Next logical step from an Elise?
Discussion
Hello all - I'm selling the Elise and I dont want to upgrade to a Boxster S (or is that downgrade?)
So, a TVR seems the only logical choice. Never 'properly' owned one before, I had a 280 that was a rolling restoration (that never rolled nor was restored). Ive learnt a lot about my driving ability from the Elise and I do enjoy it, but I want a new experience and something a little more practical and comfortable. You could argue a TVR isnt practical but the Elise isnt the most forgiving either.
So, conscious of my own limitations, what should I get? The Chimeara appeals, as does the Cerbera, Tuscan but feel I'd be better with the Tamora, I see this vehicle as being more 'entry' level? I'd be interested on the forums thoughts. I've between 10k - 13k to spend.
I wonder if people could give me the very real pros and cons of the Chim, Cerb, Tuscan versus the Tamora.
Many thanks in advance.
So, a TVR seems the only logical choice. Never 'properly' owned one before, I had a 280 that was a rolling restoration (that never rolled nor was restored). Ive learnt a lot about my driving ability from the Elise and I do enjoy it, but I want a new experience and something a little more practical and comfortable. You could argue a TVR isnt practical but the Elise isnt the most forgiving either.
So, conscious of my own limitations, what should I get? The Chimeara appeals, as does the Cerbera, Tuscan but feel I'd be better with the Tamora, I see this vehicle as being more 'entry' level? I'd be interested on the forums thoughts. I've between 10k - 13k to spend.
I wonder if people could give me the very real pros and cons of the Chim, Cerb, Tuscan versus the Tamora.
Many thanks in advance.
Speaking as a former elise r and exige s owner a TVR is a completely different proposition. Much more practical and easy to live with. When it's dry.
Tvrs are generally more exciting, but you'll lose that fingertip delicacy that the lotus has, nothing I have ever, ever driven comes even remotely close to the lotus. But the Tvr is awesome, my personal advice is go and try some out; find out if there are any Tvr owners near you willing to take you for a spin or just drop a line to your nearest dealer.
I love my Tvr, but I miss my lotus every day. The missus has a boxster, which is a great car very useable and very little hassle but doesn't personally stir my blood. Try 'em all! It's the only way you'll know!
Tvrs are generally more exciting, but you'll lose that fingertip delicacy that the lotus has, nothing I have ever, ever driven comes even remotely close to the lotus. But the Tvr is awesome, my personal advice is go and try some out; find out if there are any Tvr owners near you willing to take you for a spin or just drop a line to your nearest dealer.
I love my Tvr, but I miss my lotus every day. The missus has a boxster, which is a great car very useable and very little hassle but doesn't personally stir my blood. Try 'em all! It's the only way you'll know!
I have just moved from a Ginetta G33, to a Tuscan. The G33 was like the Elise sharp handling, very precise, quick on the corners and quick to about 100. (Mine had carefully set up geo)
The Tuscan is very different, it has a quick rack but isn't as precise as the G33. It about as fast to 100 but massively faster after.
Tuscan feels civilised with elec windows, air con, a heater that heats etc
I miss the G33 on the really winding roads, but the Tuscan is more useable more of the time. Its even tolerable in town.
The Tuscan is very different, it has a quick rack but isn't as precise as the G33. It about as fast to 100 but massively faster after.
Tuscan feels civilised with elec windows, air con, a heater that heats etc
I miss the G33 on the really winding roads, but the Tuscan is more useable more of the time. Its even tolerable in town.
The best advice is as said above. Try a few out to see which you prefer. Also do as much research as possible. I read everything I could get my hands on before buying a Tuscan.
Whichever model you decide on, they're all likely to be more expensive to run than your Elise. It's considered that the Chimeara is the least costly to run & a Cerbera the most. All are currently within your budget but an early Tuscan or Tamora will be at the top of this.
The Tuscan & Tam both have the Speed 6 engine which does have known issues. Premature wear of some components was common resulting in many requiring rebuilds. Don't be alarmed if a car you're looking at has had a rebuild. This is actually a good sign. The engine does need warming up properly before giving it the beans so make sure the current owner has followed the warm up procedure. There's a separate speed 6 thread so I would have a read through this also. I would however say that not all engines need a rebuild & there are a number of cars out there with un excess of 60k on the clock that have not been rebuilt. The best advice would be to have an inspection carried out prior to buying if you're not purchasing from a well respected dealer.
The Tamora is a marmite car really. I however like them. Although you're right in that it was produced as an entry level car to replace the Chim, it doesn't really feel it. There's little (if any) difference in performance between a Tam & a Tuscan & all are very quick cars.
I'm not really into Chims as I prefer the later cars. I considered all the others you mentioned but went for the Tuscan in the end. It was the combination of looks, noise, performance & roof off thrills that did it for me. Personal preference really though.
Whichever model you decide on, they're all likely to be more expensive to run than your Elise. It's considered that the Chimeara is the least costly to run & a Cerbera the most. All are currently within your budget but an early Tuscan or Tamora will be at the top of this.
The Tuscan & Tam both have the Speed 6 engine which does have known issues. Premature wear of some components was common resulting in many requiring rebuilds. Don't be alarmed if a car you're looking at has had a rebuild. This is actually a good sign. The engine does need warming up properly before giving it the beans so make sure the current owner has followed the warm up procedure. There's a separate speed 6 thread so I would have a read through this also. I would however say that not all engines need a rebuild & there are a number of cars out there with un excess of 60k on the clock that have not been rebuilt. The best advice would be to have an inspection carried out prior to buying if you're not purchasing from a well respected dealer.
The Tamora is a marmite car really. I however like them. Although you're right in that it was produced as an entry level car to replace the Chim, it doesn't really feel it. There's little (if any) difference in performance between a Tam & a Tuscan & all are very quick cars.
I'm not really into Chims as I prefer the later cars. I considered all the others you mentioned but went for the Tuscan in the end. It was the combination of looks, noise, performance & roof off thrills that did it for me. Personal preference really though.
Smooth Smith said:
The best advice is as said above. Try a few out to see which you prefer. Also do as much research as possible. I read everything I could get my hands on before buying a Tuscan.
Whichever model you decide on, they're all likely to be more expensive to run than your Elise. It's considered that the Chimeara is the least costly to run & a Cerbera the most. All are currently within your budget but an early Tuscan or Tamora will be at the top of this.
The Tuscan & Tam both have the Speed 6 engine which does have known issues. Premature wear of some components was common resulting in many requiring rebuilds. Don't be alarmed if a car you're looking at has had a rebuild. This is actually a good sign. The engine does need warming up properly before giving it the beans so make sure the current owner has followed the warm up procedure. There's a separate speed 6 thread so I would have a read through this also. I would however say that not all engines need a rebuild & there are a number of cars out there with un excess of 60k on the clock that have not been rebuilt. The best advice would be to have an inspection carried out prior to buying if you're not purchasing from a well respected dealer.
The Tamora is a marmite car really. I however like them. Although you're right in that it was produced as an entry level car to replace the Chim, it doesn't really feel it. There's little (if any) difference in performance between a Tam & a Tuscan & all are very quick cars.
I'm not really into Chims as I prefer the later cars. I considered all the others you mentioned but went for the Tuscan in the end. It was the combination of looks, noise, performance & roof off thrills that did it for me. Personal preference really though.
What he said.Whichever model you decide on, they're all likely to be more expensive to run than your Elise. It's considered that the Chimeara is the least costly to run & a Cerbera the most. All are currently within your budget but an early Tuscan or Tamora will be at the top of this.
The Tuscan & Tam both have the Speed 6 engine which does have known issues. Premature wear of some components was common resulting in many requiring rebuilds. Don't be alarmed if a car you're looking at has had a rebuild. This is actually a good sign. The engine does need warming up properly before giving it the beans so make sure the current owner has followed the warm up procedure. There's a separate speed 6 thread so I would have a read through this also. I would however say that not all engines need a rebuild & there are a number of cars out there with un excess of 60k on the clock that have not been rebuilt. The best advice would be to have an inspection carried out prior to buying if you're not purchasing from a well respected dealer.
The Tamora is a marmite car really. I however like them. Although you're right in that it was produced as an entry level car to replace the Chim, it doesn't really feel it. There's little (if any) difference in performance between a Tam & a Tuscan & all are very quick cars.
I'm not really into Chims as I prefer the later cars. I considered all the others you mentioned but went for the Tuscan in the end. It was the combination of looks, noise, performance & roof off thrills that did it for me. Personal preference really though.
From an Elise I'd aim at a tamora or t350. Anything else is going to feel a little wooly around tight twisties, albeit v quick in a straight line. That's assuming you want to retain some of the handling characteristics of the Elise and not switch to a less sharp but straight line tool.
Elise>TVR is Scalpel>Sledgehammer. They will both go from A>B in a similar time on most country roads but they execute the journey entirely differently. If the scalpel-sledgehammer was a sliding scale, the Tam and T350 sit somewhere closer to the middle.
Elise>TVR is Scalpel>Sledgehammer. They will both go from A>B in a similar time on most country roads but they execute the journey entirely differently. If the scalpel-sledgehammer was a sliding scale, the Tam and T350 sit somewhere closer to the middle.
Edited by Shnozz on Monday 6th December 10:17
This all depends on if you want more of the same, or something different.
I went from an Elise S1 to a Cerbera, but I was looking for something different. I always felt the Elise could do with a lot more power to be really good fun, but in lots of ways that would defeat the object of an Elise, going A>B fast in an Elise despite the lack of power was always fun.
As regards practicality, well I thought the Elise was ok, I could do a weekly shop in it, went camping with 2 people for a week... However the Cerb is a whole lot easier to live with. The boot is huge, it's far more comfortable on a log journey, and if it rains, you don't get a wet leg. Then there is the power, which is intoxicating. It's made me a bit lazy when it comes to overtaking, you don't need to plan as much as you do in an Elise as you have a lot more grunt available if needed, but having said that the car does require 100% concentration if pressing on. It will bite you if you don't respect it.
The Cerb does cost a bit more to run than the Elise, but the Elise wasn't cheap by any measure.
It was a natural progression for me as I was looking for something different. I don't think there is much out there that does the Lotus 'thing' as well as a Lotus, so if you want more of the same, I'd be looking to up the budget a bit and go Exige.
I went from an Elise S1 to a Cerbera, but I was looking for something different. I always felt the Elise could do with a lot more power to be really good fun, but in lots of ways that would defeat the object of an Elise, going A>B fast in an Elise despite the lack of power was always fun.
As regards practicality, well I thought the Elise was ok, I could do a weekly shop in it, went camping with 2 people for a week... However the Cerb is a whole lot easier to live with. The boot is huge, it's far more comfortable on a log journey, and if it rains, you don't get a wet leg. Then there is the power, which is intoxicating. It's made me a bit lazy when it comes to overtaking, you don't need to plan as much as you do in an Elise as you have a lot more grunt available if needed, but having said that the car does require 100% concentration if pressing on. It will bite you if you don't respect it.
The Cerb does cost a bit more to run than the Elise, but the Elise wasn't cheap by any measure.
It was a natural progression for me as I was looking for something different. I don't think there is much out there that does the Lotus 'thing' as well as a Lotus, so if you want more of the same, I'd be looking to up the budget a bit and go Exige.
I don't have experience driving a Speed6 engined car, but after speaking to a lot of owners the thing that became clear was the emphasis on warming up properly.
I use my TVR as a daily drive in the spring/summer/autumn - and the prospect of having the properly warm up a car before just nipping out for a pint of milk etc made me finally decide not to go down the S6 route, dispite the power differences etc.
I went for the RV8 as a more practical proposition for a daily drive.
Jusrt a thought,
Dom
I use my TVR as a daily drive in the spring/summer/autumn - and the prospect of having the properly warm up a car before just nipping out for a pint of milk etc made me finally decide not to go down the S6 route, dispite the power differences etc.
I went for the RV8 as a more practical proposition for a daily drive.
Jusrt a thought,
Dom
domV8 said:
I don't have experience driving a Speed6 engined car, but after speaking to a lot of owners the thing that became clear was the emphasis on warming up properly.
I use my TVR as a daily drive in the spring/summer/autumn - and the prospect of having the properly warm up a car before just nipping out for a pint of milk etc made me finally decide not to go down the S6 route, dispite the power differences etc.
I went for the RV8 as a more practical proposition for a daily drive.
Jusrt a thought,
Dom
The S6 warm up procedure is the same as for the RV8 and most other engines...I use my TVR as a daily drive in the spring/summer/autumn - and the prospect of having the properly warm up a car before just nipping out for a pint of milk etc made me finally decide not to go down the S6 route, dispite the power differences etc.
I went for the RV8 as a more practical proposition for a daily drive.
Jusrt a thought,
Dom
domV8 said:
I don't have experience driving a Speed6 engined car, but after speaking to a lot of owners the thing that became clear was the emphasis on warming up properly.
I use my TVR as a daily drive in the spring/summer/autumn - and the prospect of having the properly warm up a car before just nipping out for a pint of milk etc made me finally decide not to go down the S6 route, dispite the power differences etc.
Dom
The warm up procedure is important, however it's not a case of having to warm the car up before nipping out to the shop. You can start it & drive off just like any other car, it's just that you can't open the taps until it's properly warmed up.I use my TVR as a daily drive in the spring/summer/autumn - and the prospect of having the properly warm up a car before just nipping out for a pint of milk etc made me finally decide not to go down the S6 route, dispite the power differences etc.
Dom
I owned a Chimaera 450. Loved it but wanted something sharper/racier. Sold it and bought a S1 Elise 111s and added a few mods. Whilst it was great when hammering around the bends I found it pretty underwhelming everwhere else. In a straightline it was just about quick enough but needed nailing, for short runs to the shop it was a pain, and at low revs/tick over it sounded like an ice-cream van ( granted this was replaced by nice induction roar once pressing on but it was just a bit depressing ). To add to that it always seemed to need something replacing.
Anyhow, I sold it and bought anoher TVR, this time my dream Griffith 500. God it was good to get back to one. The usability, the grunt, the smell, the noise...I looked at several that where breathy pieces of crap and then stumbled on a car with really strong/rebuilt engine. Put new bushes, uprated shocks, uprated brakes, geo, new tyres, etc..on it and it was effin brilliant! I've no doubt that on an A/B road blast it would've been quicker than the Elise. Sure the Lotus could take tight bends more quickly but not by much - every where else I think it would've won as it felt suprisingly confidence inspiring, ( don't confuse with forgiving! ), in the twistys + blistering in a straight line.
Buy a good one, replace the important bits and you'll not look back!
Anyhow, I sold it and bought anoher TVR, this time my dream Griffith 500. God it was good to get back to one. The usability, the grunt, the smell, the noise...I looked at several that where breathy pieces of crap and then stumbled on a car with really strong/rebuilt engine. Put new bushes, uprated shocks, uprated brakes, geo, new tyres, etc..on it and it was effin brilliant! I've no doubt that on an A/B road blast it would've been quicker than the Elise. Sure the Lotus could take tight bends more quickly but not by much - every where else I think it would've won as it felt suprisingly confidence inspiring, ( don't confuse with forgiving! ), in the twistys + blistering in a straight line.
Buy a good one, replace the important bits and you'll not look back!
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