculation has just been quite scrambled. After watching a bunch of american teen movies over the weekend, I reckon it's time to move stateside for a few years. This means liquidating the unusual Lotus, and bog standard Seat, and seeing what my Ex Pat dollars will buy me in Westchester County.

That GT looks more and more apppealing. Just need to find the job to fund it now...

[johnfm]

Don't forget the cost of money AND the opportunity cost - the money you could have made by investing the money rather than spending it on a depreciating 'asset'.

[cyberface]

Resurrected a rather old thread here, eh?

[johnfm]

cyberface said:

Resurrected a rather old thread here, eh?

the dilemma of running costs is ageless, cyber!

[koenig999]

996 & rear seats :

Useful for kids up to early teens, small Wives, luggage - you can get two BIG suitcases in the back when seats folded flat.

No good for old farts with limited mobility - too difficult to clamber in/out, no good for tall folk, as roofline is low.

As far as keying / dings, I just avoid supermarket car parks, parking next to off-roaders for pipple carriers, and go in the Golf if parking in town centres etc.

Running costs can be controlled if you get it maintained in an independent, shop around for insurance etc. Petrol will be a big cost, Optimax + low mpg means high costs.

Overall you don't get a Porsche for the economy!!!

Koenig

Koenig

[paul y]

dragstar said:

hi, just reading the thread and noticed that nobody had answered the question on safety of the car/parking it at night and potential of getting "key'd" i have an elise and am paranoid about leaving it anywhere...how do you lot survive??

In 10 years of Porsche ownership I have never had any vandal damage on my cars, apart from...

When we used to have car parking at the office I drove into the city everyday, far more relaxing than catching the train and a darn site more fun.

One morning the head of security called me into their control centre and asked if I had noticed anything unusual about my car. He then went onto show me the CCTV footage of one of my colleagues using the bonnet of my car as a conveniant place to "enjoy" our PA...

Needless to say he quickly paid to have the "interesting" dents removed from the panel and a front end respray. :-)

P.

[johnfm]

paul y said:

dragstar said: hi, just reading the thread and noticed that nobody had answered the question on safety of the car/parking it at night and potential of getting "key'd" i have an elise and am paranoid about leaving it anywhere...how do you lot survive?? In 10 years of Porsche ownership I have never had any vandal damage on my cars, apart from... When we used to have car parking at the office I drove into the city everyday, far more relaxing than catching the train and a darn site more fun. One morning the head of security called me into their control centre and asked if I had noticed anything unusual about my car. He then went onto show me the CCTV footage of one of my colleagues using the bonnet of my car as a conveniant place to "enjoy" our PA... Needless to say he quickly paid to have the "interesting" dents removed from the panel and a front end respray. :-) P.

Can you upload the CCTV video!!

[paul y]

Saving it for Christmas :-)

[tony.t]

paul y said:

He then went onto show me the CCTV footage of one of my colleagues using the bonnet of my car as a conveniant place to "enjoy" our PA... Needless to say he quickly paid to have the "interesting" dents removed from the panel and a front end respray. :-) P.

I think it was worth new dampers all round as well.