Anyone done any longer road trips - UK to South of France?
Discussion
It's on my 'to-do' list for next year, I know many have on here & can offer good tips & advice.
Mechanically make sure she is running tip-top, the last thing you would want is to be having the time of your life only for some silly issue to manifest into a breakdown.
I've done plenty of +300 mile motorway journeys, ear-plugs, a good music collection & a passenger who can speak a little LOUDER help drown out the stage.2. exhaust! Thankfully i've also done plenty of +300 mile blasts, always much more fun.
Mechanically make sure she is running tip-top, the last thing you would want is to be having the time of your life only for some silly issue to manifest into a breakdown.
I've done plenty of +300 mile motorway journeys, ear-plugs, a good music collection & a passenger who can speak a little LOUDER help drown out the stage.2. exhaust! Thankfully i've also done plenty of +300 mile blasts, always much more fun.
Suggest you take a look at the Guild of Motor Endurance (G.O.M.E.) web-site.
http://www.guildofmotorendurance.co.uk/
Many Lotuses (Loti?) make much, much longer trips than that, on very challenging roads and cars, drivers and navigators all survive! I did Northampton to Rome and back in mine - a (then) 11 y.o. S1 (K series). The car was absolutely superb on the narrow twisties (which was most of the route), as you'd expect and comfortable enough on the way home on the auto-routes when we were rushing for the ferry.
http://www.guildofmotorendurance.co.uk/
Many Lotuses (Loti?) make much, much longer trips than that, on very challenging roads and cars, drivers and navigators all survive! I did Northampton to Rome and back in mine - a (then) 11 y.o. S1 (K series). The car was absolutely superb on the narrow twisties (which was most of the route), as you'd expect and comfortable enough on the way home on the auto-routes when we were rushing for the ferry.
Edited by LBird on Thursday 2nd June 17:12
I did an Alpine Tour with Petrolheadsnirvana last year in my S1 Exige with no problems at all. To be fair it was a little hot at times!
AlpineTour
My only advice would be to fit a manual switch for the radiator fan.
AlpineTour
My only advice would be to fit a manual switch for the radiator fan.
In 2009 myself and my girlfriend took my (then) Elise 111R over on the ferry from Hull to Zeebrugge - down to Luxembourg - over the Alps to St Moritz and down into Italy to Lake Como, Lake Garda and onto San Marino and Florence for the Mille Miglia up to Milan to see the Giro d'Italia (cycling ) and then back through the St Gothard tunnel ( the pass was closed) and back up through northern Europe - 2,168 miles in ten days ! I loved every minute of it, the car was brilliant.
Now have an Elise SC and last month took it down to the South of France, Monaco into Italy (again for the MM this time on the Futa Pass) and back over the Alps - did quite a few miles on the Auto Strada @ 100- 120mph and just turned the CD up a bit. Again a fantastic trip.
On both journeys we had the roof off 90% of the time both cars were ultra reliable needing nothing more than topping up with petrol ! I always make sure I have AA European cover ( just in case!) and take a list of European Lotus dealers and the usual European "safety pack" - reflective jacket, triangle etc
We've done other shorter trips to Le Mans etc as well, I'm planning my next one at the moment up to Skagen in Northern Denmark.
Plan your trip and join the AA you'll absolutely love it - after every trip I've done I could quite easily have turned round and done it again !
Now have an Elise SC and last month took it down to the South of France, Monaco into Italy (again for the MM this time on the Futa Pass) and back over the Alps - did quite a few miles on the Auto Strada @ 100- 120mph and just turned the CD up a bit. Again a fantastic trip.
On both journeys we had the roof off 90% of the time both cars were ultra reliable needing nothing more than topping up with petrol ! I always make sure I have AA European cover ( just in case!) and take a list of European Lotus dealers and the usual European "safety pack" - reflective jacket, triangle etc
We've done other shorter trips to Le Mans etc as well, I'm planning my next one at the moment up to Skagen in Northern Denmark.
Plan your trip and join the AA you'll absolutely love it - after every trip I've done I could quite easily have turned round and done it again !
Took the Exige to Morzine last August calling at Reims.
Reims:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdSQ4wqqIBo
Morzine:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5QfDscIoSE
and on the way there you can do this...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsHKgsuFyN4
Anything you want to know about the travel?
Reims:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdSQ4wqqIBo
Morzine:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5QfDscIoSE
and on the way there you can do this...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsHKgsuFyN4
Anything you want to know about the travel?
Just came back from the Mille Miglia myself in my Sportsracer (111r). Over 2700 miles and quite a few of them were on the best roads I've ever driven on. The Elise was an absolute revelation on the alpine passes. I seriously don't think there's another car that would feel more at home on mountain roads. I had a latest spec Boxster S for company and it felt like a mondeo in comparison on those roads. It's not though by any other standard the Boxster S is a fine car and never a bad choice for any road and a lot more comfortable on the motorway. And for the first time in 4 years of ownership I actually wished I'd had air con. Italy was stinking hot and that meant windows down or roof off on the motorway, which equals more noise.
Particular highlights included the Susten Pass, the Grimsel Pass which leads on to the Furka Pass all in the Swiss Alps heading for Italy. Don't sell your Elise before you've driven these roads, you'll not be doing the car justice. Italy itself was congested and poorly surfaced compared to France and Switzerland. Of all the miles we did there the Futa Pass was the only essential drive but it was everything it's cracked up to be. As was the Elise. For a challenging road you don't know with sudden twists and blind crests, there's no car I'd rather be in. I seriously doubt there's much out there that would be much faster either.We had a really fantastic 20 miles or so right up the exhausts of an enthusiastically driven Italian Gallardo LP560 spyder, over part of the Futa pass. Mainly because the roads were too tight to use the extra power but my humble 189bhp proved unshakeable. On that road I honestly think it was the quicker car. Some noise that Lambo makes though, good Lord!
Particular highlights included the Susten Pass, the Grimsel Pass which leads on to the Furka Pass all in the Swiss Alps heading for Italy. Don't sell your Elise before you've driven these roads, you'll not be doing the car justice. Italy itself was congested and poorly surfaced compared to France and Switzerland. Of all the miles we did there the Futa Pass was the only essential drive but it was everything it's cracked up to be. As was the Elise. For a challenging road you don't know with sudden twists and blind crests, there's no car I'd rather be in. I seriously doubt there's much out there that would be much faster either.We had a really fantastic 20 miles or so right up the exhausts of an enthusiastically driven Italian Gallardo LP560 spyder, over part of the Futa pass. Mainly because the roads were too tight to use the extra power but my humble 189bhp proved unshakeable. On that road I honestly think it was the quicker car. Some noise that Lambo makes though, good Lord!
Done thousands of miles abroad in S2 and s1 Elise. The very best fun you can have with your clothes on when on alpine roads.
Every year myself and a group do 2500+ taking in France, Italy, Austria & Germany. Last year we did the proper 1955 miglia Mille route and had a blast!
I would suggest ensuring the car is in tip top mechanical shape and have it checked over a couple if weeks before the trip. This allows time for any parts to be ordered and fitted. Take dome spares, such as some part word brake pads etc, tools and tie clips etc. It's those kind of things that could mean the difference between getting home or not and enjoying your holiday.
My advise is to do it. Trip of a lifetime in many respects.
Every year myself and a group do 2500+ taking in France, Italy, Austria & Germany. Last year we did the proper 1955 miglia Mille route and had a blast!
I would suggest ensuring the car is in tip top mechanical shape and have it checked over a couple if weeks before the trip. This allows time for any parts to be ordered and fitted. Take dome spares, such as some part word brake pads etc, tools and tie clips etc. It's those kind of things that could mean the difference between getting home or not and enjoying your holiday.
My advise is to do it. Trip of a lifetime in many respects.
Boxster is closer to the RS4 to drive than the Elise. Flat 6 engine is it's trump card, it's a great engine if a bit sensible. But for steering feel, precision, response, feedback and sheer fun the Elise is in a different league. You pay for it on the motorway but you get it back with interest on the roads you drove all that way for. For me the engine is more fun too and when in the zone, seriously is more than a match for the Boxster. OK above 100 the Boxster's 300bhp comes more into play but sub 100 I think the Elise might have an edge.
You need to drive the French gorges south of the Auvergne in an Elise/Exige, too.
I mean, just look at the roads here: http://goo.gl/maps/ZZ2K
I mean, just look at the roads here: http://goo.gl/maps/ZZ2K
Returned from a trip down to Monaco last week. We did camping to keep the cost reasonable, very compact camping with the limited space available in the Europa. We did a lot of miles on 2 days to get us to and from the more interesting areas, easy driving on the toll roads. The Alps were great fun, Route Napolean (N85), l'Alpe-d'Huez, Canyon du Verdon (north side for the views and south side for the roads), Monaco and Col du Turini. The coast road down towards Cannes from Monaco was very busy and not as scenic as expected, so we went inland again to Pont du Gard. We returned to the Dover ferry via the Millau bridge and went through the Corniche des Cevennes to the East between Millau and Nimes, again stunning scenery and great empty roads. Total mileage was just over 2500 miles in 9 days. The Europa behaved well with only the fuel filler cap disintegrating (it got a lot of use) and one wheel centre badge missing somewhere in the mountains behind Monaco. The Europas turbo engine is ideal for the twisty uphills, plenty of torque and a lot of pops and bangs from the Milltek exhaust. I would recommend Norfolk / DFDS ferries, good service and cheap.
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