Elise or Boxster

[Venisonpie]

For the first time in nearly 30 years I'm carless and need a fix. Don't need a daily driver due to commute on public transport, in fact don't need a car most weekends. However would be nice to have a toy outside to play with when the mood arrives.

I'm likely to put a deposit on an Alpine but lead time is 12 months so an interim option that is relatively depreciation free and can be traded against it next year would be nice to have. Car will live on a London street, low risk, however trickle charger won't be an option for periods of non use.

Budget - ideally £35k max but I don't have to spend it all and could go a bit higher..

Current thoughts are either an S3 Elise (Supercharged version) or a 981 Boxster S.

Preconceptions are:

Elise less likely to suffer depreciation and cheaper to run/ maintain. Better steer and more exciting. Very compromised and the GF may not be able to fit her wares in if we go away for a weekend etc. Interior, hmm...

Boxster much easier to live with, more of an all round feel good factor to ownership, six cylinder engine, good luggage space for said wares. Not as sharp or engaging as the Elise, won't be a totally new experience having run a 981 Cayman previously, likely to depreciate and cost more in maintenance.

Happy for any input on the above and any other suggestions..

Edited by Venisonpie on Tuesday 24th April 11:17

[Venisonpie]

MrOrange said:

Boxster is likely to cost twice as much to run (depreciation, fuel, servicing etc). If you pushed the budget a little further you'd be into Exige S V6 territory, albeit at higher running costs, for a big step-up in performance.

Yes, thought about a V6 Exige - there's this one that seems to have been around for a while.

https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/...

I wonder if it will bring more risk for maintenance expenditure? As a first foray into Lotus ownership I wonder if it might be more car than I need.

[Venisonpie]

CABC said:

35k you're into Evora territory.
6 cyl, great steer and more space.
will hold value and still cost less to run.
more of an event than a Boxster for weekends.

Indeed and I know owners really rate them. I'm not totally convinced by the looks and it would be nice to have top off motoring. Maybe one to gauge when I head to the dealer at the weekend (hopefully).

[Venisonpie]

CABC said:

or a Morgan.
interesting steer and well worth trying for a year. Everyone smiles at you.
nothing to drain the battery, one parked near me in London for a couple of years only moved a few times a year.
Proper open top experience and great handling on flat tarmac. (total sh*te on rough).

Funnily enough a mate suggested this at the weekend. It's not really me but the later ones look quite funky, probably out of budget though.

[Venisonpie]

Over over under steer said:

I was in a similar position, however not waiting for a car. I chose the S3 Elise (supercharged), and whilst a fantastic steer, as my only car it was a terrible mistake. The simple tasks in life become so much harder.

I swapped out after nine or so months to a 981 Boxster and couldn't be happier with my decision. Still a great steer, much more practical and comfy for longer trips. Plus with Porsche Sports exhaust it sounds epic, where the Lotus simply does not.

Interesting, how often were you using the Lotus?

[Venisonpie]

CountZero23 said:

It would be an Evora for me. But then I always say that in these threads

Probably for good reason! Are you driving one at the moment?

[Venisonpie]

Composite Guru said:

If you aren't using it as a daily the Elise will be a great choice.

If you want something that stands out and doesn't cost a fortune to run then its perfect.

Don't follow the sheep and buy a Porsche, there are so many on the roads nowadays they blend in like normal cars. Be different.

Edited by Composite Guru on Tuesday 24th April 15:52

Yes the Elise was my first thought for all the reasons you mention! However, will it still be in November for a trip to my folks in Suffolk? And can SWMBO fit a weekend worth of luggage in it?

[Venisonpie]

Lee540 said:

Save a load of money, a really late Honda S2000

Good shout, perhaps a little older than I wanted though. Also not sold on Japanese cars but mainly through ignorance.

[Venisonpie]

Thanks for the replies. Hopefully going to look at some S3's at Bell and Colville and some Boxsters at Ashgood over the weekend.

Can anyone give any feedback on either of these dealers?

And with regard to the S3's is there anything in particular I need to look for? Thanks.

[Venisonpie]

CABC said:

Elise
check AC works. be fussy on the gearchange quality, if it's notchy then dealer can change cables before sale.
ensure cupholder operates smoothly.

Great, thanks. Any insight into Bell and Colville?

[Venisonpie]

Composite Guru said:

I spoke to Jaime there when I was after an S2 Exige but it never came to anything.

In the Lotus circles they seem to fairly well rated out of most of the dealers. I don't think you will have any issues.

Thanks, much appreciated.

[Venisonpie]

Thanks all, day of shopping planned for Saturday - let's see what happens! Will report back.

[Venisonpie]

Quick question, how watertight are these later Elises's and is there any value in having a hardtop?

[Venisonpie]

Composite Guru said:

The new ones are pretty good. Soft tops are always a bit flaky as you can fit them differently every time.
I have a hardtop on mine and it stays on most of the time. I use silicone grease to lube the window seals as that's where it comes in if it does rain.

Sometimes I get a little trickle on the inside when washing the car but that's normally because the higher pressure water forces past the seal.

Thanks. Given the car will live outside and be used in winter I think the hard top would be useful - a lot of the S3's for sale appear to have them. A quick google suggests a hard top is £500 plus paint so worth having.

[Venisonpie]

To conclude the thread, picked this up earlier today - it's absolutely mint. Really enjoyed the run home, it's great to drive a light car again. SWMBO will give an opinion later..

[Venisonpie]

Thanks for the kind comments, just driven through West Sussex to Arundel where we're staying for the weekend. What a great car, much better engineered than I was expecting and a really great steer.
And swmbo loves it!