elise handling
Author
Discussion

poweller

Original Poster:

52 posts

269 months

Monday 22nd August 2005
quotequote all
obviously they are famed for their awesome handling, but do have a tendency to bite if you are really pushing it? are they a bit tail happy in the wet?

tonyhetherington

32,091 posts

280 months

Monday 22nd August 2005
quotequote all
which car?

My completely standard S2 111S (MY '04) understeers like an understeery thing that understeers loads.

Drive it 'right' though and you can get the back end out. Mine is certainly not 'snappy' and is in fact very progressive.

poweller

Original Poster:

52 posts

269 months

Monday 22nd August 2005
quotequote all
does the S1 handling differ to the S2 then?
cheers

tonyhetherington

32,091 posts

280 months

Monday 22nd August 2005
quotequote all
very much so. I don't know the inherent characteristics of the S1 (though someone here will be able to explain) but I know the S2 understeers (until I learn how to drive it properly).

cheekymonkey

1,139 posts

254 months

Monday 22nd August 2005
quotequote all
my 54 S2 111s does a bit of both depending on how much right foot you have the balls to give it! several round abouts have been taken sideways... i've not yet done a proper powerslide as haven't got the balls to do it on the road, need a nice wide track or airfield for that, otherwise if not really gunning it it does understeer like a very understeery thing too

>> Edited by cheekymonkey on Monday 22 August 11:43

jasandjules

72,637 posts

259 months

Monday 22nd August 2005
quotequote all
Have an S1, and find it seems to understeer a bit, but then suddenly grips and hares round exactly where you are asking it.. Superb handling in comparison to my 4.0 Chimaera, but then again, the Chimaera would indicate when she was abouts to slide, but I haven't got that feeling from the S1.

Could be I am not driving it hard enough..

Oh, and in the wet, my granny could overtake me, so I don't really take the Elise out in the rain......

poweller

Original Poster:

52 posts

269 months

Monday 22nd August 2005
quotequote all
cheekymonkey said:
my 54 S2 111s does a bit of both depending on how much right foot you have the balls to give it! >> Edited by cheekymonkey on Monday 22 August 11:43


what engine is in the S2 111s then? is it just a tuned 1.8 k series? the 111r is the one with the manic toyota engine isnt it?

tonyhetherington

32,091 posts

280 months

Monday 22nd August 2005
quotequote all
That's correct.

The only cars with the toyota engine are the S2 111R and the S2 Exige. The S2 111S has the 156bhp 1.8 K series.

poweller

Original Poster:

52 posts

269 months

Monday 22nd August 2005
quotequote all
jasandjules said:


Oh, and in the wet, my granny could overtake me, so I don't really take the Elise out in the rain......


oh dear, that bad!?
i'm coming from a 306gti6 which i can drive fast in dry/wet without too much bother, think it will take me a while to get used to a RWD car!

jasandjules

72,637 posts

259 months

Monday 22nd August 2005
quotequote all
Well, to be fair, I don't really take her out in the rain anyways as she is our fair weather toy.. And last time I got caught in the rain it was coming down so hard the windscreen wipers couldn't keep the screen clear !! So I took it nice and slowly..

Must confess when I was looking to buy her, a chap took us out in the rain and drove a whole lot faster than I would risk........

tonyhetherington

32,091 posts

280 months

Monday 22nd August 2005
quotequote all
I went out for a hoon with Adam in his Westfield a couple of weeks ago and it chucked it down. Still drove it very hard and it was no problems at all (though I was simply very aware of how wet it was).

Still had a huge smile on my face whether rain or no rain!

poweller

Original Poster:

52 posts

269 months

Monday 22nd August 2005
quotequote all
mines gonna be an everyday car, she'll have to get used to the rain!!

tonyhetherington

32,091 posts

280 months

Monday 22nd August 2005
quotequote all
Yup - use mine every day too (which has really annoyed me, spent the weekend cleaning it, looks BEAUTIFUL, and it's downstairs in an underground garage at the moment. I have to go out at lunch and it's raining )

poweller

Original Poster:

52 posts

269 months

Monday 22nd August 2005
quotequote all
doh!
do you have any issues using it as an everyday car, luggage space etc? is it your only car?

poweller

Original Poster:

52 posts

269 months

Monday 22nd August 2005
quotequote all
just seen you are an IAM observer Tony- how do you become one of those? I did my IAM test a couple of years ago.

cheekymonkey

1,139 posts

254 months

Monday 22nd August 2005
quotequote all
tonyhetherington said:
Yup - use mine every day too (which has really annoyed me, spent the weekend cleaning it, looks BEAUTIFUL, and it's downstairs in an underground garage at the moment. I have to go out at lunch and it's raining )


I did excatly the same - it looks amazing last night, i dont have a garage so woke up this morning and it's wet and streaked

cheekymonkey

1,139 posts

254 months

Monday 22nd August 2005
quotequote all
poweller said:
doh!
do you have any issues using it as an everyday car, luggage space etc? is it your only car?


it's my only car, and yes at times it is a pain moving things etc. I have actually been trying to sell mine recently to get some cash back out and get something more practical as i'm doing up a flat, but it hasn't sold yet and if it doesnt i'm just gonna get an old banger as a workhorse and run 2 cars... problem solved as have my toy for when i want it
they are amazing cars, when you get a nice twisty country road to blat along you won't want anything else!

tonyhetherington

32,091 posts

280 months

Monday 22nd August 2005
quotequote all
poweller said:
do you have any issues using it as an everyday car, luggage space etc? is it your only car?


Yeah, it's my only car. I don't have many issues but then I'm single, no family etc. so don't have a requirement for luggage space for example. Now and then it does bug me when it's chucking it down with rain, you have to bend down in a weird way to get in, can't be bothered, you have to 'arrange' stuff in your boot so it all fits (roof / gym stuff / laptop), but those moments are few and far between, and last for about 10seconds.
I've no regrets at all buying what would be deemed an 'impractical' car. The only thing that bugs me is the weather

poweller said:
just seen you are an IAM observer Tony- how do you become one of those? I did my IAM test a couple of years ago.


You've done your IAM test, so you're half way there already! Have you remained a member of your local IAM group since you passed? Essentially, you do about 3 or 4 months of training (about 5 or 6 2 hour sessions), then 6 months of 'observing' to get experience, and then you take what is called the 'Qualified Observer Test' (which is an official test recognised by the IAM, rather than just your local group).
Alot of it is showing extended knowledge above and beyond what the IAM teaches (for example, highway code), but also the ability to teach.
My suggestion, if you're interested, is give your local group a ring and say you passed your test and fancy looking at becoming an observer. They'll get you down there, have a chat, explain how it's done, and you can choose whether to go ahead or not.

Oh, and if you do become one, all your friends, family, wife etc will ask you to comment on their driving. DON'T DO IT!!!! I've had many arguments with people about why I won't comment on their driving, but I guarantee it's nowhere near as bad as the argument you'd have had if you told the truth

therossatron

1,032 posts

262 months

Monday 22nd August 2005
quotequote all
Rain fine. Snow bad!

Mr_C

2,508 posts

259 months

Monday 22nd August 2005
quotequote all
mine is nice and oversteery, but very progressive with it!

although, it is being geo'd again soon