Elise questions
Discussion
I've got about 12months to decide on next Rico-mobile... but thats half the fun of buying a car... going through the various options 
A few questions...
1) it'll be parked on the road in Westminster
Not a dodgy area at all but i'm a bit worried about the soft-top. Do many people on here park a soft-top Elise on the road? Is it just a matter of 'when' not 'if' it gets torn by a scrote? Hardtops are about a grand right?
2) What are they like on country backroads? Went out in a Ferrari 360 today around some of my favourite hooning roads and to be honest, i would have been quicker in the Peugeot...
I think thats it for now. I'll be nicking Drag's keys when im next up north.
Oh yeh, if BCA reads this: I'd get a Caterham but i can only have the one car in London, so the Elise makes more sense!
A few questions...
1) it'll be parked on the road in Westminster
Not a dodgy area at all but i'm a bit worried about the soft-top. Do many people on here park a soft-top Elise on the road? Is it just a matter of 'when' not 'if' it gets torn by a scrote? Hardtops are about a grand right? 2) What are they like on country backroads? Went out in a Ferrari 360 today around some of my favourite hooning roads and to be honest, i would have been quicker in the Peugeot...
I think thats it for now. I'll be nicking Drag's keys when im next up north.
Oh yeh, if BCA reads this: I'd get a Caterham but i can only have the one car in London, so the Elise makes more sense!
Edited again, will spare Rico the embarissment.*
(Was baited into it, be careful what words you pick when discussing my car in future Ricole)
>> Edited by BCA on Monday 9th August 01:27
*the things I do to be able to borrow friends cars at trackdays
>> Edited by BCA on Monday 9th August 01:55
(Was baited into it, be careful what words you pick when discussing my car in future Ricole)
>> Edited by BCA on Monday 9th August 01:27
*the things I do to be able to borrow friends cars at trackdays
>> Edited by BCA on Monday 9th August 01:55
Seriously
1)It'll be alright - an Elise is a bit of a pants car where you live - still have that yellow 360 in the garage beneath you??
2) Thats because a 360 is worth £££££'s and the Pug is worth £££'s. Also, some of that is psychological I think - if your speedo is accurate, your pace on B-roads seems to be a good 5-10mph mid-corner slower than my pace in the Smart - which would be a dot in the mirror against a 360. Supercars have a nack at making certain levels of progress seem easy, where pocket-hoonsters like ours make a fuss.
Go for the Elise, bloody good car - will be making the same move asap.
1)It'll be alright - an Elise is a bit of a pants car where you live - still have that yellow 360 in the garage beneath you??
2) Thats because a 360 is worth £££££'s and the Pug is worth £££'s. Also, some of that is psychological I think - if your speedo is accurate, your pace on B-roads seems to be a good 5-10mph mid-corner slower than my pace in the Smart - which would be a dot in the mirror against a 360. Supercars have a nack at making certain levels of progress seem easy, where pocket-hoonsters like ours make a fuss.
Go for the Elise, bloody good car - will be making the same move asap.
1) 360, GT2 etc are kept underground in secure carparking. I'm talking about keeping the Elise on the road.
2) The 360 was noticably slower on country roads as its bigger and got stiffer suspension, whereas my 306 is a hatchback with soft suspension so can float over the un-even surfaces.
My question was whether the Elise is too hard on country roads or is light and nimble enough to be driven hard over uneven surfaces
Pay attention sir!
2) The 360 was noticably slower on country roads as its bigger and got stiffer suspension, whereas my 306 is a hatchback with soft suspension so can float over the un-even surfaces.
My question was whether the Elise is too hard on country roads or is light and nimble enough to be driven hard over uneven surfaces
Pay attention sir!
rico said:
1) 360, GT2 etc are kept underground in secure carparking. I'm talking about keeping the Elise on the road.
2) The 360 was noticably slower on country roads as its bigger and got stiffer suspension, whereas my 306 is a hatchback with soft suspension so can float over the un-even surfaces.
My question was whether the Elise is too hard on country roads or is light and nimble enough to be driven hard over uneven surfaces
Pay attention sir!
1)sorry, my mistake - still, an Elise shouldnt get too much unwanted attention, what is there to nick? get a face off radio and be safe in the knowledge that its well alarmed (all the ones I have seen have been.) No ones stupid enough to steal an Elise, it would be found within seconds - if you are that worried get a tracker.
2)Still believe it is all in your mind. Granted the 360 is slightly bigger, still would suprise me if you couldnt go quicker in a proper sportscar than you can in a shopping hack?? Arent Lotus famed for their ridiculously good set ups? Have to say I was well impressed with the Elise I went in - should be fine. Also - isnt an Elise smaller than a 5-door pug 306??
Hardness doesnt matter if its set up correctly, just because you *CANT* feel certain bumps in the pug, doesnt mean its not riding them. The Elise will only make you more aware of what you are doing and, more importantly, the car is doing in order to achieve a reasonable pace. Which is, pretty much, exactly what its all about?
>> Edited by BCA on Monday 9th August 01:45
Oh forgot, after seeing the flies thread - one thing to remember, DONT GET AN ELISE IN YELLOW.
>> Edited by BCA on Monday 9th August 01:56
Thub's right about the sigt lines, and overtaking can be hard as you're low down and can't see through the car in front (you'd be surprised how little you can see at times).
I run a 306 and an Elise and regularly cover the same back roads in both so.....
The Elise is the quicker car point to point without a doubt but not by as much as you'd think adn that's mainly due to the fact it will carry more speed through the corners than the 306. Top tip - don't try and follow an Elise through a set of corners and wait for the brake lights - they my not come on at all
That said on a bad surface the Elise doesn't do so well due to the hard ride and it can feel quite nervous on very bumpy corners. You'll find that covering the same stretch of road in an Elise is even more satisfying than the Pug as you will end up with an inane grin on your face form the first bend.
Not sure on the 360 - was he trying? I guess it depends on how tight the road is but it'd certainly be a laugh going up against one in the Elise
I run a 306 and an Elise and regularly cover the same back roads in both so.....
The Elise is the quicker car point to point without a doubt but not by as much as you'd think adn that's mainly due to the fact it will carry more speed through the corners than the 306. Top tip - don't try and follow an Elise through a set of corners and wait for the brake lights - they my not come on at all
That said on a bad surface the Elise doesn't do so well due to the hard ride and it can feel quite nervous on very bumpy corners. You'll find that covering the same stretch of road in an Elise is even more satisfying than the Pug as you will end up with an inane grin on your face form the first bend.
Not sure on the 360 - was he trying? I guess it depends on how tight the road is but it'd certainly be a laugh going up against one in the Elise
1) it'll be parked on the road in Westminster Not a dodgy area at all but i'm a bit worried about the soft-top. Do many people on here park a soft-top Elise on the road? Is it just a matter of 'when' not 'if' it gets torn by a scrote? Hardtops are about a grand right?
not a problem really - the hardtop is just as easy to break into...its only the slash damage that is worse with a soft top...I dont worry about parking mine anywhere (use it daily)...just dont leave anything in there worth nicking
2) What are they like on country backroads? Went out in a Ferrari 360 today around some of my favourite hooning roads and to be honest, i would have been quicker in the Peugeot...
B roads are what the ELise is made for ...road kills on Essex B roads for me over the last few months include F360, F456, F550M, P911, S2K, M3 etc etc ...now either their drivers cant drive/are not confident with £100K worth of car etc (Im not THAT quick a driver) or the Elise is just easier to deploy as it were ....its a small car that you can throw around and hoon around without ever going near the white line - the 360 I was following was so wide it was nearly over the white centre line all the time...not good.
The only things that are going to be quicker are youre rally type saloons...just because they have 4wd and lots of electronic gizmos to boost youre confidence/make up for your own driving inadequecies...and of course Caterhams etc !
Saying that - if you are not 100% committed its the same as most things - doesent matter what car you are in ..but how loony the ddriver is - I dont drive at 100% on the road...but Ive seen others that do...been overtaken a few times by things like Civic Type Rs, Scoobies etc...not because I couldnt keep up...but because I didnt want to risk my life on every corner and lives of others on overtakes etc
not a problem really - the hardtop is just as easy to break into...its only the slash damage that is worse with a soft top...I dont worry about parking mine anywhere (use it daily)...just dont leave anything in there worth nicking
2) What are they like on country backroads? Went out in a Ferrari 360 today around some of my favourite hooning roads and to be honest, i would have been quicker in the Peugeot...
B roads are what the ELise is made for
...road kills on Essex B roads for me over the last few months include F360, F456, F550M, P911, S2K, M3 etc etc ...now either their drivers cant drive/are not confident with £100K worth of car etc (Im not THAT quick a driver) or the Elise is just easier to deploy as it were ....its a small car that you can throw around and hoon around without ever going near the white line - the 360 I was following was so wide it was nearly over the white centre line all the time...not good. The only things that are going to be quicker are youre rally type saloons...just because they have 4wd and lots of electronic gizmos to boost youre confidence/make up for your own driving inadequecies
...and of course Caterhams etc ! Saying that - if you are not 100% committed its the same as most things - doesent matter what car you are in ..but how loony the ddriver is - I dont drive at 100% on the road...but Ive seen others that do...been overtaken a few times by things like Civic Type Rs, Scoobies etc...not because I couldnt keep up...but because I didnt want to risk my life on every corner and lives of others on overtakes etc
The 360 driver hadn't driven the roads before, so its hard to push on in a wide car when you don't know the roads. To be honest the sound made up for it, and on A and B roads... 
Re. roof - i was talking to a mate last night and to be honest, the hassle of having a hardtop would be more than the slight worry about it getting knifed. Its just as easy to knife a tyre than it is to knife a roof so i'll just take the (small) risk and keep the ability to go topless.
I'll test-drive a few different cars on my local roads if possible. Is it possible to get weekend-long testdrives?
Thub - many Elise dealers/specialists around Oxford?
Another blonde question - are there different suspension settings? 111s harder than stanard for example?
Much appreciated guys,
Rico
Re. roof - i was talking to a mate last night and to be honest, the hassle of having a hardtop would be more than the slight worry about it getting knifed. Its just as easy to knife a tyre than it is to knife a roof so i'll just take the (small) risk and keep the ability to go topless
. I'll test-drive a few different cars on my local roads if possible. Is it possible to get weekend-long testdrives?
Thub - many Elise dealers/specialists around Oxford?
Another blonde question - are there different suspension settings? 111s harder than stanard for example?
Much appreciated guys,
Rico
You would do well to stop thinking about hardness in ride. As I said below, "hardness" of the suspension isnt a problem if its set up properly (like any lotus will be) - its just a consequence of a low ride height and sometimes to limit roll.
OF course your mental image has been ruined by
wits in "slammed" ford xr3i's with thier spring rates set ridiculously high - giving a shite, hard ride that skips over bumps instead of taking them well.
The "hardness" in the set up of an Elise has had a little more thought put into it. Fwiw I found the Elise's ride to be pretty well-mannered and dare I say it, comfortable. Didnt actually feel much worse than my car (which is pretty softly set up, but for the sake of the ride as a consequence of a short wheel base) Just go for it!!!
(gimme the keys for a few hours while you follow in the Pug, you'll be able to see the differences for about ten seconds, afterwhich point - I'll be long gone - and you know im a pants driver!)
OF course your mental image has been ruined by
wits in "slammed" ford xr3i's with thier spring rates set ridiculously high - giving a shite, hard ride that skips over bumps instead of taking them well. The "hardness" in the set up of an Elise has had a little more thought put into it. Fwiw I found the Elise's ride to be pretty well-mannered and dare I say it, comfortable. Didnt actually feel much worse than my car (which is pretty softly set up, but for the sake of the ride as a consequence of a short wheel base) Just go for it!!!
(gimme the keys for a few hours while you follow in the Pug, you'll be able to see the differences for about ten seconds, afterwhich point - I'll be long gone - and you know im a pants driver!)
The hardness in ride is a consideration unless the car will live on a track, like I said it can make the car a bit nervous on a broken surface, bump-steer I believe it's called, but it takes a pretty crap surface. It also makes for some horrendous sounding noises over poot holes when you think the wheels are going to fall off!
The ride is comfortable but can be a bit draining on long journey - I was glad to get out of mine at Le Mans but no where near as bad as I'd thought.
All the standard models have the same suspension setup - it's oinly when you get into the Sport models (135,160 and 190) that you will encounter Lotus Sport Suspension or LSS which is lower and firmer.
The ride is comfortable but can be a bit draining on long journey - I was glad to get out of mine at Le Mans but no where near as bad as I'd thought.
All the standard models have the same suspension setup - it's oinly when you get into the Sport models (135,160 and 190) that you will encounter Lotus Sport Suspension or LSS which is lower and firmer.
Rico, you're gonna love it, I promise you.
I had concerns about hard/soft-top's, hard ride etc before I got mine, but now I've had it for 5 months and it's really just not an issue. When I trade it in next year for an S2 I'll be less picky about hardtops to be fair.
Having said that, I did get a hardtop with the car, and it's a nice-to-have for winter, but since April it's been upstairs keeping cosy in the spare bedroom.
Mine's on the road and, touch-wood, never been bothered by anyone except the bloody neighbourhood cats who love sitting on it when it's hot (black roof see). Little buggers leave cat hair all over it!!
To be honest, I've heard of very few gripes about the soft-top's from anyone really. Just check the fit when you buy it, and more importantly the window alignment on the doors - should sit reasonably snug to the roof rail and the b-pillar.
As has already been said above, the Elise was built for the B Roads... sure it can get a bit hard at times but only on the toughest of surfaces. The car is so well designed and the chassis so responsive, that when you're driving you're completely in tune with it. I've never felt so "at one" with a car as I have with the 'liz because it tells you so much. Drive a few and you'll know what I mean!
Go on, you know you want to 
I had concerns about hard/soft-top's, hard ride etc before I got mine, but now I've had it for 5 months and it's really just not an issue. When I trade it in next year for an S2 I'll be less picky about hardtops to be fair.
Having said that, I did get a hardtop with the car, and it's a nice-to-have for winter, but since April it's been upstairs keeping cosy in the spare bedroom.
Mine's on the road and, touch-wood, never been bothered by anyone except the bloody neighbourhood cats who love sitting on it when it's hot (black roof see). Little buggers leave cat hair all over it!!
To be honest, I've heard of very few gripes about the soft-top's from anyone really. Just check the fit when you buy it, and more importantly the window alignment on the doors - should sit reasonably snug to the roof rail and the b-pillar.
As has already been said above, the Elise was built for the B Roads... sure it can get a bit hard at times but only on the toughest of surfaces. The car is so well designed and the chassis so responsive, that when you're driving you're completely in tune with it. I've never felt so "at one" with a car as I have with the 'liz because it tells you so much. Drive a few and you'll know what I mean!
Go on, you know you want to
S Works said:
Rico, you're gonna love it, I promise you.
Go on, you know you want to
I'm sure i will... its pretty certain i'll change cars next year and unless i do something very stupid in the next year (like fail my degree) the money isn't a problem either
Budget will be in the lower quarter, maybe £13k
[flamesuiton]
What about an normal VX??
rico said:
Budget will be in the lower quarter, maybe £13k
You should be in reasonable territory for a nice S1 at that money - if you can save a bit more and stretch to £14k you'll be getting a really nice one.
rico said:
[flamesuiton]
What about an normal VX??
What about one?
dragstar said:
sir, how about a kick in the nuts? 
NO vx talk here please. It's messy enough in here.
Which reminds me,
don't I owe you a swift boot in the cobblers? 
Note to self... must crack drag-queen square in the jewels blah blah blah
>> Edited by S Works on Monday 9th August 18:21
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