Never owned a sports car... should I go for an Elise?
Discussion
Hi All!
First time posting here, so hello!
As the title says, I've never owned a "sporty" car before but I have been seriously considering one the past week or so.
My Dad had an Esprit back in his younger years so I've always said I want a Lotus (specifically an black Exige which reminds me of a bat mobile, but too expensive to buy right now and too powerful for me I'd imagine).
So my second choice is an Elise!
I've read loads on this forum and come to the conclusion that an S2 111R 2006 or newer, not supercharged (maybe too powerful and pricey?) with Toyota engine and cam chain rather than belt for robustness would be best pick? Also read that S2's have a fair few refinements done after the S1. Probably go for a hard top with soft top included for top down days (rare event up here in Scotland).
Up near Aberdeen so wondering if there are any reputable garages that would carry out repairs/maintenance for me as I would be totally useless at it!
Is it better to get from a dealership rather than private just for peace of mind that it's had a good check over etc?
Id also like to try some track days after doing a bit of a training session at Knockhill. In my mind a once or twice a year on the track would be fine as a novice!
What's then Lotus community like up near Aberdeen? Unfortunately don't know anyone with a Lotus but would be nice to get out and about in the Lotus community up here!
Any opinions or guidance would be well appreciated!
Fran
First time posting here, so hello!
As the title says, I've never owned a "sporty" car before but I have been seriously considering one the past week or so.
My Dad had an Esprit back in his younger years so I've always said I want a Lotus (specifically an black Exige which reminds me of a bat mobile, but too expensive to buy right now and too powerful for me I'd imagine).
So my second choice is an Elise!
I've read loads on this forum and come to the conclusion that an S2 111R 2006 or newer, not supercharged (maybe too powerful and pricey?) with Toyota engine and cam chain rather than belt for robustness would be best pick? Also read that S2's have a fair few refinements done after the S1. Probably go for a hard top with soft top included for top down days (rare event up here in Scotland).
Up near Aberdeen so wondering if there are any reputable garages that would carry out repairs/maintenance for me as I would be totally useless at it!
Is it better to get from a dealership rather than private just for peace of mind that it's had a good check over etc?
Id also like to try some track days after doing a bit of a training session at Knockhill. In my mind a once or twice a year on the track would be fine as a novice!
What's then Lotus community like up near Aberdeen? Unfortunately don't know anyone with a Lotus but would be nice to get out and about in the Lotus community up here!
Any opinions or guidance would be well appreciated!
Fran
Edited by Fran_the_noob on Wednesday 9th October 17:30
Edited by Fran_the_noob on Wednesday 9th October 17:30
The 111R is a fun car but most say the 111S is a better all rounder as you dont have to rev the nuts off it all the time to get any meaningful performance.
It also has better feeling brakes too so dont overlook them.
Id try to have a go at getting in and out of one first and seeing if you like the rawness before going any further.
It also has better feeling brakes too so dont overlook them.
Id try to have a go at getting in and out of one first and seeing if you like the rawness before going any further.
Belle427 said:
The 111R is a fun car but most say the 111S is a better all rounder as you dont have to rev the nuts off it all the time to get any meaningful performance.
It also has better feeling brakes too so dont overlook them.
Id try to have a go at getting in and out of one first and seeing if you like the rawness before going any further.
Great, thanks for that. I'll have to hunt one down. Seems to be a lack of them up this way unfortunately!It also has better feeling brakes too so dont overlook them.
Id try to have a go at getting in and out of one first and seeing if you like the rawness before going any further.
Lotus Seloc is worth joining as there are some people dotted everywhere on there.
https://www.seloc.org/
https://www.seloc.org/
Belle427 said:
The 111R is a fun car but most say the 111S is a better all rounder as you dont have to rev the nuts off it all the time to get any meaningful performance.
It also has better feeling brakes too so dont overlook them.
Id try to have a go at getting in and out of one first and seeing if you like the rawness before going any further.
I'm not convinced the curve is much different untilt the R hits liftIt also has better feeling brakes too so dont overlook them.
Id try to have a go at getting in and out of one first and seeing if you like the rawness before going any further.
Fran_the_noob said:
Hi All!
First time posting here, so hello!
As the title says, I've never owned a "sporty" car before but I have been seriously considering one the past week or so.
My Dad had an Esprit back in his younger years so I've always said I want a Lotus (specifically an black Exige which reminds me of a bat mobile, but too expensive to buy right now and too powerful for me I'd imagine).
So my second choice is an Elise!
I've read loads on this forum and come to the conclusion that an S2 111R 2006 or newer, not supercharged (maybe too powerful and pricey?) with Toyota engine and cam chain rather than belt for robustness would be best pick? Also read that S2's have a fair few refinements done after the S1. Probably go for a hard top with soft top included for top down days (rare event up here in Scotland).
Up near Aberdeen so wondering if there are any reputable garages that would carry out repairs/maintenance for me as I would be totally useless at it!
Is it better to get from a dealership rather than private just for peace of mind that it's had a good check over etc?
Id also like to try some track days after doing a bit of a training session at Knockhill. In my mind a once or twice a year on the track would be fine as a novice!
What's then Lotus community like up near Aberdeen? Unfortunately don't know anyone with a Lotus but would be nice to get out and about in the Lotus community up here!
Any opinions or guidance would be well appreciated!
Fran
I think an Elise is an excellent choice for a sports car, and one you definitely won't regret as its an experience that you won't find anywhere else!First time posting here, so hello!
As the title says, I've never owned a "sporty" car before but I have been seriously considering one the past week or so.
My Dad had an Esprit back in his younger years so I've always said I want a Lotus (specifically an black Exige which reminds me of a bat mobile, but too expensive to buy right now and too powerful for me I'd imagine).
So my second choice is an Elise!
I've read loads on this forum and come to the conclusion that an S2 111R 2006 or newer, not supercharged (maybe too powerful and pricey?) with Toyota engine and cam chain rather than belt for robustness would be best pick? Also read that S2's have a fair few refinements done after the S1. Probably go for a hard top with soft top included for top down days (rare event up here in Scotland).
Up near Aberdeen so wondering if there are any reputable garages that would carry out repairs/maintenance for me as I would be totally useless at it!
Is it better to get from a dealership rather than private just for peace of mind that it's had a good check over etc?
Id also like to try some track days after doing a bit of a training session at Knockhill. In my mind a once or twice a year on the track would be fine as a novice!
What's then Lotus community like up near Aberdeen? Unfortunately don't know anyone with a Lotus but would be nice to get out and about in the Lotus community up here!
Any opinions or guidance would be well appreciated!
Fran
Edited by Fran_the_noob on Wednesday 9th October 17:30
Edited by Fran_the_noob on Wednesday 9th October 17:30
Although if its your first sports car, I'd recommend being just a bit cautious for the first months - I sold my old s2 to someone as their first sports car, and they unfortunately totalled it after 3 months when they drove it in torrential rain and tried to have some fun on some b-roads.
Not saying that will happen to everyone! I think an Elise is very communicative and as long as it's not treated like a fwd hot hatch, you should be fine - but just watch out and go progressively!
As for spec, I used to have the non vvc k-series in mine and although it wasn't a bad engine at all, I felt it lacked character, but the 111r's engine felt a lot more special and exciting, and that's the engine they should've paired it with from the start, but.....The best thing is for you to try both if you can!
Can't go wrong either way
Please let us know what you got in the end!I'm in Dundee with an S1 Sport 160 - there is a fairly sizeable scene in Aberdeen/shire, perhaps put a similar post in https://www.scottishelises.com/phpbb/ and see if someone local(ish) will let you have a good sit in/chat about living with one.
There is also a Scottish Elises Facebook group if that's your preferred means of communication
There is also a Scottish Elises Facebook group if that's your preferred means of communication
I've had my 111R since 2009. I supercharged it in 2021.
There is a lot of debate about the differences in the series of Elise and the engine options. The key thing, I would say, is that any variety of Elise is more like every other sort of Elise than it is like anything else. Generally, over time they have got a bit less spartan (not much), a bit less rattly (varies a lot from car to car), a bit heavier (still light). Pre-Toyota engine cars have unassisted brakes (good) and no ABS (less good). Some later Toyota cars have traction control, none of them to my knowledge have dynamic stability control. Late cars have airbags.
There is quite a large spread of performance, more visible in the 0-100mph times than the 0-60 times. They all have a good power to weight ratio and excellent traction from a standing start, but they're also all quite aerodynamically draggy, and you start to feel that in the lower powered cars as the speed increases. They're all fast enough to have fun.
The Toyota 2ZZ-GE engine used in the R/111R cars is a bit marmite. It's not that the car is slow if you short shift, there are versions of the car which have similar performance flat out, rather that you only get all the beans if you use all the revs, and what happens at the top end makes the bottom end feel flat in comparison. It's a characteristic of that sort of engine. Some people like that, some people don't. The supercharged version of that engine gives the best of both worlds, but I was happy with mine for 12 years before I upgraded it.
RE the comments about lack of experience and people crashing them - they have no, or limited, driver aids. They tend to be on tyres which are very grippy on warm, dry tarmac, and a bit iffy in the cold and wet. They don't tend, particularly the series two cars, to punish too much throttle, they have an open diff and mostly tend to just spin one wheel rather than stepping out unexpectedly. Mucking about on snow or ice and inducing oversteer with throttle at low speed, they do slide quite benignly. Unexpected oversteer under power tends not to be how people get bitten with the exception of standing water.
Where they can be unforgiving is that if you lift off the throttle when the car is understeering the nose will tuck in sharply, and if you do it too violently or with too much steering lock on, it may spin. There's no stability control to save your ass in this situation, and getting it unexpectedly at higher speed is a lot less friendly than deliberately poking the back end out on a slippery surface.
They aren't at all scary if you are sensible, but it certainly wouldn't be a bad idea to get some training, particularly if you want to track it.
There is a lot of debate about the differences in the series of Elise and the engine options. The key thing, I would say, is that any variety of Elise is more like every other sort of Elise than it is like anything else. Generally, over time they have got a bit less spartan (not much), a bit less rattly (varies a lot from car to car), a bit heavier (still light). Pre-Toyota engine cars have unassisted brakes (good) and no ABS (less good). Some later Toyota cars have traction control, none of them to my knowledge have dynamic stability control. Late cars have airbags.
There is quite a large spread of performance, more visible in the 0-100mph times than the 0-60 times. They all have a good power to weight ratio and excellent traction from a standing start, but they're also all quite aerodynamically draggy, and you start to feel that in the lower powered cars as the speed increases. They're all fast enough to have fun.
The Toyota 2ZZ-GE engine used in the R/111R cars is a bit marmite. It's not that the car is slow if you short shift, there are versions of the car which have similar performance flat out, rather that you only get all the beans if you use all the revs, and what happens at the top end makes the bottom end feel flat in comparison. It's a characteristic of that sort of engine. Some people like that, some people don't. The supercharged version of that engine gives the best of both worlds, but I was happy with mine for 12 years before I upgraded it.
RE the comments about lack of experience and people crashing them - they have no, or limited, driver aids. They tend to be on tyres which are very grippy on warm, dry tarmac, and a bit iffy in the cold and wet. They don't tend, particularly the series two cars, to punish too much throttle, they have an open diff and mostly tend to just spin one wheel rather than stepping out unexpectedly. Mucking about on snow or ice and inducing oversteer with throttle at low speed, they do slide quite benignly. Unexpected oversteer under power tends not to be how people get bitten with the exception of standing water.
Where they can be unforgiving is that if you lift off the throttle when the car is understeering the nose will tuck in sharply, and if you do it too violently or with too much steering lock on, it may spin. There's no stability control to save your ass in this situation, and getting it unexpectedly at higher speed is a lot less friendly than deliberately poking the back end out on a slippery surface.
They aren't at all scary if you are sensible, but it certainly wouldn't be a bad idea to get some training, particularly if you want to track it.
Lots of good advice above, Elise 111r (like all elises) is a great car. Got mine in November last year and drove it through the winter, I've done about 7k miles so far - mostly for fun.
My advice is to buy privately get an independent inspection by a specialist before you hand over any cash. I'd also try to go for as close to stock as you can - it's easier to modify than unmodify if you know what I mean.
The lack of torque at low revs means you're not going to spin it with a slip of the right foot but at 8k rpm it's a hooligan. In a straight line, in the dry I've never spun the rear wheels but I have smelled clutch. Just need to go a bit easy in the wet depending on the type of tyre you choose, I've had the back step out a few times but only a small amount and it's been easy to control.
My advice is to buy privately get an independent inspection by a specialist before you hand over any cash. I'd also try to go for as close to stock as you can - it's easier to modify than unmodify if you know what I mean.
The lack of torque at low revs means you're not going to spin it with a slip of the right foot but at 8k rpm it's a hooligan. In a straight line, in the dry I've never spun the rear wheels but I have smelled clutch. Just need to go a bit easy in the wet depending on the type of tyre you choose, I've had the back step out a few times but only a small amount and it's been easy to control.
barryTrousers said:
In a straight line, in the dry I've never spun the rear wheels but I have smelled clutch. Just need to go a bit easy in the wet depending on the type of tyre you choose, I've had the back step out a few times but only a small amount and it's been easy to control.
Only had it for a few months and was planning on putting it away for the winter, but I decided to get a load of cosmetic bits sorted this month ... So drove it in the wet and the back end was fairly lively! Like yourself I caught it easily enough and got it straight.
Love the Toyota engine and glad I went for the 111R - I've got a heavy 4wd turbocharged decent capacity engined auto car for my daily driver, so having a really revvy Elise is a joy. Plus with the Larini exhaust it sounds incredible.
I think this may depend on if you are going to use it as daily driver or just a fun car . As a fun car then yes ..... you will love it , but as a daily you may find it a bit impractical for everyday use. A lot of owners of Lotus cars also have a another car for everyday use.
As this is your first sports car and if you need it to be your "daily" car then I would suggest a MX5 as a great all rounder . Also Mazda based the MX5 on the original Lotus Elan.
As this is your first sports car and if you need it to be your "daily" car then I would suggest a MX5 as a great all rounder . Also Mazda based the MX5 on the original Lotus Elan.
markiii said:
Belle427 said:
The 111R is a fun car but most say the 111S is a better all rounder as you dont have to rev the nuts off it all the time to get any meaningful performance.
It also has better feeling brakes too so dont overlook them.
Id try to have a go at getting in and out of one first and seeing if you like the rawness before going any further.
I'm not convinced the curve is much different untilt the R hits liftIt also has better feeling brakes too so dont overlook them.
Id try to have a go at getting in and out of one first and seeing if you like the rawness before going any further.
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