RE: Lotus Elise Sprint: PH Video
Saturday 20th May 2017
With the Alfa Romeo 4C and pending Alpine A110, lightweight sports cars are very much back on the agenda. Lotus has always been there of course, its core DNA based around making more out of less - more in terms of performance and handling, less in terms of weight.
Lotus Elise Sprint: PH Video
Can less equal more in the new Elise Sprint? Full video review here!
The new Elise Sprint takes that to extremes and sees Lotus returning to the ultra minimalist engineering ethos laid down by founder Colin Chapman. All very well. But is it up to the job of taking on those brand new rivals from Alfa Romeo and Alpine?
Join Dan for a drive round the Lotus test track in Hethel to find out!
Watch the video here
Discussion
I like the new weight savings and changes they have made to the exterior plus all of the new carbon bits but I still think the S2 Elise with the 2ZZ-GE that redlined at 8,500 RPM is the best looking one and most characterful one of the bunch even if it is about 75kg heavier.
What I also find amazing is the Lotus Elise S2 supercharged car in 2007-08 was about £33,000 new and today is still going to cost you about £23,000-26,000. Yet, a 2016 Elise Sport 220 will cost you about £35,000. The new Sprint 220 is about £45,000. These cars hardly depreciate!
Such a tempting proposition as a second toy.
I'm going to try one soon but I hope I can fit at 6'2"!
I don't know how tall this guy is in the video (6'5" or 6'6" ?) but he's obviously too tall for the car even though that doesn't stop him from hauling ass around the Nurburgring!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e8CTdKETaw&t
Although getting in and out of one with the top on seems quite difficult and hilarious.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8aJkf-VXio
What I also find amazing is the Lotus Elise S2 supercharged car in 2007-08 was about £33,000 new and today is still going to cost you about £23,000-26,000. Yet, a 2016 Elise Sport 220 will cost you about £35,000. The new Sprint 220 is about £45,000. These cars hardly depreciate!
Such a tempting proposition as a second toy.
I'm going to try one soon but I hope I can fit at 6'2"!
I don't know how tall this guy is in the video (6'5" or 6'6" ?) but he's obviously too tall for the car even though that doesn't stop him from hauling ass around the Nurburgring!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e8CTdKETaw&t
Although getting in and out of one with the top on seems quite difficult and hilarious.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8aJkf-VXio
Edited by cib24 on Friday 19th May 01:00
Is Alfa's "dry weight" the same as Lotus's? I always thought when the Italians quoted a dry weight it was completely dry (no oil, coolant, etc) whereas I believe Lotus's number is full engine fluids but an empty tank? Not that the number itself is important other than as an abstract point of interest.
I know they've had to introduce various safety elements like airbags over the years, but I still find it slightly disappointing that the lightest Elise is still heavier than my S2.
I know they've had to introduce various safety elements like airbags over the years, but I still find it slightly disappointing that the lightest Elise is still heavier than my S2.
Edited by kambites on Friday 19th May 09:02
sidesauce said:
RBH58 said:
How can anyone mention the Golf R and an Elise in the same sentence?
You just did..."the golf r crashed into the elise"
"the golf r was that dark blue colour they all seem to be but the elise was yellow"
Still saving up for my Elise (which I've wanted since I was 16).
Edited by glasgow mega snake on Friday 19th May 09:17
cib24 said:
What I also find amazing is the Lotus Elise S2 supercharged car in 2007-08 was about £33,000 new and today is still going to cost you about £23,000-26,000. Yet, a 2016 Elise Sport 220 will cost you about £35,000. The new Sprint 220 is about £45,000. These cars hardly depreciate!
I think you will find the cars drop about £12k in the 1st 12 months then not much after that, great 2nd hand buy , a BIG hit for 1st time buyers.people do add quite a few things to a new car list price as exampe for a Sport 220 is £39.3k list add £5k options so £44.3k and in 12 months you be offered about £31k part ex which would retail back at a dealers for about £35k as you say.
most add
either a leather or Alcantara trim pack £1.5k
mats £80
hard top £1.2k
most paints £750
AC £1.2k
forged wheels £ ?
there are loads more options but you get the idea that list price is not really list lol people tend to add even more than I have listed, carbon bits, cruise, forged wheels etc etc
Most know I am a Porker man and it's a £10k hit on options every time and it's easy to add £20k options
so resale mag figures are so out because of options, one can never go on how good a value cars are as they only take into account list.
Good points.
I suppose it's difficult to shift 1-2 year old used Lotus cars right now though because of the finance deals on offer to buyers. That's why lightly used Evora 400s are sitting around £60,000 but not selling when you can buy a new Lotus (any model) with two basic options in addition to any other incentives specific dealers are offering:
1. Upfront deposit of a certain amount, 4.9% APR over 48 months; or the most attractive one to cash buyers;
2. 50% upfront, 50% in 24 months time. No interest charged between payments.
If you are a buyer looking to buy a new Elise around £45,000 you can pay £22,500 up front and pay the other £22,500 in 2 years, which is a much better financial deal than for example putting down £8,000-10,000 of a deposit on a used car with a 8-10% interest rate over the same or longer period.
I suppose it's difficult to shift 1-2 year old used Lotus cars right now though because of the finance deals on offer to buyers. That's why lightly used Evora 400s are sitting around £60,000 but not selling when you can buy a new Lotus (any model) with two basic options in addition to any other incentives specific dealers are offering:
1. Upfront deposit of a certain amount, 4.9% APR over 48 months; or the most attractive one to cash buyers;
2. 50% upfront, 50% in 24 months time. No interest charged between payments.
If you are a buyer looking to buy a new Elise around £45,000 you can pay £22,500 up front and pay the other £22,500 in 2 years, which is a much better financial deal than for example putting down £8,000-10,000 of a deposit on a used car with a 8-10% interest rate over the same or longer period.
cib24 said:
Good points.
I suppose it's difficult to shift 1-2 year old used Lotus cars right now though because of the finance deals on offer to buyers. That's why lightly used Evora 400s are sitting around £60,000 but not selling when you can buy a new Lotus (any model) with two basic options in addition to any other incentives specific dealers are offering:
1. Upfront deposit of a certain amount, 4.9% APR over 48 months; or the most attractive one to cash buyers;
2. 50% upfront, 50% in 24 months time. No interest charged between payments.
If you are a buyer looking to buy a new Elise around £45,000 you can pay £22,500 up front and pay the other £22,500 in 2 years, which is a much better financial deal than for example putting down £8,000-10,000 of a deposit on a used car with a 8-10% interest rate over the same or longer period.
yes the 50/50 does get people in, but I find most cannot afford to pay the 50% off in 2 years !!! so forced to sell or they have to then finance the balance or part ex at a £12 to 15k loss. one cannot work up the ladder doing these types of deals ! it's a quick fix for a new car.I suppose it's difficult to shift 1-2 year old used Lotus cars right now though because of the finance deals on offer to buyers. That's why lightly used Evora 400s are sitting around £60,000 but not selling when you can buy a new Lotus (any model) with two basic options in addition to any other incentives specific dealers are offering:
1. Upfront deposit of a certain amount, 4.9% APR over 48 months; or the most attractive one to cash buyers;
2. 50% upfront, 50% in 24 months time. No interest charged between payments.
If you are a buyer looking to buy a new Elise around £45,000 you can pay £22,500 up front and pay the other £22,500 in 2 years, which is a much better financial deal than for example putting down £8,000-10,000 of a deposit on a used car with a 8-10% interest rate over the same or longer period.
Hence you see many 2 year old cars for sale, the Evora 400 is very well priced now 2nd hand some with a lot of options now under £60k a circa £25k drop !
Porsche911R said:
cib24 said:
What I also find amazing is the Lotus Elise S2 supercharged car in 2007-08 was about £33,000 new and today is still going to cost you about £23,000-26,000. Yet, a 2016 Elise Sport 220 will cost you about £35,000. The new Sprint 220 is about £45,000. These cars hardly depreciate!
I think you will find the cars drop about £12k in the 1st 12 months then not much after that, great 2nd hand buy , a BIG hit for 1st time buyers.Mine was about £30k list new, I paid £16k for it at three years old and it's now worth about £16k at 13 years old. I think all modern Lotus's follow pretty much that model in percentage terms.
Yeah, for the more expensive models like the Evora it's really nice value because older 345hp supercharged models bottom out around £45k (N/A 276hp models around £35k). But for the Elise when you look at the used market right now you can get a 2007-2010 220ps supercharged car for £23-30k or a 2015/2016 model for £35k. Why not just strum up the extra few grand for the newer model? Makes the older car a bit of a tough sell in my opinion. If the 2007-2010 Elise supercharged was closer to £20k I think it would be just right.
kambites said:
£12k in the first 12 months for a ~£35k car is hardly a "big hit", it's still rather better than market average; but yes they depreciate much like a good normal car for the first three years then pretty much stop.
Mine was about £30k list new, I paid £16k for it at three years old and it's now worth about £16k at 13 years old. I think all modern Lotus's follow pretty much that model in percentage terms.
12k is a massive hit imo I aim for £3k a year hit max on normal cars and have been working my way upto some nice metal over time.Mine was about £30k list new, I paid £16k for it at three years old and it's now worth about £16k at 13 years old. I think all modern Lotus's follow pretty much that model in percentage terms.
One has to be quite well off to take a >£12k/15k hit every 2 years as that's what the 50/50 deal will get you.
Add 2 cars in most houses and that's a £24k to £30k hit.
one cannot stop the want it now types though and £12k maybe ok for some, PCP is booming, people are happy to rent a car for >£1k a month it seems !
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