nik9669 Posted July 18, 2010 Posted July 18, 2010 I collected it on Monday, and not stopped smiling since then. In many ways it's like my old Westie: 2 seats, minimal luggage room, light weight (not as light, I admit), masses of grip round corners, lots and lots of fun. It's a Lotus Elise R. And I'm sorry to you all on this forum, but I not only love it but... I prefer it! Quote
leighc Posted July 18, 2010 Posted July 18, 2010 I'm kinda going through this thought process at the moment, interesting to hear your feedback. Quote
nik9669 Posted July 18, 2010 Author Posted July 18, 2010 Go for it. Lotus will soon drop the 1.8 engine - it doesn't meet Euro5 emissions requirements, and they want to up their average sale price to £££lots. I reckon this is THE time to buy an Elise. Check out recent Lotus news releases and roll on Paris Motor Show in September. Admittedly I may be wrong but it's a good excuse to get one NOW. Quote
SteveD Posted July 18, 2010 Posted July 18, 2010 all you need now is a honda lump and i may know some one who does the conversion kits Quote
leighc Posted July 18, 2010 Posted July 18, 2010 all you need now is a honda lump and i may know some one who does the conversion kits stop it you Quote
SteveD Posted July 19, 2010 Posted July 19, 2010 do it do it do iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit Quote
peterg Posted July 19, 2010 Posted July 19, 2010 For those of you who are owning/driving an Elise (or other variant) for the first time, can I just remind you to be careful until you're used to the characteristics as these cars can bite back which is why there are so many Cat C and D cars about... SELOC and VX220.org are littered with threads even in the summer which usually start something along the lines of either: "I wasn't even going that fast/trying that hard..." or "I was only pulling out of the services onto the motorway sliproad and it 'just spun'..." These mid-engined cars are much more likely to spin when given the beans on an even slightly wet/slippery petrol station exit or diesel strewn roundabout compared to a Westie and some people have managed to crash them in the same place so just be careful out there especially when autumn comes and the usual recommendation on the aforementioned web forums is to visit www.carlimits.com and have a day with Andy Walsh who will show what the limits are and how to cope with them. Quote
nik9669 Posted July 19, 2010 Author Posted July 19, 2010 Thanks for the info, Peter. I had been warned when I was looking (not by dealers, of course!) that "when they let go, they go; you get no warning". I'll put it on a track soon (I hope!) to explore beyond what I'd push it to on the road (honest, officer) but it does also make sense to push it "beyond the limit" so you know where that is, on a wide, flat airfield. Quote
peterg Posted July 19, 2010 Posted July 19, 2010 Carlimits operate out of North Weald so not that far from you too Quote
michaelcoombs Posted July 19, 2010 Posted July 19, 2010 I’ve run an S2 111s as my daily driver for about 2 years and have done about 25k miles now. I love the Elise, not the quickest thing in the world in a straight line and earplugs are a must on the motorway, but just lovely in the corners and they really are practical enough to use everyday. Its not the visceral raw experience of a 7 type car but has its own charm. I had heard horror stories about people going backwards through hedges shortly after buying one, but if you’re sensible they are fine. Well, mine gave me a few scares when I first had it but since changing the old Pirelli P-Zeros for something more suitable about 18 months ago and playing with the tyre pressures all snappy over steer has now been banished…. Fingers crossed. Oh, and don’t listen to JeffC. Took this on my way to Tesco the other weekend. Quote
michaelcoombs Posted July 19, 2010 Posted July 19, 2010 Nope... not yet but I am making progress again now. I finished the water system last weekend, I made my own wiggins type connectors for it, so it has taken a while! Quote
leighc Posted July 19, 2010 Posted July 19, 2010 well get it finished, run it is your daily driver and i'll have that elise off you perfect Quote
michaelcoombs Posted July 19, 2010 Posted July 19, 2010 I was planning on only keeping the Elise until I finished the Westfield but it’s so good I think I’m going to keep it as well... If you do decide to get one, make sure you drive the various types and make your own mind up, as they are quite different. I couldn’t get on with the variable valve timing on the Toyota engine but really like the VVC K-series…. Quote
leighc Posted July 19, 2010 Posted July 19, 2010 i've driven a boggo S1, which i quite liked, but may end up being pressured by SteveD into getting a honda conversion if i do get one...... probably not much pressure needed to be honest.... I wish I could have both - don't think a doberman will fit in an elise... Quote
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