2003 S2 Lotus Elise 111s

[HorneyMX5]

As impulse purchases go, this was an expensive one. I also now have 3 sports cars (ND Mx5 & RX8) which is frankly ridiculous. Anyway, welcome to fleet little lotus.

Edited by HorneyMX5 on Monday 20th May 11:30

[Mr E]

A fine choice. Like the blue seats.

[Joehow]

Lovely little car, really interested to see how you get on with it given your MX5 ownership and having gone the other way.

[Let off some steam Bennett]

Very nice

[Tickle]

Nice!

[HorneyMX5]

1 Month and 1000 miles completed.

I did a vid of collection day:



I wish I'd bought one of these years ago. Everything you read and hear about these is true, dreadful cliches like "driving Nirvana" and "Extension of your limbs" are annoyingly accurate. I get out of this and into either the RX8 or MX5 and its the same feeling after you have been karting, the Mazdas feel floppy and vague.

I have done a track day already:



I'm really enjoying learning the different driving style required with rear mid engined weight distribution. It's much easier to get it to rotate on a trail brake than the mazdas, however getting the amount of rotation correct is much harder. Nail it and you find yourself fired at the apex and an early throttle can be picked up to rocket you out, get it wrong and you quickly discover that an Elise has much less steering lock than an MX5!

I have no idea when it last had an alignment so that's quite high up on the list of things to do.

Next up is Coventry Motofest where I'm doing the Sprint on the ring road on Saturday. If you're at the event do feel free to come and say hi! Easy to spot, I think I'm the only Lotus competing and I look like santa.

Here's some recent pics:

[HorneyMX5]

Coventry Motofest sprint was a laugh and bagged a trophy (because I was in class of one lol).

[HorneyMX5]

Untitled by Nicholas Horne, on Flickr

Untitled by Nicholas Horne, on Flickr

Untitled by Nicholas Horne, on Flickr

Untitled by Nicholas Horne, on Flickr

Untitled by Nicholas Horne, on Flickr

[HorneyMX5]

With its stable mates.

[DanielSan]

Seeing your insta really isn't helping me to not make a terrible financial decision and buying one of these/a VX220 when I really shouldn't at the moment

[trails]

First go in an Elise is a real eye opener isn't it!

Big question is will the Mazda be staying, or do you need a new user name

[HorneyMX5]

trails said:

First go in an Elise is a real eye opener isn't it!

Big question is will the Mazda be staying, or do you need a new user name

The MX5 is 100% staying. It’s my daily and I use it for a lot of work trips up and down the UK.

I’d like to keep the RX8 as I love the rotary engine and it is my only sensible car that can carry 4 adults in comfort. It depends how finances go over the summer to see if stays on the fleet.

[HorneyMX5]

DanielSan said:

Seeing your insta really isn't helping me to not make a terrible financial decision and buying one of these/a VX220 when I really shouldn't at the moment

Man maths says Elise’s don’t depreciate.

[trails]

HorneyMX5 said:

The MX5 is 100% staying. It’s my daily and I use it for a lot of work trips up and down the UK.

I’d like to keep the RX8 as I love the rotary engine and it is my only sensible car that can carry 4 adults in comfort. It depends how finances go over the summer to see if stays on the fleet.

Best of luck keeping them all together, they all certainly do different things

[HorneyMX5]

Couple of pics of the car at the Newlands Corner meet today.

Untitled by Nicholas Horne, on Flickr

Untitled by Nicholas Horne, on Flickr

Untitled by Nicholas Horne, on Flickr

[isleofthorns]

I had a similar 111s.... was a proper lightweight, wind-up windows etc.

I sold it to get more power...

have now got a gt4 - which is great - but I still really miss the 111s and keep looking at the classifieds..

[Tickle]

Jayemm has just done a YouTube upload on the S2 111S, very complimentary on it, and rightly so.

[HorneyMX5]

James’ video was really good, enjoyed it.

I organised a Curborough day and my friend is a great photographer.

[HorneyMX5]

More cool pics from my mate Alex.

Had a great day doing 3 meets in one day.

1st up the West Berks Cars & Coffee



Then Podium Place to grab some coffee



And finally C&M The Hut for the f1.

[HorneyMX5]

September has been another bust month of Lotusing.

I competed at Curborough for my first ever official MSUK Sprint there, having done double digit track days at the venue over the last 10 years. 3 Lotus Elises in class and I came 2nd. Pretty happy with that, I was the only on on List 1A tyres so not coming last was an achievement. No video because the scrutineer didn't like my camera mount.

by Nicholas Horne, on Flickr

by Nicholas Horne, on Flickr

Untitled by Nicholas Horne, on Flickr

by Nicholas Horne, on Flickr

I've also been out to numerous meet ups and just generally driving the wheels off it.

by Nicholas Horne, on Flickr

by Nicholas Horne, on Flickr

by Nicholas Horne, on Flickr

Finally another Curborough photo. This one is from an August track day where I hired the circuit. I love how this car moves around over the limit. You can't see it, but inside that helmet I am grinning like a Cheshire cat.

by Nicholas Horne, on Flickr

October I'm doing the FDMC Eelmoor sprint, sadly no pics or video from that as it's MOD land and they say no these days. I'm also pondering entering the Pegesus sprint at Combe later in the month.