Advice needed - Elise or Griffith ?
Discussion
The VX220 is a cheaper and more user friendly version of the Elise
The Elise dosent need a big lumbering heavy engine as it can keep up with almost anything on the straits and can maintain its speed on the corners due to its light weight and if the standard car is not fast enough either get a 190 or a TT converson or both
Plus the Elise looks brilliant unlike the Griffith which looks undynamic and unimaginintive
The Elise dosent need a big lumbering heavy engine as it can keep up with almost anything on the straits and can maintain its speed on the corners due to its light weight and if the standard car is not fast enough either get a 190 or a TT converson or both
Plus the Elise looks brilliant unlike the Griffith which looks undynamic and unimaginintive
once again some ignorance is evident....
I have had an elise for 18 months now - on track and regular trips - including Le Mans.
The Elise is plenty quick enough - I have the 111s variant - Hungry Jim is simplifying a little when he throws in buying a TT conversion or the 190 sport - I think these are really quite extreme cars and the only TT conversion you will get for 17-18k will be in tatters - incidentally it is only in the next few years that the true reliability of the conversion will be known (flame away its true)
Griff is a luxury GT with a punch - Elise is big go- kart. If image is your thing - get the Tiv - nekked women can lie on the bonnet etc
If you want to track it or spank it - get the loti - cheaper and more fun than a baby oil shower with amanda holden.......ok thats an exaggeration
I have had an elise for 18 months now - on track and regular trips - including Le Mans.
The Elise is plenty quick enough - I have the 111s variant - Hungry Jim is simplifying a little when he throws in buying a TT conversion or the 190 sport - I think these are really quite extreme cars and the only TT conversion you will get for 17-18k will be in tatters - incidentally it is only in the next few years that the true reliability of the conversion will be known (flame away its true)
Griff is a luxury GT with a punch - Elise is big go- kart. If image is your thing - get the Tiv - nekked women can lie on the bonnet etc
If you want to track it or spank it - get the loti - cheaper and more fun than a baby oil shower with amanda holden.......ok thats an exaggeration
This car is on sale on the British Cars BBS, I'm sure the owner won't mind a bit more publicity and it looks like A BARGAIN. I'd buy it if I didn't already have one! It also has enough power to satisfy hungryjim, who seems strangely obsessed with TT superchargers.
quote:
Due to lack of interest originally and zip through AutoTrader I offer my car at a greatly reduced price.
97R Elise S1 Mustard
197BHP/156LB/FT
Spec:
DVA Spec Head, Paul Ivey Big Valves Upgraded Springs
Piper BP285H Cams
QED DTH TBs
Bernard Scouse Airbox
Emerald ECU
Geary's Gear Link Kit
Recent New Accel Cable
Custom Exhaust
LSS
SO3's Recent new rears
Lotus Shower Cape
SuperTrap for quiet track days
Original Airbox and ECU
www.tbennett.btinternet.co.uk
15k to the first willing and genuine purchaser.
Out of the Country until the 31st but will need to get rid shortly after that.
Crikey, that looks like overkill! That much power in an Elise cannot be good surely? Unfortunately I have a car to sell first, so a purchase won't be immediate.
As for the VX220, no thanks. It's a Vauxhall. And its ugly from the back. Sorry.
As for the Elise, I have to admit that the biggest worry to me (and the wife, so guess which is more important ) is getting out of the bloody thing when I park down the town in our lovely cramped car park. At the dealer the other day, I needed the door WIDE open to get out and judging by my performance it looked like I'd had seventeen pints of lager before the attempt. After I slipped a disc in my back 4 months ago, I have to be careful.....
I can't see how I'd get out in a confined space, well not without the use of a crane anyway.
Many thanks for all the replies, I am still completely undecided, but I think if I did go for a Tiv it would be a Chimaera as I could get a newer car for the money than a Griff.
As for the VX220, no thanks. It's a Vauxhall. And its ugly from the back. Sorry.
As for the Elise, I have to admit that the biggest worry to me (and the wife, so guess which is more important
) is getting out of the bloody thing when I park down the town in our lovely cramped car park. At the dealer the other day, I needed the door WIDE open to get out and judging by my performance it looked like I'd had seventeen pints of lager before the attempt. After I slipped a disc in my back 4 months ago, I have to be careful..... I can't see how I'd get out in a confined space, well not without the use of a crane anyway.
Many thanks for all the replies, I am still completely undecided, but I think if I did go for a Tiv it would be a Chimaera as I could get a newer car for the money than a Griff.
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After I slipped a disc in my back 4 months ago, I have to be careful.....
That is, IMHO, a real issue . . .
quote:
I can't see how I'd get out in a confined space, well not without the use of a crane anyway.
As I've said you do get use to it, however it does take some flexibility . . .
Fd
Hopefully I shall have saved enough pennies by the end of the year to buy an Elise (early S1) and have a couple of questions (sorry if these have been asked before). How much should I budget for anuual maintenance ?, the car will be use pretty much as a weekend toy ( if I can hide the keys from the wife that is ). Where can I find out about club enthusiasts meetings where I can chat to some owners and get some advice ? (I'm based in Croydon).
ledger
There are (despite appearances) some owners on here
however the best site - if you are not overly sensitive is the www.british-cars.co.uk
lotus elise forum ... general and technical
they can answer all sorts and there is an FAQ area
also look at rob collinridges site - he has covered most areas of s1 ownership - www.elises.co.uk
annual maintence depends on your mileage ! if you are doing 9000 miles thats one service interval - they range in price from about £120 quid - for the A schedule to £400 for the C schedule.
tyres about £400 per set - and 9000 is about all you will get out of them. if you don't track it that is.
I budget £50 per month for the car ... but every know and again I have to spend a bit more...
There are (despite appearances) some owners on here
however the best site - if you are not overly sensitive is the www.british-cars.co.uk
lotus elise forum ... general and technical
they can answer all sorts and there is an FAQ area
also look at rob collinridges site - he has covered most areas of s1 ownership - www.elises.co.uk
annual maintence depends on your mileage ! if you are doing 9000 miles thats one service interval - they range in price from about £120 quid - for the A schedule to £400 for the C schedule.
tyres about £400 per set - and 9000 is about all you will get out of them. if you don't track it that is.
I budget £50 per month for the car ... but every know and again I have to spend a bit more...
On running costs :
I do about 15,000 a year in my S1, all fun, no commuting, including the odd track event.
As I intend to keep the car once it was out of warantee I have switched to non dealer servicing for things I can't do and home servicing for things I can, I do maintain the service history just not via Lotus.
The way prices are going it may make little total ownership costs difference to the value of the car once it's done 100K miles, which I fully expect it will.
Lotus dealers are very costly, there are many independants who are much more efficient with your wallet, and are probably as good or better at the work.
The S1/S2 Elise are simple cars, they do not IMHO demand the money that dealers charge. Suspension setup is the only thing I trust to my dealer, because the Elise requires a lot of care and knowledge to setup and few have the knowledge in my neck of the woods.
I get 9000+/- our of a pair of rears, 12000+/- out of a pair of fronts, 15000 out of a set of Pagid RS4-2 pads, I've smashed 1 windscreen, had the latest one repaired already, smashed 3 headlights, 4 driving lamps (now covered with plastic covers), damaged 3 wheels, replaced all the brake disks, couple of track rod ends, that's about it . . . in 30,000 miles/2 years.
IMHO considering the abuse the car gets I think this is reasonable. The front glass issues are somewhat irritating but I do get in close to pass, so that's my fault really.
As a daily driver with little abuse I'd expect almost none of the above would need changing.
Fd
I do about 15,000 a year in my S1, all fun, no commuting, including the odd track event.
As I intend to keep the car once it was out of warantee I have switched to non dealer servicing for things I can't do and home servicing for things I can, I do maintain the service history just not via Lotus.
The way prices are going it may make little total ownership costs difference to the value of the car once it's done 100K miles, which I fully expect it will.
Lotus dealers are very costly, there are many independants who are much more efficient with your wallet, and are probably as good or better at the work.
The S1/S2 Elise are simple cars, they do not IMHO demand the money that dealers charge. Suspension setup is the only thing I trust to my dealer, because the Elise requires a lot of care and knowledge to setup and few have the knowledge in my neck of the woods.
I get 9000+/- our of a pair of rears, 12000+/- out of a pair of fronts, 15000 out of a set of Pagid RS4-2 pads, I've smashed 1 windscreen, had the latest one repaired already, smashed 3 headlights, 4 driving lamps (now covered with plastic covers), damaged 3 wheels, replaced all the brake disks, couple of track rod ends, that's about it . . . in 30,000 miles/2 years.
IMHO considering the abuse the car gets I think this is reasonable. The front glass issues are somewhat irritating but I do get in close to pass, so that's my fault really.
As a daily driver with little abuse I'd expect almost none of the above would need changing.
Fd
I am in a similar situation - I've had a Chimaera for 3 years (and a TVR S2 for 5 years before that) and love it.
We have just moved house and my wife now needs to use a car. Up until now the TVR has been a 2nd car and I have driven 60 miles a day in a Fiesta.
I have 4 options:
Let my wife drive the TVR to the station every day
Drive the TVR myself, 60 miles a day and suffer service/fuel and depreciation costs
Sell it and get a low mileage Elise for me or wife to drive
Keep the TVR in the garage and have an 'old banger' for the work run - a bit extravagant having 3 cars between 2, not to mention the added fixed costs.
The Elise appeals from a fuel economy aspect, but not from comfort/luggage space/V8 noise. We also have a lot of country lanes around us and an Elise would be more suited than the Chimaera.
I have found service costs to be reasonable on the TVR (average £400) and it doesn't eat tyres (12k fronts, 15k rears), even with a few track days. Nothing much has fallen off either!
I haven't been in an Elise yet, does any Elise owner in the Kent area want to have a ride in a Chimaera in return?
Dan
We have just moved house and my wife now needs to use a car. Up until now the TVR has been a 2nd car and I have driven 60 miles a day in a Fiesta.
I have 4 options:
Let my wife drive the TVR to the station every day
Drive the TVR myself, 60 miles a day and suffer service/fuel and depreciation costs
Sell it and get a low mileage Elise for me or wife to drive
Keep the TVR in the garage and have an 'old banger' for the work run - a bit extravagant having 3 cars between 2, not to mention the added fixed costs.
The Elise appeals from a fuel economy aspect, but not from comfort/luggage space/V8 noise. We also have a lot of country lanes around us and an Elise would be more suited than the Chimaera.
I have found service costs to be reasonable on the TVR (average £400) and it doesn't eat tyres (12k fronts, 15k rears), even with a few track days. Nothing much has fallen off either!
I haven't been in an Elise yet, does any Elise owner in the Kent area want to have a ride in a Chimaera in return?
Dan
Like a few others, i was through this dilemna a few months ago, having run TVR S2 & S3 for about 6 years. I had a few fun weekends driving Elise, VX220 and TT as I was initially put off a Griff by tales of high fuel consumption and poor wet handling. It really depends on what you want to do with the car. Personally i found the Elise so harsh, with its screaming engine which has to be worked hard to make progress, but doesn't sound as if its enjoying it the way any TVR does. I require every day use, and i reckon with the Elise I would arrive at work every day with a headache. VX220 is much better and more torquey, but still a little agricultural compared to a TVR. The TT isn't a sports car.
It was with some reluctance that I test drove a Griff 500, and within half a mile I realised it was the only acceptable alternative to the TVR S3, offering sensible levels of luxury and a superb engine. Having driven in rivers of water throughout July, I reckon the wet weather handling stories appear to be tosh. The fact is the griff has no less grip than anything else, but has greater POTENTIAL to break grip through the huge torque/power to weight ratios. Point is you can keep up with the regular traffic in the rain without going above 2000 rpm in the first 3 gears, and at that, the rear is well glued down. Oh, and its sensible to assume that there is a large puddle round every bend. Just don't try catching an Audi TT out of a wet roundabout, or you'll overtake him backwards!
Fuel consumption isn't bad either. In every day use I am getting around 24 mpg, although I understand why the weekend only users who never change up until 4.5krpm talk about 17 mpg!
2 months on and 2000 miles, I can't think of any car I'd rather have.
>> Edited by rick.e on Saturday 10th August 09:43
It was with some reluctance that I test drove a Griff 500, and within half a mile I realised it was the only acceptable alternative to the TVR S3, offering sensible levels of luxury and a superb engine. Having driven in rivers of water throughout July, I reckon the wet weather handling stories appear to be tosh. The fact is the griff has no less grip than anything else, but has greater POTENTIAL to break grip through the huge torque/power to weight ratios. Point is you can keep up with the regular traffic in the rain without going above 2000 rpm in the first 3 gears, and at that, the rear is well glued down. Oh, and its sensible to assume that there is a large puddle round every bend. Just don't try catching an Audi TT out of a wet roundabout, or you'll overtake him backwards!
Fuel consumption isn't bad either. In every day use I am getting around 24 mpg, although I understand why the weekend only users who never change up until 4.5krpm talk about 17 mpg!
2 months on and 2000 miles, I can't think of any car I'd rather have.
>> Edited by rick.e on Saturday 10th August 09:43
Well I think I am going to struggle getting in and out of an Elise, my back was complaining the very next day after I tried a couple at a dealer. Very disappointed and I wish I was younger/slimmer/fitter as it seems a perfect driver's car, from what I have seen so far. Wish I was still 21!
I was in the same position three weeks ago and ended up getting an S2 Elise. Whilst I'm youngish and fit, I still fall in and out the car
Having said that if your back isn't up to it, then I can see your point. As an aside, the S2 has lower sills, but it still requires some gynastics (cheapest S2 I've seen is 19k). 
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Well I think I am going to struggle getting in and out of an Elise, my back was complaining the very next day after I tried a couple at a dealer. Very disappointed and I wish I was younger/slimmer/fitter as it seems a perfect driver's car, from what I have seen so far. Wish I was still 21!
Seems like you have made your decision! As much as I liked my old Elise it never was a car you could just forget about and just relax in. It always came across as frenetic and after about 10 months I got bored with it.
The Griffith has the power and the luxury/comfort you are after plus with all that torque you can make progress without caning it. But if you do want to cover the ground quickly it is only a 'stab at the throttle' away.
OK, looks like the Elise is a no go. My other half has strongly hinted that it may be a bad move considering my mobility is not what it was. Combine that with her preference for a Tivvie and a Chimp or a Griff is now looking more likely.
Oh well, thanks for all the advice guys, I really appreciate it.
Oh well, thanks for all the advice guys, I really appreciate it.
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