Sunday Times InGear today "Too fast by half" Elise SC
Discussion
Get your copy today
edited to say or free here http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/driving/new_car_reviews/article3171001.ece
edited to say or free here http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/driving/new_car_reviews/article3171001.ece
Edited by Grinnders on Sunday 13th January 10:22
I know im nitpicking here but doesnt Elise SC stand for 'SuperCharged', which is actually written on the car, as opposed to Elise S 'Compressor' as he claims in the article? He also says it is the Elise S engine which has been superchargeed, whereas i thought it was the Elise R engine that was supercharged in the SC and the 134bhp motor is an entirely different engine?
Alex_S said:
I know im nitpicking here but doesnt Elise SC stand for 'SuperCharged', which is actually written on the car, as opposed to Elise S 'Compressor' as he claims in the article? He also says it is the Elise S engine which has been superchargeed, whereas i thought it was the Elise R engine that was supercharged in the SC and the 134bhp motor is an entirely different engine?
I might be wrong but I thought that a compressor was a form of supercharger....That's a pretty bad review. He has made a fatal mistake in believing it is simply an Elise S with a supercharger. It isn't. It's an Elise R with a supercharger.
So he is flinging around the Elise S performance stats versus the new "supercharged" stats.
He reckons it has the same gearbox as the S, so apparently he didn't notice the 6th gear
You'd have think he would have read the documents Lotus puts in the passenger seat of any press car!
So he is flinging around the Elise S performance stats versus the new "supercharged" stats.
He reckons it has the same gearbox as the S, so apparently he didn't notice the 6th gear
You'd have think he would have read the documents Lotus puts in the passenger seat of any press car!
Edited by NathanE on Sunday 13th January 11:33
21TonyK said:
Anyone care to post some corrections via "Have your say" 
Added a few, though they never seem to add my comments that point out the errors in their article. I questioned this in the past and was told I wasn't adding my views, I was correcting errors - which should be emailed to them I was told. Edited by MrP80 on Sunday 13th January 11:49
Snapper7 said:
Alex_S said:
I know im nitpicking here but doesnt Elise SC stand for 'SuperCharged', which is actually written on the car, as opposed to Elise S 'Compressor' as he claims in the article? He also says it is the Elise S engine which has been superchargeed, whereas i thought it was the Elise R engine that was supercharged in the SC and the 134bhp motor is an entirely different engine?
I might be wrong but I thought that a compressor was a form of supercharger....I do find it a bit odd. Both the times and car are saying that the S delivers the same and is cheaper. That is fine but when have you ever hears a car be critisised for being faster?
Top Gear fall over thier feet when the monaro gets a few extra BHP etc etc.
I did find both reviews a little "thin".
Top Gear fall over thier feet when the monaro gets a few extra BHP etc etc.
I did find both reviews a little "thin".
Well, I thought it was a good review in spite of a few minor mistakes.
The writer's premise is that the overall driving experience is not enhanced by having more power. I think this is a fair point - not because the Elise brakes and chassis can't cope with the additional power - they obviously can, but because the average driver on Britain's roads can't exploit it.
For me, a huge part of the fun of the Elise is the challenge of driving the car approaching its limits. It doesn't have much torque low down, so it's important to change gear at the right time. The car rewards you when you get a corner right, and it's obvious when you don't.
As you improve as a driver, you can cope with increasing levels of power while still pushing the car to the limit around the bends. But without the right skills, you end up doing a point-and-squirt. Potentially fast in a powerful car, but not very rewarding. That was definitely the case with my Supra Twin Turbo which was faster in almost every condition than my Elises, but nowhere near as much fun.
Perhaps the review should have recommended the car for track use and for more experienced drivers, but it did say that power is not the be all and end all.
The writer's premise is that the overall driving experience is not enhanced by having more power. I think this is a fair point - not because the Elise brakes and chassis can't cope with the additional power - they obviously can, but because the average driver on Britain's roads can't exploit it.
For me, a huge part of the fun of the Elise is the challenge of driving the car approaching its limits. It doesn't have much torque low down, so it's important to change gear at the right time. The car rewards you when you get a corner right, and it's obvious when you don't.
As you improve as a driver, you can cope with increasing levels of power while still pushing the car to the limit around the bends. But without the right skills, you end up doing a point-and-squirt. Potentially fast in a powerful car, but not very rewarding. That was definitely the case with my Supra Twin Turbo which was faster in almost every condition than my Elises, but nowhere near as much fun.
Perhaps the review should have recommended the car for track use and for more experienced drivers, but it did say that power is not the be all and end all.
I think the SC is the car that will re-invigorate the Elise just as the Exige S helped make that engine make more sense than the peaky R. I'm sure that and the S will sell like hotcakes, but suspect R sales will be hit vs. the SC.
It'll be a great all-rounder, road and track. I'm pleased to see it, and will deffo give it a test drive when available.
It'll be a great all-rounder, road and track. I'm pleased to see it, and will deffo give it a test drive when available.
not sure about the review, but at least Lotus listen to what their market wants - more power 
I mean for the no of cars sold (maybe 25K units?) the aftermarket tuning industry is huge ...there must be 500 cars WW with engine swaps and thousands with modded K's. A large proportion of the Elise market is repeat business - existing owners "upgrading" so they have to cater for these or lose them to other brands and/or the aftermarket world. I think they are doing the right thing having a range of powered products and its certainly better than the old Rover K series day where they'd charge you £4-5K for a modded head, a paint job and 15bhp
I mean for the no of cars sold (maybe 25K units?) the aftermarket tuning industry is huge ...there must be 500 cars WW with engine swaps and thousands with modded K's. A large proportion of the Elise market is repeat business - existing owners "upgrading" so they have to cater for these or lose them to other brands and/or the aftermarket world. I think they are doing the right thing having a range of powered products and its certainly better than the old Rover K series day where they'd charge you £4-5K for a modded head, a paint job and 15bhp
bencollins said:
Typical moron auto journalism. Compressors are for power tools. DUH!
These days, its dippy posh bints and failed tory councillors doing write ups, concentrating on their viz like metaphors not sodding facts.
JC say the MX5 roof is metal.
Pathetic.
Do you know who Andrew Frankel is?These days, its dippy posh bints and failed tory councillors doing write ups, concentrating on their viz like metaphors not sodding facts.
JC say the MX5 roof is metal.
Pathetic.
Ok, he hasn't described the pudding with 100% accuracy, but is the proof still not in the eating nevertheless?
S Works said:
Au contraire. I don't remember a single good review written by him.
Fair enough. I've often enjoyed his writing, particularly when he was with Motorsport.Tbh, i don't take that much notice of any car review. I think most, if not all, have errors, going by how reports on the same car can differ from mag to mag.
Gassing Station | Elise/Exige/Europa/340R | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff