I'm in Love Again!!
Discussion
I'm falling even more in love with my car.
I've had her for over two years now and recently started doing track days which I've really enjoyed. Anyway, I was thinking about suspension upgrades when the opportunity to get some Nitrons at a good price came along. It seemed rude not to (!) and I've finally got them fitted.
I posted my first impressions up on Seloc a couple of days ago which mainly expressed my surprise at how good the ride was when I had expected it to be pretty poor considering the much firmer springs.
Anyway I finally got a chance to go for an hours play this evening and I'm staggered at how much better my little car has become. Grip, feedback, the ability to put power down seem on a completely different level. I hadn't exactly fallen out of love with it but its just given our affair another boost just in time for valentine's day!!
A track day on Saturday will let me see how they perform in anger............can't wait
I've had her for over two years now and recently started doing track days which I've really enjoyed. Anyway, I was thinking about suspension upgrades when the opportunity to get some Nitrons at a good price came along. It seemed rude not to (!) and I've finally got them fitted.
I posted my first impressions up on Seloc a couple of days ago which mainly expressed my surprise at how good the ride was when I had expected it to be pretty poor considering the much firmer springs.
Anyway I finally got a chance to go for an hours play this evening and I'm staggered at how much better my little car has become. Grip, feedback, the ability to put power down seem on a completely different level. I hadn't exactly fallen out of love with it but its just given our affair another boost just in time for valentine's day!!
A track day on Saturday will let me see how they perform in anger............can't wait
I was surprised at just how much the Bilstein S2 suspension upgrade transformed the characteristics of the car - The shocks themselves are far more quiet over bumps in comparison to the original Koni shocks, but what stood out most was the reduced body roll ... I mean, it's not like the Elise has huge amounts of body roll to begin with, but it is noticable as soon as the Bilstein upgrade has been completed! The car just feels planted in corners, almost begging to go faster in corners, which gave me more confidence when pushing.
Many members said it is the most worthwhile upgrade for the S1 - I wasn't so sure it would make sure a difference - It does, and it is well worth the cash!
I imagine the Nitrons are in a world of their own ...
Many members said it is the most worthwhile upgrade for the S1 - I wasn't so sure it would make sure a difference - It does, and it is well worth the cash!
I imagine the Nitrons are in a world of their own ...
jondude said:
Good stuff!
I am tempted, too - my only concern is that as my S1 has only done 30,000 miles, the difference from Koni to Bilstein may not be worth it yet??
Or is the change so vast that even now I would be really pleased?
IIRC the Koni shocks have an approximate lifespan of 30-40K miles. One of my shocks blew at 35,000 miles, which is why I opted for the Bilstein upgrade all round. New Koni's will feel much better than the ones you have at the moment, but the Bilstein are far superior! You will notice the difference ... and for ~£200 more for a full set over a full set of Konis, it is money well spent imho I am tempted, too - my only concern is that as my S1 has only done 30,000 miles, the difference from Koni to Bilstein may not be worth it yet??
Or is the change so vast that even now I would be really pleased?
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