Elise SC or Porsche Spyder
Discussion
I currently have an S2 Elise S. Looking to spend some cash for another "fun car" certainly not a daily driver.
Im torn between another Elise which would have to be a late model production S2 Elise SC or the much praised Porsche Boxster Spyder.
Both very different but similar in a lot of ways.....apart from the raggy tops which are not an issue as I dont drive with them on.
Please feel free to fire your views at me.
Obviously residuals are a strong consideration
Im torn between another Elise which would have to be a late model production S2 Elise SC or the much praised Porsche Boxster Spyder.
Both very different but similar in a lot of ways.....apart from the raggy tops which are not an issue as I dont drive with them on.
Please feel free to fire your views at me.
Obviously residuals are a strong consideration
Dare or be square. Id go Lotus every time but admit to it not being a rational decision. It comes more from the heart. I see Porches every day, so they become 'mundane' and unintersting. Depends what you want, but if you want the 'wow' factor, it cant be germanic engineering. Thats not to deny the quality of the cars, more for what they stand for-at least in my eyes. Have fun making your choice.
kambites said:
The Lotus will drive better.
The Porsche will do everything else better.
Which do you want?
Lotus will be more responsive and immediate but less well balanced on the limit or progressive when it looses grip /Porker easier to drift. Haven't driven a Spyder but the S is extremely good with PASM.The Porsche will do everything else better.
Which do you want?
I'd try the Porsche - you'll get more perspective from trying something different. SC is only a faster S with worse engine mapping.
Edited by donna180 on Friday 28th January 22:48
if you are worried about residuals, stick to cars over 3 years old ...so that means waiting a bit longer for now on either
then get the Porsche for something different, you can always come back to Lotus later..otherwise you will always wonder what it was like...the Elise is just more of the same, but quicker
then get the Porsche for something different, you can always come back to Lotus later..otherwise you will always wonder what it was like...the Elise is just more of the same, but quicker
When Andrew Frankel (a Porsche and Elise enthusiast) tested the Elise SC, he concluded that the S2 Elise 'S' was everything anyone could want in an Elise, and the Supercharger didn't necessarily improve the qualities that make the Elise a great driver's car. And I would agree with that.
Personally, I love the Elise, but £40k is a lot of money for one. At that level, I'd be looking for the greater sophistication of a Boxster 'S' or Spyder.
Personally, I love the Elise, but £40k is a lot of money for one. At that level, I'd be looking for the greater sophistication of a Boxster 'S' or Spyder.
Don't buy the Porsche, had a Cayman S and driven loads of Boxster's, for 10k less you'll get the latest shape Elise SC I.e. 2.5 or whatever they call it
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2091134.htm
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1701034.htm
Boggy
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2091134.htm
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1701034.htm
Boggy
I used to have an Elise 111R and changed it last summer for an Elise SC ( my fifth Elise) - absolutely fantastic car with power all the way through, rather than coming in at 6,250rpm in the 111R
I've had a lot of Porsches ( mainly 911's and never a Boxster) and really enjoy them - ideal for trans- european jaunts - having said that we drove over the Alps and down to San Marino for the Mille Miglia in the 111R a couple of years ago.
If I want to drive something I really really enjoy I'd take to Elise SC everyday - the Boxster's just too normal !
I've had a lot of Porsches ( mainly 911's and never a Boxster) and really enjoy them - ideal for trans- european jaunts - having said that we drove over the Alps and down to San Marino for the Mille Miglia in the 111R a couple of years ago.
If I want to drive something I really really enjoy I'd take to Elise SC everyday - the Boxster's just too normal !
The reviews of the Porsche Spyder suggest it might be the better buy. 1250Kg & 320bhp for £45k vs 875Kg & 218bhp for £32k...
I personally could never justify spending more than £30k on an Elise. Might be worth looking out for an S2 Elise that's been converted to Honda or Audi power, these can be snapped up for almost half of what you'll pay for an Elise SC.
I personally could never justify spending more than £30k on an Elise. Might be worth looking out for an S2 Elise that's been converted to Honda or Audi power, these can be snapped up for almost half of what you'll pay for an Elise SC.
Porches are for bloated old fools who have more cents than sense 
Lets cut to the chase here.
The boxster spyder is a farce. It may drive well but so does a Boxster S and it's no quicker than a boxster S. It has a hopeless, pointlessly rubbish roof design that's considerably worse than either the one you get in the Boxster S and the Elise. I think it's the germans' idea of a joke and therefore not funny at all. It will drive you bonkers. I think it's porsche trying to engineer 'character' which tells you a lot about what they think it lacks. The fabric door pulls are really stupid too. They weigh no less than the normal door pull. I'd find them embarassing.
The spyder I'm sure drives well if you're a journo and don't have to live with it, I can see on a foreign launch on a perfect day, why you might give it a good write-up. But to live with, you are honestly much better off with a standard Boxster. Which is a fine, brisk, dependable means of open air transport. A car of undeniable quality. But it is a bit boring and people will hate you (it doesn't inspire as much wrath from the general public as a 911 but it's still a porsche). But the residuals won't be great. It's a total myth about porsches holding their value. Just look at the deals to be had out there on 2007/8 cars. You will take an absolute bath on a 'spyder'.
In contrast it's your last chance to get an Elise SC. They won't be making any more when the current stock is gone (the brilliant toyota ZZGE engine is too much fun for Euro regs). The new facelift Elise SC's are rare and the RGB edition will go down as the last and best of its kind. If it was my money I'd be getting an RGB Elise, no question. Probably in white. But you'll have to be quick!
One day you'll be too old and arthritic to get in an Elise and you'll have to drive a boxster. So no point in doing it prematurely!
The boxster spyder is a farce. It may drive well but so does a Boxster S and it's no quicker than a boxster S. It has a hopeless, pointlessly rubbish roof design that's considerably worse than either the one you get in the Boxster S and the Elise. I think it's the germans' idea of a joke and therefore not funny at all. It will drive you bonkers. I think it's porsche trying to engineer 'character' which tells you a lot about what they think it lacks. The fabric door pulls are really stupid too. They weigh no less than the normal door pull. I'd find them embarassing.
The spyder I'm sure drives well if you're a journo and don't have to live with it, I can see on a foreign launch on a perfect day, why you might give it a good write-up. But to live with, you are honestly much better off with a standard Boxster. Which is a fine, brisk, dependable means of open air transport. A car of undeniable quality. But it is a bit boring and people will hate you (it doesn't inspire as much wrath from the general public as a 911 but it's still a porsche). But the residuals won't be great. It's a total myth about porsches holding their value. Just look at the deals to be had out there on 2007/8 cars. You will take an absolute bath on a 'spyder'.
In contrast it's your last chance to get an Elise SC. They won't be making any more when the current stock is gone (the brilliant toyota ZZGE engine is too much fun for Euro regs). The new facelift Elise SC's are rare and the RGB edition will go down as the last and best of its kind. If it was my money I'd be getting an RGB Elise, no question. Probably in white. But you'll have to be quick!
One day you'll be too old and arthritic to get in an Elise and you'll have to drive a boxster. So no point in doing it prematurely!
The Pits said:
Lets cut to the chase here.
The boxster spyder is a farce. It may drive well but so does a Boxster S and it's no quicker than a boxster S. It has a hopeless, pointlessly rubbish roof design that's considerably worse than either the one you get in the Boxster S and the Elise. I think it's the germans' idea of a joke and therefore not funny at all. It will drive you bonkers. I think it's porsche trying to engineer 'character' which tells you a lot about what they think it lacks. The fabric door pulls are really stupid too. They weigh no less than the normal door pull. I'd find them embarassing.
The spyder I'm sure drives well if you're a journo and don't have to live with it, I can see on a foreign launch on a perfect day, why you might give it a good write-up. But to live with, you are honestly much better off with a standard Boxster. Which is a fine, brisk, dependable means of open air transport. A car of undeniable quality. But it is a bit boring and people will hate you (it doesn't inspire as much wrath from the general public as a 911 but it's still a porsche). But the residuals won't be great. It's a total myth about porsches holding their value. Just look at the deals to be had out there on 2007/8 cars. You will take an absolute bath on a 'spyder'.
In contrast it's your last chance to get an Elise SC. They won't be making any more when the current stock is gone (the brilliant toyota ZZGE engine is too much fun for Euro regs). The new facelift Elise SC's are rare and the RGB edition will go down as the last and best of its kind. If it was my money I'd be getting an RGB Elise, no question. Probably in white. But you'll have to be quick!
One day you'll be too old and arthritic to get in an Elise and you'll have to drive a boxster. So no point in doing it prematurely!
I like this man!The boxster spyder is a farce. It may drive well but so does a Boxster S and it's no quicker than a boxster S. It has a hopeless, pointlessly rubbish roof design that's considerably worse than either the one you get in the Boxster S and the Elise. I think it's the germans' idea of a joke and therefore not funny at all. It will drive you bonkers. I think it's porsche trying to engineer 'character' which tells you a lot about what they think it lacks. The fabric door pulls are really stupid too. They weigh no less than the normal door pull. I'd find them embarassing.
The spyder I'm sure drives well if you're a journo and don't have to live with it, I can see on a foreign launch on a perfect day, why you might give it a good write-up. But to live with, you are honestly much better off with a standard Boxster. Which is a fine, brisk, dependable means of open air transport. A car of undeniable quality. But it is a bit boring and people will hate you (it doesn't inspire as much wrath from the general public as a 911 but it's still a porsche). But the residuals won't be great. It's a total myth about porsches holding their value. Just look at the deals to be had out there on 2007/8 cars. You will take an absolute bath on a 'spyder'.
In contrast it's your last chance to get an Elise SC. They won't be making any more when the current stock is gone (the brilliant toyota ZZGE engine is too much fun for Euro regs). The new facelift Elise SC's are rare and the RGB edition will go down as the last and best of its kind. If it was my money I'd be getting an RGB Elise, no question. Probably in white. But you'll have to be quick!
One day you'll be too old and arthritic to get in an Elise and you'll have to drive a boxster. So no point in doing it prematurely!
Porsche spyder? - Buy that and you know you like having porsche take the piss out of you! How much? They charge you that much for "lightening" the car when it should be even lighter in the first place!
Well Ive stuck to what I know and just put my money on a new Elise SC series 2.5 with sport and touring pack.
Ive pondered far too long and hard over whether the Spyder would be the car I wanted to be and whether I could live with 50k sat doing nowt in the garage for a big lump of the time. Im not brave enough to take a punt on one only to find I dont get the same thrill as I do in the elise.
Im sure residuals on the spyder will be strong. The fact that buyers are snapping a summer time car up in January leaving only a couple of Spyders to choose from is perhaps an indictment on how good a car people expect them to be.However Ive taken the view that if Im to swap the elise then the last of the 1.8 engine in the SC of the facelift model is perhaps a good one to go for so thats where Ive put my money.
Just waiting for March 1 now for delivery
Ive pondered far too long and hard over whether the Spyder would be the car I wanted to be and whether I could live with 50k sat doing nowt in the garage for a big lump of the time. Im not brave enough to take a punt on one only to find I dont get the same thrill as I do in the elise.
Im sure residuals on the spyder will be strong. The fact that buyers are snapping a summer time car up in January leaving only a couple of Spyders to choose from is perhaps an indictment on how good a car people expect them to be.However Ive taken the view that if Im to swap the elise then the last of the 1.8 engine in the SC of the facelift model is perhaps a good one to go for so thats where Ive put my money.
Just waiting for March 1 now for delivery
Congratulations, I'm certain you've done the right thing. Particularly if you already like Elises.
The boxster tends to appeal most to people who find the Elise too extreme, hard to get in and out of etc. and it's safe to assume you've got past all that.
The two cars make a very interesting comparison. You have a usable, brilliant all rounder (boxster) made more focused and less usable (spyder) versus an utterly focused car made more usable (Elise). I think you'll be surprised at what a capable GT car the SC can be, compared to the one you currently own. In fact I'd wager you find it too refined as standard (easily fixed with a sports exhaust).
But the no brainer for me when it comes to an ownership proposition is the quite brilliant roof design of later Elises (2006 onwards?) in comparison to the Spyder's deliberately fiddly millets tent design. The elise roof weighs nothing, it doesn't leak and is on and off in seconds. You can and should also get a hard top for use in the UK in winter.
You have also seen the plans for Lotus's future which don't really include cars like the brilliant Elise (if they ever happen), so your timing could be spot on. It's also very easy to have your car uprated to around 280bhp should you ever feel inclined and that will out-accelerate a 911 GT3, nevermind Boxster S.
The boxster tends to appeal most to people who find the Elise too extreme, hard to get in and out of etc. and it's safe to assume you've got past all that.
The two cars make a very interesting comparison. You have a usable, brilliant all rounder (boxster) made more focused and less usable (spyder) versus an utterly focused car made more usable (Elise). I think you'll be surprised at what a capable GT car the SC can be, compared to the one you currently own. In fact I'd wager you find it too refined as standard (easily fixed with a sports exhaust).
But the no brainer for me when it comes to an ownership proposition is the quite brilliant roof design of later Elises (2006 onwards?) in comparison to the Spyder's deliberately fiddly millets tent design. The elise roof weighs nothing, it doesn't leak and is on and off in seconds. You can and should also get a hard top for use in the UK in winter.
You have also seen the plans for Lotus's future which don't really include cars like the brilliant Elise (if they ever happen), so your timing could be spot on. It's also very easy to have your car uprated to around 280bhp should you ever feel inclined and that will out-accelerate a 911 GT3, nevermind Boxster S.
Thanks for your comments Pits. I am interested to experience the Sports Pack, my understanding of it is that it is basically a slightly tauter suspension set up (10% stiffer seems to be the general view) along with twin oil coolers (cant see me taking them to the max)I cant find information on any other bits in the pack. It seems they used to put AO48s on previous models but I think they are back on AD07s.
The car comes with the pack so its a bit of a Hobsons choice on it!!!
The car comes with the pack so its a bit of a Hobsons choice on it!!!
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