Elise 111S "better" than 111R?
Discussion
Hi, first post here so I thought I'd fire off with this poser. In your opinion which is the better all-round car, the Toyota engined Elise 111S or the 111R?
The reason I'm asking is tomorrow I collect my 54 plate 111R, and to be honest, anything to while away the minutes is a good thing. However, in coming to the decision of which model to buy I test drove a 111S at the a Lotus garage in Milton Keynes. The salesman did his utmost to convince me the S was the better model: torquer engine, smoother, less gears (?!), a more "drivable" car. I failed to see his logic based on specs and left with the feeling that they has plenty of S models to sell me and no Rs in stock and he was therefore being biased. A theory I believe more after test driving the R for 30 seconds, the engine characteristic better matching my previous car and all-in-all feeling better to drive than the S. However, I wondered if anyone else shared his thinking and perhaps he actually believed what he was saying?
The reason I'm asking is tomorrow I collect my 54 plate 111R, and to be honest, anything to while away the minutes is a good thing. However, in coming to the decision of which model to buy I test drove a 111S at the a Lotus garage in Milton Keynes. The salesman did his utmost to convince me the S was the better model: torquer engine, smoother, less gears (?!), a more "drivable" car. I failed to see his logic based on specs and left with the feeling that they has plenty of S models to sell me and no Rs in stock and he was therefore being biased. A theory I believe more after test driving the R for 30 seconds, the engine characteristic better matching my previous car and all-in-all feeling better to drive than the S. However, I wondered if anyone else shared his thinking and perhaps he actually believed what he was saying?
BadgerLad said:
corinnemartin said:
the 111s is not a toyota engine???? its a k-series
Late 2004 onwards are MR2 engines.Edited by BadgerLad on Tuesday 4th November 08:46
I have an elise S 2007. It's refered to by almost everyone i've met as an elise S2 S (as opposed to an elise 111R which has the numbers). It's actually got written on the V5 and down the side of the car 111S. So it is a 111S the guy in the garage was correct about that anyway (Lee or Tim i'd imagine). Why Lotus have given two different engined cars the same name, albeit in different years confuses me totally.
I too have driven both and the only reason I didn't buy an R is because i'd been driving for 4 months and thought it wasn't a good idea. I'm now hopefully getting an exige (same engine as the 111R) because I love the cam switch over and the whole peaky-ness of the engine.
Too be perfectly honest I wish i'd of bought an R in the first place and not wussed out (although insurance had a part to play, and yes it did make a difference).
Get an R, if you never use the second cam on the road, big whoop. At least you know it's there
I too have driven both and the only reason I didn't buy an R is because i'd been driving for 4 months and thought it wasn't a good idea. I'm now hopefully getting an exige (same engine as the 111R) because I love the cam switch over and the whole peaky-ness of the engine.
Too be perfectly honest I wish i'd of bought an R in the first place and not wussed out (although insurance had a part to play, and yes it did make a difference).
Get an R, if you never use the second cam on the road, big whoop. At least you know it's there
I'm bias but id go for the 111r over the Rover powered S any day. The R is faster and if you really don't like the big bang power delivery at 6,200rpm you can get the ECU remap which drops the cam change to 5700rpm and makes for much smoother delivery. If I wanted the Rover K I'd buy an S1 as they are cheaper and lighter!
Wow, you are getting told a lot of strange confusing info here!
In a nut shell most find the 111s easier to live with everyday, the R is a little more performance focused. I could go on and on but if you want to really get into this then post it in the Elise/Exige forum below although this subject has been covered (try a search).
Regardless welcome to Lotus ownership, its glorious and rest assured you have made a fine purchase, love that second cam!
In a nut shell most find the 111s easier to live with everyday, the R is a little more performance focused. I could go on and on but if you want to really get into this then post it in the Elise/Exige forum below although this subject has been covered (try a search).
Regardless welcome to Lotus ownership, its glorious and rest assured you have made a fine purchase, love that second cam!
OK, so again I was given incorrect information about the 111S/Elise S and 111R models. Sorry corinnemartin, your ! key must be worn out. It was Lee I had the test drive with, very nice bloke but I failed to see his logic, hence my question. I thought this may had been discussed before but there's nothing like a fresh debate. Where would we be if we never readdressed things having had the benefit of time and experience?
Edited by BadgerLad on Wednesday 5th November 14:36
Sonicboon said:
The 111S is not just a rover engined car. I have a 111S and it's an '07 with a toyota lump in it. There are officially 2 111S cars. The rover engined one from a while back (circa 2002 ?) and the toyota one (circa 2006+).
Quite. It's a shame Lotus have, over time, made the simple Elise a tricky car for newcomers to understand.As a general rule it seems the more Toyota there is in a Lotus the better.
5 USA said:
As a general rule it seems the more Toyota there is in a Lotus the better.
If you want an engine that is heavier, less fuel efficient and (under the legislation at the time of certification) more polluting - then sure toyota is better. Although, I have to say the gear box is far superior to the rover.Sorry I couldn't resist this thread.
The key message is that both cars have their pros and cons, you have to drive both and make the decision for yourself.
I drove both extensively before making the decision. I decided the 111S was the better car. Assuming you actually mean an "Elise 111S" (K-series engine) not an "Elise S" (Toyota engine).
ETA: Ah, you mean the "Elise S", in that case the R/111R is better.
ETA: Ah, you mean the "Elise S", in that case the R/111R is better.
Edited by kambites on Tuesday 11th November 11:30
carryondentist said:
5 USA said:
As a general rule it seems the more Toyota there is in a Lotus the better.
The key message is that both cars have their pros and cons, you have to drive both and make the decision for yourself.corinnemartin said:
BadgerLad said:
corinnemartin said:
the 111s is not a toyota engine???? its a k-series
Late 2004 onwards are MR2 engines.Edited by BadgerLad on Tuesday 4th November 08:46
Gassing Station | General Lotus Stuff | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff