Thinking of buying a Lotus Elise. Anyone have/had one?

[zerocool84]

You want to DD an Elise??? Well whatever creams your twinkie.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Interesting seeing Clarkson in one. I've checked a few out that I've seen around and they look like they'd be a blast to drive, if you could actually fit in one. Surprisingly Clarkson didn't look that cramped once he was inside. Before I would of never even attempted to get in one being 6'6", but after seeing that I'd take up the chance.

I've also seen a couple of Nobles around the area, which is about the same size as the Lotus, maybe a few hundred pounds more, and 400+ hp.

They have plenty of headroom once you get inside, it's getting in and out that's the problem and the taller you are, the more difficult it is to do this gracefully. I'm 5'11" and the first time I tried getting in one I had a hell of a time folding my legs up enough to actually get in it. I found a video online that helped quite a bit though. You put your right foot in and grab the steering wheel with your right hand, then you put your arse in next holding onto the door sill with your left hand and then you pull your left leg in. Getting out is the reverse.

You are literally trying to fold yourself through an opening that is maybe 2.5' tall, 3' wide and maybe 12 inches off the ground...did I mention the fact that the door sill is about 8" wide and the steering wheel is right in the way. Once you get in though everything is exactly where it should be and I wouldn't move or change a thing about this car.

People under 5'8" not wearing a mini-skirt should have little to no trouble entering or exiting this car.

 

[SSSnail]

If this is any other thing other than a track/weekend car, don't do it. If you live somewhere where the roads surface are reminiscent of the lunar surface, don't do it. If you mind the VERY spartan interior (read: bare panels, lacking everything else, go-cart like frame showing, chicken wire and netting...), don't do it. Otherwise, go for it. Oh, and if you do get one, engine transplant. K22 baby!

 

[JulesMaximus]

If this is any other thing other than a track/weekend car, don't do it. If you live somewhere where the roads surface are reminiscent of the lunar surface, don't do it. If you mind the VERY spartan interior (read: bare panels, lacking everything else, go-cart like frame showing, chicken wire and netting...), don't do it. Otherwise, go for it. Oh, and if you do get one, engine transplant. K22 baby!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QC9TtzDahRE&feature=related

 

[SSSnail]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QC9TtzDahRE&feature=related

Heh...K20.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i98OzHtXbW0

HONDA POWAH!!!

 

[Howard]

If this is any other thing other than a track/weekend car, don't do it. If you live somewhere where the roads surface are reminiscent of the lunar surface, don't do it. If you mind the VERY spartan interior (read: bare panels, lacking everything else, go-cart like frame showing, chicken wire and netting...), don't do it. Otherwise, go for it. Oh, and if you do get one, engine transplant. K22 baby!

What's a K22?

 

[SSSnail]

What's a K22?

K20. Read up. Too lazy to edit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqD9B027ZGA

 

[Apex]

Noble is what I want. I've seen most exotics. Never seen Noble in person.

Noble is the baddest car ~$100k IMO.

Nobles suck, don't they have like some Ford engine or something?

 

[AdamK47]

I've heard that they are junk cars.

 

[exdeath]

the 3800 pwned it........

but they were nicer than most competitors

3800 pwned everything, it's probably the best V6 ever made.

That's not to say that the Mustang V6s weren't in the same ballpark as a typical V6 (eg: ~200 HP).

300+ HP V6s are pretty new across the board in the last couple years for every manufacturer.

 

[AdamK47]

The 02 Monte Carlo SS my wife and I have has the 3800 Series II. It's pretty weak compared to the LSx cars I have, but I haven't had to do anything at all repair-wise to the engine in its 80,000 mile life. I drive the car most days. It's a nice car to drive where I don't care if it gets dirty or dinged.

 

[Fritzo]

I've heard that they are junk cars.

From who?

 

[punjabiplaya]

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...merica_for_less_than_100_000-comparison_tests

Lotus Elise SC got 2nd

edit: a little "reading" for our troll

 

[exdeath]

From who?

Our resident race car expert. There was another thread where he showed that a Camry was .1 s faster 0-60 and therefore faster and better than the Elise.

The Lotus is lackluster for its price, especially when it gets its ass handed to it by a Cobalt. It weighs next to nothing with a Corolla Engine in it. As exotic as it can get I'm sure.

I'm sure you think my Camry is fast too if you actually think a Lotus Elise is fast (and you did not drive the Exige S).

4.9 seconds? WOooooo, a whole 0.1 seconds under 5, and 1/2 second faster than a V6 family sedan. That's the cut off line for FAST LOTUS OH YAH and SLOW CAMRY YO... LOL!!! I think you can slap a charger on a Corolla and it would just as fast.

120mph? I cruised at that speed coming back from NYC in my 2 hour trip. Just yawning with the foot on the pedal is enough to bring any modern car with decent power beyond 100mph.

For any modern cars, you won't feel a thing going 130+. The funny thing is that the Camry I drive is electronically limited to 162mph, and the Elise is limited to 150.

Well, at least the Evora is going to be faster.

It's slow. Top speed at 150mph? Most Accords can go faster than that.

 

[thomsbrain]

That POS V6 was as powerful or more than competing V6s of the time (Toyota 1MZ < 200 hp, etc). Engines like the 2GR and VQ35 are relatively new as well. You act like everyone else had 400 hp v6s in 1999.

The 1998 V6 Mustang had 150 HP. The Accord had 200 from considerably less displacement and the Accord weighed the same despite being bigger. In 1999, Ford pumped up the girl-Stang to a whopping 190 HP... still less than the Accord.

Even the 2003 Mustang GT had only a 20 HP advantage over the Accord of the same year, and no significant weight advantage.

I think it's safe to say that Ford making competitive engines for the displacement/money is only a very recent development. And that's without taking reliability into account at all.

 

[thescreensavers]

The Camery/Celic/Matrix motor found in the Exige/Elise has something called Lift, its like Vtec but Toyotas Version of it. Makes it very fun to drive on a track.

I love VVTL-I

 

[zerocool84]

The 1998 V6 Mustang had 150 HP. The Accord had 200 from considerably less displacement and the Accord weighed the same despite being bigger. In 1999, Ford pumped up the girl-Stang to a whopping 190 HP... still less than the Accord.

Even the 2003 Mustang GT had only a 20 HP advantage over the Accord of the same year, and no significant weight advantage.

I think it's safe to say that Ford making competitive engines for the displacement/money is only a very recent development. And that's without taking reliability into account at all.

FYI there's more to an engine than HP. Torque and what RPM it makes it at makes a large difference in the feel of a car. There's a reason why you have to rev an Accord V6 higher to feel any oomph in the car compared to the Stang of the same year. I'm not saying one was better than the other but that's just how it is.

 

[punjabiplaya]

The Camery/Celic/Matrix motor found in the Exige/Elise has something called Lift, its like Vtec but Toyotas Version of it. Makes it very fun to drive on a track.

I love VVTL-I

vvtl-i kicked in yo just doesn't sound as good as vtec yo

 

[thescreensavers]

^ lol Its called lift


Variable Valve Timing Lift- Intelligence

Here is how it works.

http://www.toyotaegypt.com.eg/innovation/technology/engines/vvtl_i.asp

 

[exdeath]

vvtl-i kicked in yo just doesn't sound as good as vtec yo

VVTL-i sounds better IMO because when it kicks in, you get the sound of VVTL-i *AND* you also get the sound of vtec behind you as well.

 

[StageLeft]

[quotes...]

A lot of lulz in there.

 

[JulesMaximus]

K20. Read up. Too lazy to edit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqD9B027ZGA

Man, a track like Monza is the last place that would suit a Lotus Exige...even one as modded as that one is.

Still, that's a sick vid and he barely loses a second or so on that lap to the guy driving the Porsche.

 

[Fritzo]

Our resident race car expert. There was another thread where he showed that a Camry was .1 s faster 0-60 and therefore faster and better than the Elise.

I'm new around here...is he seriously comparing a Camry to a Lotus? Isn't that like a car parents buy their kids when they go to college?

And if he says "It only goes 150", remind me not to drive with him. Most people don't take their cars over 100 in their lifetimes. I'm not planning on taking this to the track. Just want something to drive all these twisty country roads we have around here with.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Heh...K20.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i98OzHtXbW0

HONDA POWAH!!!

Not sure what year that Exige is but the early Elise had an underpowered Rover engine in it. 177 wheel hp seems kind of low for that car.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I'm new around here...is he seriously comparing a Camry to a Lotus? Isn't that like a car parents buy their kids when they go to college?

And if he says "It only goes 150", remind me not to drive with him. Most people don't take their cars over 100 in their lifetimes. I'm not planning on taking this to the track. Just want something to drive all these twisty country roads we have around here with.

I wouldn't take a Camry to 150mph unless someone had a gun to my head. I have driven a Lotus Elise up to 120mph though and would have no problem pushing it a lot further...it felt that good.