triang Posted October 4, 2018 Report Share Posted October 4, 2018 Now let's get one thing straight there is NO comparison between the Elise ( S1 118bhp Rover engine with built in OMGHGF ) in terms of quality or technical design! But I'm talking about seat-of-pants feeling of how quick/agile they are. As the 3.2 S is marginally faster on paper I was thinking I'd feel a difference, which I do but not as much as I thought... Mind you I think it's down to physics and the acceleration of mass...the Lotus weighs little more than a couple of crisp packets and from the lights you feel the instant "woosh"...whereas you can feel the solidity and extra weight of the Boxster so I suspect that if you measured the 0-10 mph the Elise would be ahead? Any othe ex-Loti owners out there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the baron Posted October 4, 2018 Report Share Posted October 4, 2018 Had an Elise S1 for 5yrs sold it due to living in london for a year and didn’t feel confident it would survive on road parking. Went to an early Boxster and in many respects it’s very similar in handling and speed, it’s just more grown up, more creature comforts and more useable on a daily basis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody-g Posted October 4, 2018 Report Share Posted October 4, 2018 I had an Elise S1 for about 6 years before I part exchanged it for a 986 S, it was a brilliant drivers car but two hours was about as long as you'd want to drive it in one go, eventually succumbed to HGF paranoia and tired of the kit car feel. Parts and independent servicing for the Lotus were certainly a lot cheaper. Looking at the way Elise prices are going I now wish I'd kept it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uggski Posted October 4, 2018 Report Share Posted October 4, 2018 I had a S2 Elise 111s for 10 years. Set up right it had way better handling than the 986 I have now but the top speed was way down.I ran 205 tyres on Exige rims up front which along with a good geo, got rid of the under-steer most S2's suffered from. I also thought it was easier to drive fast. Comfort wise the boxster wins hands down. In fact the only reason I sold it was my wife has a bad back and battled to get in and especially out of the Elise. I got tired of doing trips alone. Hard to choose between them but I think the Elise is IMHO the better drivers car but the Boxster is a better allover package. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triang Posted October 5, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 5, 2018 Ha! Agree with your comments about the Elise - if only Lotus had used the Toyota engine from the start! The Elise S1 looked fantastic and getting in it felt like sitting on the startt line at Le Mans ... but... The Boxster is a far far far better proposition all round! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uggski Posted October 5, 2018 Report Share Posted October 5, 2018 I had the 111s. So it had the Rover engine. The Toyota was the R. Not a lot in it but I preferred it. Had low down grunt that the Toyota didn't seem to have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L40JRC Posted October 6, 2018 Report Share Posted October 6, 2018 I had an Elise S1 for around 6yrs; then scratched my TVR itch with a 4litre v8 which i wrote off and now have an 986 S. The Elise was phenomenal in terms of handling, better than the S and faster 0 - 60. But no creature comforts but then again, less to go wrong. The Elise in my ownership was cheap to run and very reliable. Amazing vehicle. I'd have another tomorrow if my wife could get in and out of it ha ha. The S, well, it's a totally different sports car, slower bottom end, but far more luxurious to own, a sense of superiority I suppose as people think it's an expensive car although we know different; apart from the running costs. The TVR was just a beast that would try and kill you if you went to fast around the twisties or pressed the loud pedal too much ha ha. They'll all different sports cars really, and all amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triang Posted October 6, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 6, 2018 1 hour ago, L40JRC said: if my wife could get in and out of Seems like a common sentiment. Actuyally my wife hated the Elise S1...more because of it being so spartan. She couldn't understand why a "prestige" sports car should have no carpets, no cup holders,no radio, no air-con etc. Bless her! If fact she said "It's like sitting on one of those cheap plastic school seats with the legs sawn off - in a fiberglass bath with a lawnmower engine roaring away behind your head" She never forgave me for selling the BMW Z3 to buy it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EXY Posted October 7, 2018 Report Share Posted October 7, 2018 22 hours ago, triang said: Seems like a common sentiment. Actuyally my wife hated the Elise S1...more because of it being so spartan. She couldn't understand why a "prestige" sports car should have no carpets, no cup holders,no radio, no air-con etc. Bless her! If fact she said "It's like sitting on one of those cheap plastic school seats with the legs sawn off - in a fiberglass bath with a lawnmower engine roaring away behind your head" She never forgave me for selling the BMW Z3 to buy it... Your wife sounds like the sensible one to me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SDF1965 Posted October 7, 2018 Report Share Posted October 7, 2018 I can concur with a number of the previous comments, owned an Elise S1 111S that had the VVC engine and close ratio box, very quick, looked great but...2 to 3 hours tops simply due to the sensory assault you’d be going through. Followed up with a TVR 280 s ....spent more time working on it than driving it, got rid and bought a VX220, swapped to an Elise s2 , went back to a VX220, would still have it if not written off which led to the purchase of the 986s Elise / VX220 very similar, light, nimble, felt quick , the TVR was simply a brute, sounded great but didn’t inspire confidence(when it was running!!) The 986s is far more civilised and needs a different driving style, doesn’t really come alive until you hit 3500 revs and that is when you start to appreciate the performance of these cars. downside, in the Porsche i’m rarely let out of side roads etc, in the Elise /VX other road users were so polite ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nath Posted October 7, 2018 Report Share Posted October 7, 2018 I still have an S1 although it is currently sitting in storage back in Sydney. It has a K20 Honda motor in it so not original but not prone to HGF and almost twice as powerful. Love it! They are two totally different cars at the end of the day. Boxster is loads more refined and easily does long distance touring. That said, I have done several hours in the Lotus in a day (about 400 miles) and felt fine afterwards with a pair of noise cancelling earphones. Without the earphones it is not as pleasant and found myself much more tired. To me the Lotus is much more of an event - sitting on the floor with no carpet and no driver aids (eg ABS, traction control, assisted steering and brakes, air-con...). I think it comes down to the lack of mass and directness of all of the inputs - there isn't any computer sitting between you and the outputs apart from the ECU controlling the engine. However, I hope to take the Boxster back with me and have the best of both worlds. The reality is you can tour very comfortably with the Boxster but will really struggle two up in the Elise. In this scenario the Elise will be a fine weather day tripper (it does leak!) and for track days while the Boxster will be for weekends away (and longer). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spinjim Posted October 7, 2018 Report Share Posted October 7, 2018 I had an S2 with the 134bhp Toyota engine. Exellent design and the handling was amazing, the entry speed into corners was stupid. The engine has to be pushed to get any power from it I got fed up with the bad build quality so sold it after 18 months. ‘The wife hated it, ever tried to exit a car park in one Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edc Posted October 7, 2018 Report Share Posted October 7, 2018 I like the idea of a newer Exige V6. It has a 6 cylinder engine for a start. It seems to be a bit closer in terms of refinement to a 986, less kit car, a bit more useable more of the time than S1/2 Elise/Exige but the storage space again seems like an afterthought. If you wanted to go away for a weekend or do a driving trip you're pretty stuffed. A few years back I did a week Euro trip. All cars were one up but the Elise driver still needed a soft holdall in the front foot well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triang Posted October 8, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2018 16 hours ago, SDF1965 said: downside, in the Porsche i’m rarely let out of side roads etc, in the Elise /VX other road users were so polite ? Ha... My problem with other drivers in the Elise S1 was that it was "Norfok Mustard" ...ie bright yellow...looked good on the car but... It seemed to bring the worst out in other drivers...being challenged to races by berks in Subarus on fast A roads at night and in town other drivers seemed annoyed - especially old "Victor Meldrews" in beaten up Hondas who tooted you with glee at the merest infraction...once my front numberplate fell off in a supermarket car park and I had to pull into a disabled space as it was stuck underneath...the abuse I got by twits thinking I was a flash git trying to park in a disabled space! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SDF1965 Posted October 8, 2018 Report Share Posted October 8, 2018 I thought Norfolk Mustard was a great colour, they also do the lime green, first VX was canary yellow, certainly stood out and yes, numpties in their Scoobies, Evos etc..I’d simply let them go Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triang Posted October 8, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2018 4 hours ago, SDF1965 said: I thought Norfolk Mustard was a great colour, they also do the lime green, first VX was canary yellow, certainly stood out and yes, numpties in their Scoobies, Evos etc..I’d simply let them go Yes - certainly wasn't in the mood at 2am on the A11 returning to London from Norwich - sh*g tired with my daughter in the car... this particlar numptie slowed down in front of me straddling the white line on a two lane A road then pulled into the left only to straddle again to prevent me overtaking...great...the only way I could stop a potentially dangerous situation was to slow right down , stop and wait in a layby for 2 minutes whilst he effed off!...Grrr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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