lotus elise 111s s2

[twpbugger]

hello to all u elise owners, i am thinking of purchasing 1 of these babies.

can u tell me how reliable they are (engine problems, and
also how much tyres costs for these and approx how much mileage do you get out of these tyres if driven tidily),

cheers

[gooby]

twpbugger said:

driven tidily

He he, you havent driven one yet have you?

[shot2bits]

Havn't driven an S but...

1. It's a Rover engine - the 90 year old bloke driving his old 218 wont have a problem with parts / repairs (should something go wrong) so neither will you...

2. The tyes will get shredded if you drive it hard like any other motor - they will wear just as slow if you drive like the afore mentioned 90 year old bloke.

Rob.

PS - I have nothing against 90 year old blokes.

[sja]

Well I have had an S2 111s for eight months, last car was Passat 4 Motion (dont laugh,it had a 2.8 V6)... I know I'm preaching to the converted here but remember its not like a "normal" car. Even from new mine has had a few rattles, its noisy say compared to a boxster.. BUT..

I love it. Makes me smile all the time. 10yr old kids shout "Hey cool car Mister!".

The summer was brilliant, roof off, either thrashing it or cruising you can't stop grinning.. Hardtop is on now and it looks just as good with those coupe looks.

Its my only car so its also used for a very busy, very slow rush hour commute, no problem.

I had smoke coming off my tyres spinning out on a Walshy day and they still have loads of tread on. Even when thrashing it its bl**dy economical.. 35mpg..

Despite an airfield day and an afternoon on the track at Hethel Im still not very good at driving it quickly espsecially in the wet. But thats me not the car..

Probably not the most articulate argument you will ever hear.. But get one and you won't regret it..

[Beau111S]

I've had an S1 - Rover K series engine that ran faultlessly.
Wanted another Elise so went for S2 111S for 3 main reasons - Cheaper than a 111R, much better fuel economy - up to 10mpg more, and finally, the 0-60 was only 1 second slower but the gearing was such that the car felt more fun to drive. the 111r really comes good at over 6500 - 7000 revs.
I pick my car up tomorrow. It has just had its first set of tyres fitted and has 17000 mls on it. Don't you just love lady owners!
Small piece of advice - Norwich Union Direct 2/3rds the cost of anyone else plus they are doing 14 months insurance for the price of 12. Same deal on very cheap RAC cover too. Enjoy

[twpbugger]

havent driven one yet unfortunately. i will find it hard to drive it tidily im sure.

anyway, how much does a set of tyres knock u back then???

[MJK 24]

twpbugger said:

havent driven one yet unfortunately. i will find it hard to drive it tidily im sure. anyway, how much does a set of tyres knock u back then???

I paid £319 for 4 Dunlop SP9000's in May.

If you want to stick with the standard Bridgestones, you can easily stick another £120 - £150 on that.

Your front tyres will last twice as long as your rears normally. For the brakes, the reverse is true.

[kevin ritson]

Biggest worry engine-wise is head gasket failure, it's a known weak area with the engine, many theories why - radiator miles away from the engine, plastic locating dowels on earlier cars, plastic plenum on low power variants etc. However, it's been much-hyped by the internet and it's nowhere near the problems you'd get on a 1966 Elan, for example. Most cars are pretty reliable. Basically, keep an eye on temp and coolant levels and look after the engine - don't go above 3K revs when cold (temp below 85, + 10 mins for oil to catch up) and keep it serviced.

I bought mine from new and the rear tyres lasted 18,000 miles which is probably the upper end of the useage scale, although having said that I did 3 track days and a Stelvio trip on them. Rear Bridgestones cost between £110-£200 depending on whether you use a mobile fitter or a dealer.