Update : Lotus Elise or Similar Car

[DaniD]

Never driven one, but I think its ugly looks are awesome. Future Classic?

Everytime I look at this car all I can think is....ambigously gay duo!

[ROBsS4R]

Okay

With the extensive research I have done online I have selected 3 candidates..... Now I need to go drive them

05 Lotus Elise
This one really calls my name. Looks like a Million Buck. It is light, fast and Nimble and a head turner. Faster than the M S52 and near equal to the M S54. The cost is in the low 30ks



M Roadster S52 or S54 ?
All though I want the S54 which is very hard to find the difference is performance is a few tenths of a Second I have read for the additional Premium. I do not know if its is worth it. Many People think its a rather Fugly car and out of the 3 I have listed it very well be the least reliable from what I have read. You can find the M coupes 20k - 30k



S2000 Any Year
I did lots of research and you cant really go wrong with any year. They change the rev limiter in the newer models. This is the slowest between my 3 selections with a 0 to 60 of 5.8 Seconds but the biggest bang for the buck. Engine is bullet proof. You can find a huge assortment of them between 10k - 20k



Comments 

[sno_duc]

Sports cars like motorcycles have to reach you at an emotional level.
What I consider drop dead gorgeous is different from what you or anyone else does.
You'll know when you have found "your" car.

[Bun-bun]

  Good choices. Now go drive and let your butt decide.

[Le Pirate]

All three are beautiful cars....but that damn lotus is like a siren that won't stop calling my name 


probably the least practical of the three, but I have to give it my vote...it's making me

[sqweak]

drive the bimmer and the s2000 FIRST.  Then go drive (and inevitably buy ) the Lotus.  You'll see.

[raulduke]

I owned a 2005 Elise and currently own a 2007 Exige S.  I am 6 ft and 210lbs...I can get in and out.  They are wonderful cars.  I drive my Exige every day...and yes the blind spot sucks.  I also do about 7-10 track days a year, where the car really shines.

None of the other cars you mention here really are in the same league as the Elise.  But you must know what you are giving up to own one.  You will be driving a clown car.  You will look stupid getting in and out of it.  Your wife will not be able to wear a skirt and get in and out of it without spreading her knees about four feet apart.  It will so loud on the highway as to negate the use of a cell phone or the radio.  The heat is about worthless if it gets really cold.  The A/C is worse.  You must get the hard top the soft top is a joke.  The hard top does not fit in the car....the list goes on.

When I got rid of my 2005 Elise it had 59k on it and I had zero problems with it.  It was utterly reliable. 

Also as a side note.  Before I had my Elise I had a Subaru STI.  My Elise uses brake pads at half the rate of my STI which would go through an entire set in a single day at the track and tires at three times the rate of the STI which would get 2-3 track days on a set.  Cost of use for the Elise is very low and the gas mileage is great.

[Smiling End]

Do you have an idea of when you're going to decide and finally buy one?  I can't wait to see the pics of the Lotus that you buy!  <-you can see which one I'd choose! 

[MuscovyDuc]

Little Old, but still my favorite car ever.

1993 VW Corrado SLC (VR6 if your from the other side of the pond)

[DucLeone]

Little Old, but still my favorite car ever.

1993 VW Corrado SLC (VR6 if your from the other side of the pond)

WOW
haven't seen one of them in years
they are great looking,
a friend of mine had one and it was the sh!t (speed controlled spoiler and all VR6 of course)

[Mad Duc]

It depends on what you want out of the car.

The Elise is the best sports car, by far. The S2000 is #2. The M coupe/Roadster is #3. The Elise is the closest thing you will get to a motorcycle unless you get an Atom or 7. Go test drive one. It is a completely different experience to the other two. It's not a good cruiser unless you are skinnyish and average height or less. Little trunk space. There is something about driving a Mid/rear car. Either you will "get it" or not. If not then this car is not for you. Try going to Elisetalk.com and research. Sadly Elisetalk was just bought by VS/Autoforums at the same time as TOB so it has gone down hill a bit though not as bad as TOB. The Elise will never be a great 0-60 car. But when you can over take 600+HP cars on corners it is a great feeling. Extreme late braking and apexing will be your friend. Lightweight is the way to go and that is the Elise. Cars are about acceleration, braking and cornering. Extra horsepower helps acceleration, lightweight helps all three.

The M Coupe (aka "the shoe") is the best cruiser and has the best luxury. S54 engine is better for fun, S52 is better for city/cruising. The S52 is lower reving (~6500 vs ~8500) but much more low down torque. For a good cruiser/luxo car the BMW wins. It's a fun car but doesn't handle as well compared to the other two. The rear end is loose. A camber kit on the rear helps if you set the front and rear with ~1 degree more than stock negative camber.  The s52's are just uber torquey and a s54 with a shark kit will be nearly the same. It loves to oversteer.

The S2000 is the middle car, neither as sporty as the Elise nor luxo as the BMW. The ride is a bit harsh though not like the Elise. The old 4cyl's rev like hell but you need to keep the RPM's for any kind of fun. The newer 6cyl's aren't as revvy but you will still be changing gears a lot. Not a great cruiser, you're a more cramped than the BMW, less than the Lotus. It's a nice car but of these three it's dead last for me.

FYI I owed a S52 M Roadster, I have driven a 4cyl s2000, and have been to the Lotus factory several times and have taken several driving classes on the test track and a Lotus driving class at Silverstone. For me it's either the Lotus or the BMW and that would depend on if you want a sportier car or a luxo car that you can have some fun in. My bias is the Elise, but then again, if you want a real sports car then it should be your bias too.

[Mad Duc]

Watch this to see Ducati's influence on the Elise:

[factorPlayer]

Are you single? If so the Lotus is the only choice IMO.


Decent gas mileage too 

[ROBsS4R]

So after Owning the Honda s2000 for a few months I am going to sell it.

I thought I did my research which took me about 6 months to decide but I made the wrong decision.

In short Amazing gear box with nice short shifts. Pretty good power and when the V-tech kicks in with the cam timing change is a nice boost in power. Front suspension is very nice and stiff with a little bump steering.

Now the bad

I was very disappointed in the rear suspension. Way to soft in my opinion. Rear end is really twitchy. In order to get the car to the point I want it at will cost me about 2 to 4k. The fact of the matter the Car sits in the garage and I go take out my S4R no matter if its sunny or rainy it seems so I am going to sell it.

In the future I may look at a front wheel drive or all wheel drive car.

[the_Journeyman]

I would go with the Elise, the S2000 if an Elise doesn't work out for you.  Both should be reliable, Hondas are reliable and the Elise has a Toyota based motor IIRC ~

JM