Elise/Caterham

[CHN]

I currently have an Elise Sport 135 with what should be about 145/150bhp.

Would a 140/150bhp k series Caterham be a significant jump in performance?

Are the HPCs and redtop engined copies that different in character from the k series lumps?

If I decide to make the change then the budget will be tight, say £14k maybe £15k if that offered something significantly better.

[downsman]

What you'll gain in acceleration, you will lose in aerodynamics. So a 7 will be quicker at lower speeds but you slow down a lot above 90 mph.

You will feel faster in the Seven and the feel and handling will be very different. In poor weather you may well wish you had the Elise back. I went on a run to Wales where we had 3 days rain and the Elise drivers were trying not to look too smug

[framerateuk]

As said it'll feel a fair bit quicker upto NSL but after that aerodynamics take over - which is where the Elise would have an advantage.

Servicing on a 7 is much cheaper than an Elise, they're pretty cheap to run (once you've bought everything you need for touring!).

[BertBert]

Quickness is not really relevant in my view. The driving experience is just completely different. Try it. If you like it then do it, if not don't.

Every time I tried to swap from my 7 to an elise, I drove to B&C in my 7, did a test drive and then drove home in my 7. I barely got on to the main road from B&Cs forecourt before I realised (again) what a lardy dull lump the elise is

I didn't make that much of a habit of it lest you all think I'm a complete woft'er.

Bert

[Mellow7]

Hi there,

I moved from a Calypso Red 2002 Elise S2 "standard" spec car that I upgraded over time with a full cream leather factory retrim, A set of Nitrons and a PTP170 engine conversion (that should get a few laughs). sadly, the Elise was written off by a 3rd party as I was running in the engine conversion with just 11k miles on the clock (Up until then I had wanted to keep it "forever"). After a few years with a "new" Mk3 MX5 2.0i Sport paid by the proceeds of insurance payout (wife wanted me to get something more practical for weekends away so looked at S2000's and the previous generation Boxter that had just come out - MX5 offered 90% of the enjoyment for much less money) she got pregnant and having an MX5 sat in the garage didn't seem that sensible. So...

Having first test driven a 7 Supersport 1600 135bhp in '97 (I had a Z3 2.8 then and the 7 was just as fast but far more exciting) I finally bought the 2002 7 1800 Supersport I still have today. I can confirm that a 7 with similar power to an Elise is much faster up to 80mph, but as others have said, hit's a wall. This wall has moved up to around 110 with the 200 plus bhp the car now has, but taking account of the windscreen fitted, I would imagine it would take about 3 months to reach the maximum speed quoted by Caterham!

I was already used to people staring at the car when I had the Elise, but the 7 is on a different level.

I haven't looked back since...

[CHN]

Food for thought. I went from a 911 to an Elise as a compromise as I couldn't locate a dealer willing to part ex the Porsche, the Caterham dealers only seemed to be interested in Caterhams, or at a push Lotus.

I love the Elise, I guess the Caterham itch is still there.

Thanks guys.

[carphotographer]

I've had a couple of Elises, both S1 , one bog standard and one with Racing Dynamic suspension, new air filter, de cat, Janspeed .

I was looking to get a S160 when a friend said I should try a Caterham so I brought a standard Roadsport with 120bhp.

The Caterham is so much fun, and feel so much quicker then the Elises.

[doclip]

I have driven an Elise 111s and VX220 NA and they were both really great drivers cars ,no question about that
But like others have said they are different to a 7-the latter being a much rawer experience
I would be very happy to own either as a 2nd car for the summer months
But like someone has already said above -the 7 gets lots of waves and smiles from other drivers and bikers [but never any road rage ] and especially from random pedestrians -and I have to admit i quite like that because it makes me feel happy too -eg when driving through a wee village in Angus obeying the 30mph with the exhaust popping and young kids beaming with a wide grin .Cant top that .Then press the loud pedal on the open road when its safe to do so ....

[Steffan]

Two very different cars. The Caterham would be huge fun. The Elise far better on long range cruising and the dryer of the two. Up to the OP. Fun or praticality. He will not get both.

[coppice]

Sevens aren't really touring cars but with the right kit (in my case half hood,draught excluder and heater) I have done many long hauls up to the Highlands and have always stayed 95% dry. The fact I have weather equipment probably makes me a limpwristed pantywaist fag in the eyes of some of the heaterless aeroscreen tendency but I can live with that. The strange thing is that even without radio or music and cruising slower than I would in the daily driver the motorway miles slip away easily enough and when I get to the real roads nothing I have driven comes close. But there again I've never done more than sit in an Elise.

[SidewaysSi]

I think that the Elise is a stunning car and possibly the better second car, depending on your use. For instance, I don't use my Caterham in winter for instance as the salt kills them unless you are on top of cleaning.

I think an Elise with the right modifications i.e. race seats, harnesses, sports exhaust e.g. Larini and induction kit would be a great car. My S1 is running Nitron dampers and it gives it an edge that it didn't have before.

Both are suberb cars but personally I see the Elise as a second car and the Seven as a third (course I am justifying both to myself!)

[Fatrat]

I traded my S1 Elise for a Caterham

Of course it really depends on the use you require. For a sunny day car only for me the Caterham wins hands down. I really enjoyed the Elise but to keep it I needed to use it as a daily driver and for me that just did not work

[Matt UK]

I think that if I had an Elise I would use it more often than the Caterham.

But on the right road trip, the Caterham delivers more of what I'm looking for in a summer sports car.