I thought this thread was about Elise's not Caterhams.
At least a Scooby use's it's own engine and not a Rover lump.
Any way doesn't Lotus stand for;
Loads Of Trouble Usually Serious.

Juk

 

Lotus Elise is one sexy looking car, and with a little tinkering in the engine bay becomes even more fun.......

Would love to own one ( aswell as the Scooby)

J

 

Richard Askew wrote

oooh hark at him
...feel the breeze blowing thru my hair...now who's the nonce.....

I ask - What Hair ?

Fellow member of the Folically Challenged Subaru Impreza Drivers Club

[This message has been edited by Neil Micklethwaite (edited 17 August 2001).]

 

Without doubt a supercharged version like David`s is the ultimate Vidal Sassoon version.
Gives him something to talk to the old dears about whilst washing and blow drying

 

Still own a 145bhp VVC Elise (was selling it).

Recently bought an Impreza Turbo - Royal Silver with OZ Anthracite wheels off a P1

So, at the moment I have both.

My Elise has 208bhp/tonne, so it is no slouch and on Scottish roads, it is alot more involving and fun to drive than the Scoob

Fuel Consumption is also literally miles better!

The Scoob has fantastic grip in the wet and is a lot more practical, but given the choice my wife and I fight over the Elise keys.

Had some **** wanting to p/ex his P-reg MGF over on the Lotus BBS the other day. He couldn't have picked a worse place

Now that is a hairdresser's car. Along with MX5s.

Don't slag an Elise until you have driven one, preferably round a track.

 

Type RA's had no ABS I think you'll find..
Bloke over the road from my old mum's drum lives @ home with his retired parents, washes his Elise a lot 'n' drives it when it's dry enough Seems like a nice boy though..

 

My next road car will be an elise, but I'm keeping the soob as well. Does that mean I'm real man in touch with his femanine side?

 

Couldn't resist joining in. Impreza's look mean, drive mean and feel mean.

Those ponsy looking Elise's remind me of the cars I used to pull out of the christmas stocking and didn't know what to do with, oh wait a minute the suns come out.

Mark

 

Just had a new bath and being wondering what to do with the old bath tub. Maybe I could put a 120 bhp engine in it and 4 wheels and a steering wheel on it .

Actually, I do like elises just a shame I cant get in one and only has 2 seats , but I suppose I then wouldnt like it as much.

cheers

 

after following and overtaking several on a track day my opinion is that the elises are quick to around 70ish then are pretty slow afterwards. Went around corners well but most things were passing them on the straights.

 

Ok so the Elise is the more involving car at normal speeds. But you can't get into that banzai "destroy any road" zone that becomes 2nd nature when you are driving an Evo VI or hot scoob. And rain makes driving more fun, rather than forcing you to pootle about slower than a Vectra for fear of spinning.

I'd be interested to know why Elise owners chose one over a Caterham? (Not trying to wind you up, just a simple question).

 

.

[This message has been edited by Numptie (edited 17 August 2001).]

 

I heard that lift off oversteer can be a problem with Elises. Dunno if thats true or just a rumour.

 

"I'd be interested to know why Elise owners chose one over a Caterham? "

IMO, the Caterham is a race car compromised for the road whereas the elise is a road car compromised for the track. Bottom line is that the elise is a much better roadcar - the Caterham does not like country lanes especially when they are bumpy (as most of them are). The elise is also arguably better handling, or rather "sweeter" handling whereas the Caterham really gets its amazing laptimes from lightweight and stopping power as opposed to the calibre of its handling. Also, many people don't find teh Caterham desireable at all whereas Caterham owners love the whole retro open wheel look and probably dislike the elise design concept.

Without doubt though, the Caterham is a better and quicker trackday car.. even than the 340r but it does require a lot of concentration ... its not effortless like the elise. If sensory bombardment and laptimes are the ultimate aim then get the Caterham every time but most elise owners also want a car thats a bit practical as well. Many owners use theirs everyday.

"I heard that lift off oversteer can be a problem with Elises"

Lift off oversteer is not really a problem.. its a facet and one that you are going to get with any lightweight mid-engined sports car. Unless lots of understeer is dialled in it is going to bite at some point.

The elise variants differ quite a lot in how quickly they will snap into oversteer on the limit and to a certain extent owners can adjust their car to suit (with tyres, geometry settings, anti roll bar adjustment, roll steer settings or whatever its called).

The problem is that the Lotus test drivers tune their production cars to suit themselves. As they are extermely gifted drivers they can lift off oversteer and hold the slide forever but joe punter hasn't got a hope in hell of be able to do the same. That follows the whole point that en elise is a very very difficult car to drive at 10 or even 9/10th and thats why their speed on trackdays can be seen to vary so much. But if you come across a well driven one then beware.

 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by matt d:
<B>
I'd be interested to know why Elise owners chose one over a Caterham? (Not trying to wind you up, just a simple question).[/quote]

Never fancied being as open to the elements as that. I hardly ever take the roof off the Elise, so if the Elise was a coupe would you asking the same question?

Plus I am pretty sure that the ride quality of an Elise is way better than any 7.

 

Difference between Lotus & Subaru is that one makes sports cars and the other makes hotdog vans, see

 

I was quite happy when a friend of mine buught a 98 Elise, couldn't wait to get in it. It handled and went well, but what a disappointment. The roof (for want of a better word) allows water to pour in, not drip, pour. Like a tap. All over your clothes and the inside of the car. "Doesn't that bother you?" I asked, "not really" he said. It would bother me, almost £20k for a car that lets water pour in? My backside was aching after 20 minutes in the car but you probably get used to that. The suspension bottled out every chance it got, and I felt really unsafe in that cabin surrounded by plastic and no ABS. "Proper" sports car or not, call it what you will, but a road car without ABS is just madness in my opinon, think of other people if you don't care about yourself. It also had to go back a couple of times within a month of buying it for some brake problems. Don't know if the Elise suffers from the same Lotus reliability issues. Looks nice, definitely not for me.

Steve.

 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by stevencotton:
<B>I was quite happy when a friend of mine buught a 98 Elise, couldn't wait to get in it. It handled and went well, but what a disappointment. The roof (for want of a better word) allows water to pour in, not drip, pour. Like a tap. All over your clothes and the inside of the car. "Doesn't that bother you?" I asked, "not really" he said. It would bother me, almost £20k for a car that lets water pour in? My backside was aching after 20 minutes in the car but you probably get used to that. The suspension bottled out every chance it got, and I felt really unsafe in that cabin surrounded by plastic and no ABS. "Proper" sports car or not, call it what you will, but a road car without ABS is just madness in my opinon, think of other people if you don't care about yourself. It also had to go back a couple of times within a month of buying it for some brake problems. Don't know if the Elise suffers from the same Lotus reliability issues. Looks nice, definitely not for me.

Steve.[/quote]

98 Elise, never a DROP of water. It DOESN'T leak unless you have put the roof on wrong or you haven't closed the windows with the doors open. It's laughable that so many Elise owners don't know how to put the roof on properly.

Nothing has gone wrong with it either

 

Rich,

Mission Accomplished.

ChrisB.

 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by BT52b:
98 Elise, never a DROP of water. It DOESN'T leak unless you have put the roof on wrong or you haven't closed the windows with the doors open. It's laughable that so many Elise owners don't know how to put the roof on properly.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'm only writing my experiences, don't shout at me.

Steve.

 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by stevencotton:
<B> I'm only writing my experiences, don't shout at me.

Steve.[/quote]

Sorry, but I have heard that so many times, it's a bit of a cliche.

If you see/hear a loud Azure blue Elise in your neck of the woods you may throw a bucket of water at me (but not the bucket) or point a hose in my general direction.

Um, but only if the roof is up...

 

Sorry, where's the cliche? That I only write about my personal experiences and don't pass on conjecture and hearsay?

I'm not throwing water on your car, I know how long it takes to polish

Steve.

 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by HamsterWheel:
<B>Difference between Lotus & Subaru is that one makes sports cars and the other makes hotdog vans, see

 

Nooo the leaky roof thingy is a bit of a cliche.

You can throw water on it if it needs washing then. If you happen to be wandering around Herts with a bucket of water that is.

Oh and if you could add some cleaning stuff to the water that would be good...


<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by stevencotton:
<B>Sorry, where's the cliche? That I only write about my personal experiences and don't pass on conjecture and hearsay?

I'm not throwing water on your car, I know how long it takes to polish

Steve.[/quote]

 

Ahh got ya, sorry I didn't know it was a cliche, hence my confusion. I'll make sure I have a sponge on me at all times

Steve.

 

Just go out and buy a Vauxhall vx220, its quicker, handles better and is built by..... Lotus!!! (and i think its cheaper too!!)
or why not go for the Renault Spider, a rare car and one that would turn heads over the lotus (except you dont have a roof, radio etc).
These cars are not practical for everyday use, and there have been many reports that the roofs do leak and as per any rag top they do eventually leak
But for fun factor you cant beat this type of car (in summer of course) but all round use and practicality..... its got to be a scoob (ok im bias ) and i feel that if i had an elise on the path instead of the scoob the elise wouldnt be there now the cons of having cloth top v knife.

Tony
Ps, for all those "elise drivers" who think that impreza's stick to the road like glue and dont spin..... think again!! they do spin, they do loose grip and they do crunch its a car, all cars do this!!

 

Solution has to be, have both.
Well it's my solution anyway and I'm sticking to it.

 

Lift off oversteer huh????
Scoobies are notorious for it! just ask any one on this bbs who has stacked one, chances are it was an ill timed lift of the right foot that caused it. And as for paintwork, to be frank I would rather have Lotus' orange peel paintwork than none at all as I hav on my 4 month old sodding bumper
Subru paintwork..............but then thats a whole new thread.
Steve

 

elises ...nice pretty car, dont want one
scoobys..in sti form rapid,safe and addictive
r33 gtr....a REAL mans car

 

Agree with Turbo Spudgun.

Not too sure they are that spectacular on track, lack of power so agree with whoever wrote they struggle beyond 80 mph.

I also think they look like a kit car.

A bit impractical too.

Sound awful.

....and as fot the Elise, well....