S2 (06 MY) Elise to R300 anyone on here done the change....
Discussion
I am going to look at a couple of R300's this weekend after having an itch and doing something about it. My budget is around £20K so it appears R300 (Rover engine) version - 2003 is an option both private and with Caterham itself.
Any one made the change - interested to do more track work but also like driving to venues and accross Europe!
Any one made the change - interested to do more track work but also like driving to venues and accross Europe!
Hi,
I bought a K series R300 earlier this year. I took it round Europe a few weeks ago (Nurburgring then down to the Alps and twisty roads back) others in the group had Elise's. The R300 was great especially on the track but long days were knackering, the Elise drivers seemed to fair better. I put this down to being unable to move with the 4 point harness. I had one long day (Nurburgring to Annecy) which was a lot of sitting on the motorways and I'm not sure, with a 6 speed gear box, that sitting at high revs for that long is good for the engine or the wallet
.
Would I do the same trip again? Yes, but break up long days and enjoy!
I bought a K series R300 earlier this year. I took it round Europe a few weeks ago (Nurburgring then down to the Alps and twisty roads back) others in the group had Elise's. The R300 was great especially on the track but long days were knackering, the Elise drivers seemed to fair better. I put this down to being unable to move with the 4 point harness. I had one long day (Nurburgring to Annecy) which was a lot of sitting on the motorways and I'm not sure, with a 6 speed gear box, that sitting at high revs for that long is good for the engine or the wallet
.Would I do the same trip again? Yes, but break up long days and enjoy!
Ca11um said:
Hi,
I bought a K series R300 earlier this year. I took it round Europe a few weeks ago (Nurburgring then down to the Alps and twisty roads back) others in the group had Elise's. The R300 was great especially on the track but long days were knackering, the Elise drivers seemed to fair better. I put this down to being unable to move with the 4 point harness. I had one long day (Nurburgring to Annecy) which was a lot of sitting on the motorways and I'm not sure, with a 6 speed gear box, that sitting at high revs for that long is good for the engine or the wallet.
Would I do the same trip again? Yes, but break up long days and enjoy!
Interesting - what sort of Rev's are you doing at 80 / and what sort of MPG can you get ?I bought a K series R300 earlier this year. I took it round Europe a few weeks ago (Nurburgring then down to the Alps and twisty roads back) others in the group had Elise's. The R300 was great especially on the track but long days were knackering, the Elise drivers seemed to fair better. I put this down to being unable to move with the 4 point harness. I had one long day (Nurburgring to Annecy) which was a lot of sitting on the motorways and I'm not sure, with a 6 speed gear box, that sitting at high revs for that long is good for the engine or the wallet
.Would I do the same trip again? Yes, but break up long days and enjoy!
From what I 'remember' 80 was just over 4000rpm with the standard Caterham 6 speed. If you're touring a lot maybe look for a higher spec Roadsport with the 5 speed box as the 5 speed has a higher final gear so should be more economical on fuel and engine wear. Over the trip I think I averaged about 24 / 25 mpg but this was with track use and German Autobahns, so UK road driving should be around 30 mpg if your not to heavy with the loud pedal. 
Our SLR does around 32 mpg whilst touring (down to Austria twice, Le Mans trips, Scotland last month) and we aren't usually hanging around. 80 mph I think is bit higher than 4k with a 6 speed I think. From memory, 5 speed car with 3.92 (standard) diff is doing 4k at 80 mph and 5th in a five speed box is higher than 6th with a six speed (this is 1:1 like 4th in a five speed IYSWIM).
I suppose it depends massively on what you intend to use your seven for most of the time. Unless you are thinking of doing touring runs all the time, I would go for something you could blat nicely round the local A roads and track and put up with a few more revs when you do go for a long run - buy some good earplugs and that sorts out lots of things
I suppose it depends massively on what you intend to use your seven for most of the time. Unless you are thinking of doing touring runs all the time, I would go for something you could blat nicely round the local A roads and track and put up with a few more revs when you do go for a long run - buy some good earplugs and that sorts out lots of things
Now i finally have my Caterham, it is doing 3,500 @ 70mph...pretty sedate really!
Fuel gauge doesn't hardly seem to go down..
Unless it is broken!!
Great fun, better than i hoped!
Can't wait to tour a bit (anyone know how to fit and where to get a power outlet?....for Sat Nav!)
Mike...Luvvin it...thanks to all those who helped me choose!!
Fuel gauge doesn't hardly seem to go down..
Unless it is broken!!
Great fun, better than i hoped!
Can't wait to tour a bit (anyone know how to fit and where to get a power outlet?....for Sat Nav!)
Mike...Luvvin it...thanks to all those who helped me choose!!
I went from a Series 1 111s Elise to a Caterham Superlight.
The Caterham blew the Elise into the weeds as a driving experience. It is so much more alert, responsive and "fun". It is however a lot noisier, more uncomfortable and less practical.
If I were doing a lot of touring I would keep the Elise. If I were going for morning blats along local A-roads and doing the odd track day then I would get a 7.
Either way you can't go wrong.
The Caterham blew the Elise into the weeds as a driving experience. It is so much more alert, responsive and "fun". It is however a lot noisier, more uncomfortable and less practical.
If I were doing a lot of touring I would keep the Elise. If I were going for morning blats along local A-roads and doing the odd track day then I would get a 7.
Either way you can't go wrong.
Stu_00 said:
Any one made the change - interested to do more track work but also like driving to venues and accross Europe!
Ive had 7"s for last 6 years and bought a 2008 Elise SC last year for something more practical and road oriented , owned the car for 2 weeks and in that time drove it 200 miles before selling it hated the car compared to what ive had as a toy in the past, for me it was too noisy (not nice induction noise but droaney exhaust racket,)worst thing was driving position back ache in minutes
rock hard ride about brayed fillings out when I hit a bump handling was unpredictable when pushing on, had a couple of moments on back roads and performance was shocking dunno where they get there figures from but 220bhp ?? shame as the car looked stunning! anyway I bought another Caterham and happy ever since . so if you are swapping the other way i can only see positives for you good luck and enjoy ! redmire said:
Now i finally have my Caterham, it is doing 3,500 @ 70mph...pretty sedate really!
Fuel gauge doesn't hardly seem to go down..
Unless it is broken!!
Great fun, better than i hoped!
Can't wait to tour a bit (anyone know how to fit and where to get a power outlet?....for Sat Nav!)
Mike...Luvvin it...thanks to all those who helped me choose!!
My 7 has a power outlet attached to the bottom rail in the passenger footwell, just by the central tunnel. Not sure how it is wired (Millwood Motors, Cam, Glos. fitted it for me) but it's always on irrespective of keys/ignition. On my trip to Chamonix earlier this month I had iPod and intercom powered through it.Fuel gauge doesn't hardly seem to go down..
Unless it is broken!!
Great fun, better than i hoped!
Can't wait to tour a bit (anyone know how to fit and where to get a power outlet?....for Sat Nav!)
Mike...Luvvin it...thanks to all those who helped me choose!!
How much better is the S1 Elise as a touring proposition? Having bought my Seven for track work time and budget has relegated it mostly to road use and I can't help wondering if something a little more touring biased would be more suitable. An Elise seems like the obvious answer, that or taking a punt on a Caterham 21...
ETA FWIW My Rover-engined six-speed Roadsport A is very noisy on the motorway. I don't know if the lack of carpets and the like contribute (acoustically) but it's pulling over 5,000rpm in 6th just keeping up with the regular traffic stream. It's also a rather mechanical 4-cylinder blare, not the sort of bassy rumble that can be far more pleasant from a big vee engined at the same volume. Also, nobody sees you at that height, the visibility with small door mirrors and a cross-braced roll cage is pretty limited, the ergonomics on mine are rather special, the clutch is heavy and the unservoed brakes can be quite hard work.
On the flipside it sounds better than any Elise I've been in blatting down a B-road (lovely induction roar) and it's a genuinely special place to be when you're in a position to really give it some beans. Can't think of anything else - realistically - that I'd rather be in for the rare occasions I get to drive it like that, but the rest of the time it's open to debate!
Edited by Chris71 on Monday 19th July 11:34
I currently own an Elise S2 111S and in the past have owned two Caterhams (one road and one race), and had the Caterham courtesy car for the weekend twice (SSR, but effectively an R300 spec, which is relevant for you). I've driven an '06 spec Elise like yours too.
The Elise and Caterham provide very different driving experiences. The R300 is much faster and more immediate to drive. Everything feels instinctive in the Caterham, from sliding it to operating the major controls. They're arguably more fun on track too, because they're so much sharper they're more of a challenge and make more demands of your driving, whilst simultaneously being more forgiving on the limit than an Elise, which is an amazing combination. Caterhams are also surprisingly comfortable, even with tillets (I have a bad back too, so am quite picky about comfort), provided you adjust the pedals and steering wheel properly to suit you. I've always thought that a well set up Elise has better steering feel than a Caterham, although it's the Caterham rack is more linear and progressive (I think Caterham get away with that because of the Caterham's low weight, whereas Lotus need that strange feeling on about three quarters lock to make the car driveable at 800kg+). Also, extra weight goes better in an Elise than a Caterham, at least in the passenger seat, because you sit in the middle, rather than at one end. A passenger over 11 stone ruins the handling on a Caterham, whereas in an Elise you only blunt the straight line performance. The feedback of the road is also a bit better in the Elise, despite being more subtle, because you sit in the middle and can feel front and rear more equally. In a Caterham you feel the rear really well, but the front will always feel a little remote.
In short, I find the Elise is like listening to a good hi-fi playing a great recording by a good musician - you sit back and really appreciate how perfect everything is. Driving a Caterham is like jamming with a few good friends - it's great fun and everything is just so instinctive and effortless.
The Elise is also more liveable because the practical details are less hassle - the roof goes on in seconds, the windows wind up and down quickly and the stereo can be heard easily. Caterham hoods are a right pain, the boot is small and doesn't lock and you'd need to make special arrangements for music to ease the tedium of along journey.
I'd recommend that you take advantage of Caterham's hire scheme and hire a Caterham for the day and see how you get on with it.
The Elise and Caterham provide very different driving experiences. The R300 is much faster and more immediate to drive. Everything feels instinctive in the Caterham, from sliding it to operating the major controls. They're arguably more fun on track too, because they're so much sharper they're more of a challenge and make more demands of your driving, whilst simultaneously being more forgiving on the limit than an Elise, which is an amazing combination. Caterhams are also surprisingly comfortable, even with tillets (I have a bad back too, so am quite picky about comfort), provided you adjust the pedals and steering wheel properly to suit you. I've always thought that a well set up Elise has better steering feel than a Caterham, although it's the Caterham rack is more linear and progressive (I think Caterham get away with that because of the Caterham's low weight, whereas Lotus need that strange feeling on about three quarters lock to make the car driveable at 800kg+). Also, extra weight goes better in an Elise than a Caterham, at least in the passenger seat, because you sit in the middle, rather than at one end. A passenger over 11 stone ruins the handling on a Caterham, whereas in an Elise you only blunt the straight line performance. The feedback of the road is also a bit better in the Elise, despite being more subtle, because you sit in the middle and can feel front and rear more equally. In a Caterham you feel the rear really well, but the front will always feel a little remote.
In short, I find the Elise is like listening to a good hi-fi playing a great recording by a good musician - you sit back and really appreciate how perfect everything is. Driving a Caterham is like jamming with a few good friends - it's great fun and everything is just so instinctive and effortless.
The Elise is also more liveable because the practical details are less hassle - the roof goes on in seconds, the windows wind up and down quickly and the stereo can be heard easily. Caterham hoods are a right pain, the boot is small and doesn't lock and you'd need to make special arrangements for music to ease the tedium of along journey.
I'd recommend that you take advantage of Caterham's hire scheme and hire a Caterham for the day and see how you get on with it.
Hi Stu,
Well I went from an S1 111s to a k series R300, I test drove an exige at the same time as the 7, and it didn't compare for excitment, viceral fun, noise etc. The seven is so much better (IMO), I had the leather seats, which were great even over long distances, so much better than the S1 Elise seats which was one of the reasons I couldn't buy another sadly. On a long journey I wore ear plugs,
(Macks pillow ear plugs)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Macks-Pillow-Soft-Value-Pa...
these ones are like plastecine and the most comfortable I have found, you can still talk to the passenger, they just protect you from the wind noise and take the edge off the engine, but for sunday country lane blats I didn't bother.
For me the other 'best bit' in the seven is the ability to safely slide around once you are familiar with the car, something I wouldn't ever have dared in the Elise.
There is nothing not to love with a 7, running costs are half that of an Elise, and nothing comes close for this kind of money.
Am sure you won't be dissappointed.
I foolishly changed mine for an Esprit, which whilst special in its own way, isn't a patch on the Caterham, nor would I feel secure running it on track, the brakes are terrible. I miss my 7!
Dave
Well I went from an S1 111s to a k series R300, I test drove an exige at the same time as the 7, and it didn't compare for excitment, viceral fun, noise etc. The seven is so much better (IMO), I had the leather seats, which were great even over long distances, so much better than the S1 Elise seats which was one of the reasons I couldn't buy another sadly. On a long journey I wore ear plugs,
(Macks pillow ear plugs)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Macks-Pillow-Soft-Value-Pa...
these ones are like plastecine and the most comfortable I have found, you can still talk to the passenger, they just protect you from the wind noise and take the edge off the engine, but for sunday country lane blats I didn't bother.
For me the other 'best bit' in the seven is the ability to safely slide around once you are familiar with the car, something I wouldn't ever have dared in the Elise.
There is nothing not to love with a 7, running costs are half that of an Elise, and nothing comes close for this kind of money.
Am sure you won't be dissappointed.
I foolishly changed mine for an Esprit, which whilst special in its own way, isn't a patch on the Caterham, nor would I feel secure running it on track, the brakes are terrible. I miss my 7!
Dave
That's something worth mentioning - the running costs of a Caterham are a fraction of an Elise. This is because of cheaper dealers, cheaper parts, and more basic construction. If someone bumps into you in a Caterham it's £50 for a new wing and a hundred or so for wishbones if it's a heavy hit. Wiping the entire front of the car out only costs a grand or two. In the Elise, even a low speed knock can run into thousands.
The sliding point is very relevant too - it's instinctive in a Caterham, like a go kart. An Elise is totally different.
Best to test drive both I think - although beware that a Caterham is half the car with a passenger - best to hire one to get the true one-up experience.
The sliding point is very relevant too - it's instinctive in a Caterham, like a go kart. An Elise is totally different.
Best to test drive both I think - although beware that a Caterham is half the car with a passenger - best to hire one to get the true one-up experience.
I had an Exige S and changed it for a Sigma-engined academy. Couldn't be happier. I loved the exige, the steering feel and the grunt of the engine. However I was always afraid of crashing it on track (no track insurance here in Portugal) and of leaving it parked outside. Running costs are ridiculous compared with the exige and I actually use the caterham much more. I leave it parked outside my home and just take it everywhere (shopping, etc...) I was in an Elise the other day both on the road and on the track and felt that I just couldn't go back to all that weight. I do know some people that use their Elise as I use my Seven and have yet to spin it on the track or the road.
Also, I almost spun my seven while exiting an on-ramp into a busy highway under very heavy rain and I was still able to correct the car and get out unscathed (me and the car). I am no driving god, no way I could do that with the Lotus.
Good luck!
Also, I almost spun my seven while exiting an on-ramp into a busy highway under very heavy rain and I was still able to correct the car and get out unscathed (me and the car). I am no driving god, no way I could do that with the Lotus.
Good luck!
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