RE: Elise S2 Tested
Thursday 21st March 2002
Elise S2 Tested
With the Elise heading to the USA, who better to try out the Elise S2 than an American? Robert Farago does that deed.
Discussion
Just a humble American wondering when I can hope for the Elise's debut as an American street legal car. Anybody have more information on that?
As far as the artilce, it only serves to increase my "Pavlov" reaction to this vehicle. Leave it to the Brits to outdo everybody in the Roadster market...
>> Edited by trebax on Thursday 21st March 09:50
As far as the artilce, it only serves to increase my "Pavlov" reaction to this vehicle. Leave it to the Brits to outdo everybody in the Roadster market...
>> Edited by trebax on Thursday 21st March 09:50
adeewolf:
god I hope that autocar is right on that one. 189 bhp toyota engine? Thats going to be alot of fun. does anyone have any confirmation on this outside autocar?
trebax:
The elise is supposed to be over here in september 2003. your local lotus dealer will take a deposit. (I put 1k down last month to be third in line at Thousand Oaks Lotus (CA)
god I hope that autocar is right on that one. 189 bhp toyota engine? Thats going to be alot of fun. does anyone have any confirmation on this outside autocar?
trebax:
The elise is supposed to be over here in september 2003. your local lotus dealer will take a deposit. (I put 1k down last month to be third in line at Thousand Oaks Lotus (CA)
I'm impressed by the fact Mr. Farago insists on how it's impossible to get into the car unless you're small enough. Once I had a sit in one, eventually I managed to make myself comfortable although I'm 1m92 tall (sorry, I don't know what's that in old money), which is well over the average for men.
How tall are you Elise drivers? Is Mr Farago a giant?
>> Edited by thom on Thursday 21st March 17:04
How tall are you Elise drivers? Is Mr Farago a giant?
>> Edited by thom on Thursday 21st March 17:04
I agree with most of what was said about the Elise. Having owned a '98 model and driven the S2 I know you are going to love it.
One cultural observation. In the UK we do not regard a 1.8 litre (liter) engine as "tiny". If American cars weren't so similar to supertankers they wouldn't need such huge, lazy, fuel guzzling motors. My advice - buy more European cars - they will improve your quality of life and address, to some extent, the absurd energy consumption which your meaningless targets do little to curb. Try petrol at £4 a gallon, that would make you reconsider your choice of cars.
For info. There is a rumour that the US Elise will get the Toyota VVTi engine (140/190 BHP). Also a "tiny" 1.8 but probably a better engine than the Rover.
One cultural observation. In the UK we do not regard a 1.8 litre (liter) engine as "tiny". If American cars weren't so similar to supertankers they wouldn't need such huge, lazy, fuel guzzling motors. My advice - buy more European cars - they will improve your quality of life and address, to some extent, the absurd energy consumption which your meaningless targets do little to curb. Try petrol at £4 a gallon, that would make you reconsider your choice of cars.
For info. There is a rumour that the US Elise will get the Toyota VVTi engine (140/190 BHP). Also a "tiny" 1.8 but probably a better engine than the Rover.
An Excellent article about an excellent car.
The sylying is growing on me, its not timless like the origanl and will probably date more but it is more agressive.
One thing I like that wasnt mentioned is the hard top with gull wing portions in it, they hinge up at the centre so its easier to get in and out.
The sills are lower than on a series one so surely its easier to get in and out of than the original
The sylying is growing on me, its not timless like the origanl and will probably date more but it is more agressive.
One thing I like that wasnt mentioned is the hard top with gull wing portions in it, they hinge up at the centre so its easier to get in and out.
The sills are lower than on a series one so surely its easier to get in and out of than the original
Ive been in and out an Elise and its not hard unless you are 6ft wide or 108 it is a doddle with the roof on or off especialy with the roof off because you can jump over the doors .I know a good way of getting in put one foot in,hold on to the pillar,put your other foot on the sill and slide in and to get out hold on and slide out
Good article. Hope the Elise does make it to the US. Have met quite a few Americans on my travels around Europe who are 'head-over-heels' about the Elise. It seems that many can appreciate the lightness, nimbleness, and subtlety of the 'minimalist-school-of-motoring'!
One thing I always wonder about is why road-test reporters make such a big deal about the supposed lack of practicality & that the entry to/exit from the Elise is "neigh on impossible" or "for young, slim, gymnasts only" etc.
Firstly, I both circuit race my Elise and do long road trips across UK & mainland Europe. The road trips are invariably two-up, as my girlfriend accompanies me.
When I 'convert' the car from road-to-track guise I simply remove the passenger seat and harnesses, put the roll cage's diagonal cross brace, change the wheels and tyres (lighter & stickier) and replace the handheld fire extinguisher with the plumbed in system.
Oh yes, and I put the carbon-fibre hardtop on as it gives a slight aerodynamic advantage.
When we travel long distances;
London to Italy and back (via France, Belguim, Germany, Austria, Switzerland) and Spain, Portugal and Andorra for 2500 miles, as recent examples, we manage to pack daily changes of clean clothing for two people for 10 - 15 days. And no we don't share clothes :-)
I've even managed more formal attire (Jacket & tie) for long weekend social trips to events in France. At the other end of the scale, have also taken passenger, tent, two sleeping bags, etc. and gone camping in Devon.
So - who says its impractical? Though obviously you don't have the same capacity as saloons or estates (station wagons)so you just need to pack more carefully and utilise all the space.
Now the "young, skinny, gymnast.." bit;
I'm 6ft1, weigh over 15 stone and play rugby. I can slide into and out of the Elise with or without the hard top one, and with or with the passenger already in the cabin. It really is all a matter of technique - hard to describe but having shown some people they then tend to agree that entry/exit isn't really that bad. Again, of course it can never compare to stepping up into a Range Rover, but a Range Rover can't go round a track like an Elise and still give 30+ mpg all day long on the roads. It really is horses for courses. I'm pretty sure that once many Americans try the Lotus Elise they'll be amazed at what such a relatively underpowered car can do. Trackwise I regularly have great fun battles with race prepared Porsche 911s with their 3.2 and 3.6 litre engines, far more power and torque. When it comes to the corners.....
One thing I always wonder about is why road-test reporters make such a big deal about the supposed lack of practicality & that the entry to/exit from the Elise is "neigh on impossible" or "for young, slim, gymnasts only" etc.
Firstly, I both circuit race my Elise and do long road trips across UK & mainland Europe. The road trips are invariably two-up, as my girlfriend accompanies me.
When I 'convert' the car from road-to-track guise I simply remove the passenger seat and harnesses, put the roll cage's diagonal cross brace, change the wheels and tyres (lighter & stickier) and replace the handheld fire extinguisher with the plumbed in system.
Oh yes, and I put the carbon-fibre hardtop on as it gives a slight aerodynamic advantage.
When we travel long distances;
London to Italy and back (via France, Belguim, Germany, Austria, Switzerland) and Spain, Portugal and Andorra for 2500 miles, as recent examples, we manage to pack daily changes of clean clothing for two people for 10 - 15 days. And no we don't share clothes :-)
I've even managed more formal attire (Jacket & tie) for long weekend social trips to events in France. At the other end of the scale, have also taken passenger, tent, two sleeping bags, etc. and gone camping in Devon.
So - who says its impractical? Though obviously you don't have the same capacity as saloons or estates (station wagons)so you just need to pack more carefully and utilise all the space.
Now the "young, skinny, gymnast.." bit;
I'm 6ft1, weigh over 15 stone and play rugby. I can slide into and out of the Elise with or without the hard top one, and with or with the passenger already in the cabin. It really is all a matter of technique - hard to describe but having shown some people they then tend to agree that entry/exit isn't really that bad. Again, of course it can never compare to stepping up into a Range Rover, but a Range Rover can't go round a track like an Elise and still give 30+ mpg all day long on the roads. It really is horses for courses. I'm pretty sure that once many Americans try the Lotus Elise they'll be amazed at what such a relatively underpowered car can do. Trackwise I regularly have great fun battles with race prepared Porsche 911s with their 3.2 and 3.6 litre engines, far more power and torque. When it comes to the corners.....
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