S2000 type S , Elise SC, Exige s240

[Godzila]

Okay, as you remember, I had a problem deciding between Lotus or the new GTR. Well I have dropped the GTR idea. I really don't feel the markups are worth it. The car itself, I'm willing to pay 70k, but in my heart it should really be worth 60k.


Now I still deciding. Recently I was considering a s2000 type s as opposed to the Elise SC. Main reason was S2000 type s has a standard lsd, and sport tuned suspension along with a hardtop. But S2000 is also almost 1000lbs heavier than the Elise SC.

My other option is go with the Exige s240. But I am afraid I might regret the Open top feeling.


I have test drove elise and s2000. S240 i have yet to drive.

Someone influence me!

[Chris Mackey]

Get an '05 Elise and put a supercharger in it. Topless, blown and sexy is the ONLY way to go through life.

[IXLR8]

with the honda, that's what you get. A honda.
not necessarily a bad thing.

The Elise offers far less in features, I would think.
By the same token it offers FAR MORE in looks.
Although not considered an exotic, it should be.
It has the exotic look. The look of the car is far superior to a honda.
The honda looks like a honda. The Elise is often mistaken for a 100k plus car.
Handling , I wouldn't know since I've driven neither.

If it were me, I'd pick the Elise over the honda hands down.
The Elise looks like a sports car. Absolute georgous car.
The Honda, well, it looks like a Honda.

[Genomaxter]

The S2000 your thinking of is the Club Racing version or the S2000 CR. The Exige will be a much more fun car to drive. The weight and MR layout make the Lotus a better car in every manner to the S2000. They dont compare. Drive the Exige and you will know the difference immediately. Words don't describe what a test drive says loud and clear. What the Elise lacks in power the S240 more than makes up and with it being an Exige it gains more downforce.

[noobified]

Originally Posted by Godzila

Okay, as you remember, I had a problem deciding between Lotus or the new GTR. Well I have dropped the GTR idea. I really don't feel the markups are worth it. The car itself, I'm willing to pay 70k, but in my heart it should really be worth 60k.

Considering what class of cars the GTR has been compared against and how well it's fared, it's well worth the 75K sticker, but 100K, I don't think so. It's a great performer, but it sure is ugly!

[JWA]

It sounds like you might not be aware that you can remove the top on the Exige. Most dealers will even fit a soft top if you'd like.

[marcinr]

Haha, you are having the same dilemma that I am. I am agonizing over my choice between a Lotus Elise SC and a Nissan GT-R. These two cars are complete opposites, yin and yang. If I had the funds, I'd buy both. It would be amazing to alternate between incredible power overcoming the laws of physics and nimbleness and handling perfection.

The GT-R markups are coming down. They started out in the $50-60k range and now there are quite a number of dealers selling for $10k over MSRP. I refuse to pay a penny over MSRP on principle, but I think I'll be able to find a GT-R with no markup probably within a year. So, I've decided to wait for the GT-R markups to come down, and if I spot a used Elise SC for sale, I might buy that instead.

The GT-R seems like a fantastic car, but I'm reluctant to buy one without test driving it, and there's no dealer right now that lets you try it out. On the flip side, the Elise is the most ridiculously fun thing I've ever driven, which includes a few exotics.

One thing to consider about the GT-R is its complexity. It's got all sorts of impressive technology, but it also logs everything you do and dealers apparently use that to eliminate your warranty. Running costs are apparently pretty high as well. The Elise is a very basic car, so if you have any mechanical inclinations and want to work on your own car, it will be far easier to deal with.

Tell me what you choose, perhaps it will help me out of my car choice dilemma.

[...m...]

Originally Posted by IXLR8

Although not considered an exotic, it should be.

...i think you're confusing exotic with supercar - every bank, insurance company, and licensing bureau i've encountered classifies the elise as an exotic, and in fact i've seen more ferrari in the wild than i have lotus...

[Likuid]

IMO the Elise/Exige are exotic, however they are not a supercar like ...m... stated. However this is really completely subjective. A lot of people consider an exotic an expensive car (usually over 6 figures when new) that is also rare. Which obviously in that case the Elise/Exige are not.

[Bavarian Motorist]

Top is removable on the Exige. If you can swing it, get the Exige. It's much easier to mod for when you get that itch for more power whereas the Elise SC is really at its ceiling.

[SIIK2NR]

The Elise SC, EXIGE 240S and S2000 CR are not even close to the same league as the
R35 GTR. The GTR is a bargain at $70K. The issue is that the cost of ownership has yet to be defined but based on all the stipulations and quirks thus far, the cost are going to be substantial.

Although ugly IMO, (I own an 04 AP2 S2000) the S2000 "CR" has proven handling characteristics above the standard 08 model. Ugly or not, I would still choose it over a base model Elise.

The Elise SC will give you plenty of power and the top down experience you are looking for.

The biggest factor will be what you are using the car for, Daily? Weekend?

IMO, I'd go for the Exige 240S and take the hard top off every now and then. You get the power, looks, handling and the sunshine when you want it.

Tim

[doug_porsche]

Had an S2000, great car. Very capable car. On most tracks I would say it comes down to driver skill, as to which one is faster. (I think I miss the apexes a little closer in the Lotus than I did the Honda....)


I sort of though of the S2000 as the sensible wife. Good looking, easy to get in and out of. Seats are comfortable for many hours more that the Lotus. Heater and A/C work like you expect. Excluding weather, you never see discussions on if it can make a daily driver.

I sort of think of the Lotus as a trophy wife. A lot of fun, great looks, but at a price. You see sticky forums on can it be a daily driver.

Buy the one that excites you every time you see the keys.

[Darth G-F]

No contest. The Elise is what the S2000 dreams to be but fails in the looks, weight, handling and downforce categories. It is about even witht the Elise for acceleration and braking. It beats the Elise for ease of use (daily driveable) storage and probably maintenance (not that the Elise is bad IMHO).

If you have daily driveability and storage on the top of your list, buy the S2000. Otherwise the Elise wins easily.

If you plan on doing lots of track days and have the extra cash. Go for the 240S. Otherwise, the Elise is the same car, without the aero appendices. You can easily add the power through aftermarket solutions.

[aschen]

Originally Posted by SIIK2NR

The Elise SC, EXIGE 240S and S2000 CR are not even close to the same league as the
R35 GTR. The GTR is a bargain at $70K. The issue is that the cost of ownership has yet to be defined but based on all the stipulations and quirks thus far, the cost are going to be substantial.

Although ugly IMO, (I own an 04 AP2 S2000) the S2000 "CR" has proven handling characteristics above the standard 08 model. Ugly or not, I would still choose it over a base model Elise.

The Elise SC will give you plenty of power and the top down experience you are looking for.

The biggest factor will be what you are using the car for, Daily? Weekend?

IMO, I'd go for the Exige 240S and take the hard top off every now and then. You get the power, looks, handling and the sunshine when you want it.

Tim

The cars are so different I dont even know how they can be cross shopped. The gtr is a more is more appliance for speed and a lotus is all about the driving experience and purity. It is impossible to rationalize a lotus based on performance. You really have to value the elemental nature above all else for it to make any sence. If you you want to go as fast as possible for as little money as possible a 45k z51 corvette, a 70k z06, or 70k gtr is the ticket.

[dumdumhead]

Originally Posted by Darth G-F

No contest. The Elise is what the S2000 dreams to be but fails in the looks, weight, handling and downforce categories. It is about even witht the Elise for acceleration and braking. It beats the Elise for ease of use (daily driveable) storage and probably maintenance (not that the Elise is bad IMHO).

If you have daily driveability and storage on the top of your list, buy the S2000. Otherwise the Elise wins easily.

If you plan on doing lots of track days and have the extra cash. Go for the 240S. Otherwise, the Elise is the same car, without the aero appendices. You can easily add the power through aftermarket solutions.

+1 -- used to have a S2000, but always yearned for an Elise. You will feel the same way if you go the S2000 route. The Elise is just so much more direct and visceral, and just speaks to your soul in a way no Japanese car can do.

[Chili Red]

Originally Posted by dumdumhead

+1 -- used to have a S2000, but always yearned for an Elise. You will feel the same way if you go the S2000 route. The Elise is just so much more direct and visceral, and just speaks to your soul in a way no Japanese car can do.

The Japanese cars speak to your soul, but you just can't understand it because its in Japanese.. English cars speak English.

[Godzila]

s240 needs the intercooler scoop though as I heard.

I only hear that the 07 exige s don't need the scoop.

[Fire]

Originally Posted by Darth G-F

No contest. The Elise is what the S2000 dreams to be but fails in the looks, weight, handling and downforce categories. It is about even witht the Elise for acceleration and braking. It beats the Elise for ease of use (daily driveable) storage and probably maintenance (not that the Elise is bad IMHO).

If you have daily driveability and storage on the top of your list, buy the S2000. Otherwise the Elise wins easily.

If you plan on doing lots of track days and have the extra cash. Go for the 240S. Otherwise, the Elise is the same car, without the aero appendices. You can easily add the power through aftermarket solutions.

To me, it's just wrong to say Lotus is what an S2000 dreams to be but fails at. Honda made the S2000 exactly the way they want it to be. It's a very capable car and with proper modding, it can just be as competitive.

I currently own an S2000 and I would definitely want an Exige sometime in future. S2000 owners are a lot similar to Lotus owners. We love nimble/fun/driver-oriented cars, and I believe most of us did not buy a Lotus for many reasons such as its higher price tag, even less amenities inside, etc. Performance wise, without a doubt, Lotus is superior.

[Monsi]

Originally Posted by Godzila

s240 needs the intercooler scoop though as I heard.

I only hear that the 07 exige s don't need the scoop.

flow difference between the the two is minimal below 80 so as long as you keep it under 80 with the top off you will be fine(probably not gonna be going all out with the top off anyways)

[dumdumhead]

Originally Posted by Fire

To me, it's just wrong to say Lotus is what an S2000 dreams to be but fails at. Honda made the S2000 exactly the way they want it to be. It's a very capable car and with proper modding, it can just be as competitive.

I currently own an S2000 and I would definitely want an Exige sometime in future. S2000 owners are a lot similar to Lotus owners. We love nimble/fun/driver-oriented cars, and I believe most of us did not buy a Lotus for many reasons such as its higher price tag, even less amenities inside, etc. Performance wise, without a doubt, Lotus is superior.

I don't think we mean to criticize the S2000, since many of us used to have an S2000 (me included), I think what we just mean to say is that the Lotus is definitely more of a focused sports car whereas the Honda is just more, well, "Honda", which is both a blessing and a curse depending on either yours or your passenger's point of view.

By the way, I still miss the S2000 on occasions. For any car less expensive than the Lotus, the S2000 can't be beat for the pure enjoyment of driving.