Calling all Elise owners.

[michaelcoombs]

I’m thinking about getting an Elise as an everyday car. I’m more than ok with the relatively rough ride, leaks and noise factor but it has been suggested to me that they are a bit too twitchy in the wet/greasy conditions to use all the time.

Someone whose opinion I generally trust on such matters said everyone he knows who has had one has ended up going through a hedge. I know everyone on here is a manly driving god and would never have a problem with it,      but for a mere mortal such as myself are they useable every day?

I’m looking at a series 2 111s if that makes any difference.

Thanks in advance.

[Carl]

Not directly comparable (so may not much help), but the wife has an MR2 Roadster for the summer.

I have used it a bit in the winter and it does need a fair bit more concentration all the time.

I guess the answer is yes they are usable all the time, but they also punish lack of concetration alot more (and make a ditch more likely)

[Sir Greg]

Again not from direct Elise experience, but almost any lightweight car with RWD is likely to bite yer A*** if you get too cocky in wet and slippy conditions. Even our little Mk1 MX5 can give some butt cheek clenching moments if you take yer eye off the ball for too long.

[GSi]

Mate of mine had one, didn't end up in a hedge.

He ended up in a ditch in a field in Le Mans (at about 5mph)..  teach him to look where he's going!

In the dry it was fearsomely grippy, and a little twitchy, bit ok.

On greasy roads it required a lot of concentration, bit less forgiving than your average westy.

Another mate I know who bought one, wrote it off about 2 hours after picking it up.  Greasy road + ditch.

So in summary, keep away from greasy roads and ditches

[Foolish Dave]

Our S2 111R is solid in the wet and in the dry - the tyres are obviously a big factor and we have the factory spec Yokohama Avants or something like that and won't put anything else on the car.

The S1s twitch a lot in the wet and leak - the short soft top on the S2 111S is the better to get.

The MMC breaks on the older S2 111S (I think they chaged around the same time as they chaged the roof) are amazing in the dry but have zero effect if they get wet - and we're talking lifting the dew off the tarmac here; not even through a puddle or in the rain!

They are far more civilzed than people think, but can be trouble getting in and out of if you're a bit achey.

[Black Busa]

Have had a S1 for six years and its never let me down as a daily run about. I have tried several brands of tyre and found R888 the best by far. P Zeros are deadly The roof leaks, cabin is freezing in winter/boiling in summer but thats all part of the charm. I would get a sorted S1.

Did i mention mine is for sale  

[dombanks]

I knew someone who used to use his original shape 111s everyday and the only complaint he had was it was a hard ride that after a couple of years started to grate.

Most of what i've read and he said mentions getting a hard top for the winter which when fitted properly (he reconed using vaseline on the joints) stopped all but the most persistent leaks ie hard driving rain.

if you mean the newer shape elise the lower sills make them easier to get in and out of. the 111s's are the best to get.

[moomin]

The MMC breaks on the older S2 111S (I think they chaged around the same time as they chaged the roof) are amazing in the dry but have zero effect if they get wet - and we're talking lifting the dew off the tarmac here; not even through a puddle or in the rain!

I had an early-ish S1 with MMCs (Metal Matrix Composite braked cars finished in approx mid-late 98), and they were indeed great in the dry.  They were also not as bad in the wet as people make out.  Since they work by transferring/maintaining a layer of braking material on the disc, this can be affected by moisture.  The main point it was noticable was wet motorway where not touching the brakes for a while meant the friction layer would be washed off the discs.  The first press of the brakes in such conditions, could be interesting, but as long as you expect it and drive accordingly, it is fine.

The original standard P-Zero tyres were also not bad in the dry, and not great in the wet.  The Yokohama Advan Neova LTS was developed specifically for the S1, and is much better.

I'd have an early S1 on MMCs with the Yokos, the S2 suspension mods and the geometry and gear linkage sorted. I liked the long ratio PG1 gearbox too. In Azure Blue with the 5 twin spoke alloys (the Victories are nice though) - the classic Elise.

moomin

[Norman Verona]

I've had a 111S since 2003. As long as you slow down a bit in the wet then it's fine. I think the problem is that they are so quick and nimble some folk don't realise just how fast they're going in the wet and come a cropper. I suspect that the speeds  that it will break away is far above a tintops break-away point.

[bhouse]

I had an S1 and an S2 over the course of 8 years with no problems.

The main thing to be aware of (and the cause of many accidents) is lift-off oversteer.

With the engine behind you the polar inertia of the car is very different from a westy - once the back starts to swing out it wants to keep on going.

If the back does start to swing out and as a result you instinctively lift off the throttle, then the back wheels want to slow down rapidly i.e. they stop rotating. The result is no grip at the back and lots of grip at the front and a spin is pretty much inevitable.

In the dry this really isn't a problem. In the wet, it'll be roundabouts, entering motorway slip roads etc that try to catch you out.

If you make use of the fantastic feedback the chassis gives you'll know how much grip is available and drive accordingly.

Brian

[SimonT]

I have a 1998 S1 Elise and up until this winter used it daily. Absolutley great fun! Echo what the others have said, be really careful on wet days and don't boot it out of corners or roundabouts when there's any chance of a greasy road. I got a hard top for winter driving and combined with the effective heater it's fine even in really cold weather.

The only thing to really be careful about is that other drivers cannot see you as well as you might think, particularly on those wet and murkey nights when the sun goes down at 4pm.

[michaelcoombs]

Many thanks   advice greatly appreciated.

Just got to find the right car now..  

[Foolish Dave]

Echo what Simon said too - we've had people nearly smash into the side of us on big round abouts and ours is bright red and white!

The bods I've spoken to about the MMC brakes say they are really bad in the wet.

I'd suggest getting over to the Piston Heads Elise section or SELOC for some more info from people that will have owned things like westies and Elises.

The feel from the Elise is amazing, but your bum isn't on the rear axel so it's more sensitive buttocks and tingling in the fingers turned up to 11

Oh, and the later S2 111S have better seals on the roofs - all late 111S should have a hard top as part of the standard package.

[oioi]

The main thing to be aware of (and the cause of many accidents) is lift-off oversteer.

With the engine behind you the polar inertia of the car is very different from a westy - once the back starts to swing out it wants to keep on going.

If the back does start to swing out and as a result you instinctively lift off the throttle, then the back wheels want to slow down rapidly i.e. they stop rotating. The result is no grip at the back and lots of grip at the front and a spin is pretty much inevitable.

this happened to a mate of mine.  he followed me (in the westie) into a corner, and i was going way to quickly so lifted of, let the back slide, lost some speed and carried on.  looked in the rear view mirror and all i can see is tyre smoke.  he went about 100metres up the road backwards until he hit the armco.  car was a write off.

if i was getting one as a daily driver think i would be tempted by the vauxhall version. as they look much better vfm

[wrightster]

as said above all down to tyre choice, i had a NA VX220 always used original bridgstones they were brilliant in all weather, obviously treated with more respect in the wet, i now have a VXR with a048's now thats a completely different story in standing water so in an ideal world dry use only  

i'm sure the same rules apply to the different lotus variants.