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I miss my first Lotus, an 06 Elise I sunk a lot energy and money into. The biggest thing I wish my Evora has was a removable soft/hard top that we so much loved in the Elise.
I found a BRG 08 super charged Elise with very low miles that caught my eye. I shot the dealer an email and have had thoughts of trading down to get back into an Elise. I really love my Evora... but my 06 Elise was like the 1st true love I had for these cars.
If the aero on the car didn't make it hit the wall at 120 (indicated) 130, I'd say yes to a new generation unit. But no to an existing one unless they finally bring over the V6S!!!
If you are just using it as a fun car, go for it. If you are using it as a DD, not a chance. Look at a 4C spider. It feels like a modernized Elise and is much more daily drivable.
I agree the 4C was slightly more livable, but the Elise just seem to be more fun and you get a proper stick in the Elise.
I really wanted to love the 4C I was looking at but was a bit too harsh and tight. Between a 4c and Elise/Exige I would definitely go Lotus. Just cannot beat that car for what it is.
I'd prefer to ADD it, but I can't afford to do that and keep the Evora. It has to be one or the other.
Patience will pay off, by the time I hit the last payment on my Evora, it would be getting close to the Elise's hitting the US market again, then I could have the best of both worlds.
I miss my Elise too, for all the same reasons as the OP.
I would consider buying an Elise and keeping the Evora, but the prices are crazy high and I refuse to buy back a car and pay $5k to $10k more than what I sold it for.
Well, Lotus says they're bringing back the Elise to the US 'sooner than we think' before 2020. So, I'm hoping that used Elise prices will tank when that happens, or that it will come back with the 400 hp V6. In that case, I'd cut off my right arm to get it. (Well, okay may be not. I still need it to for shifting.) :smile2:
2nd statement: I love and hate the Evora at the same time ...
The car is a real GT and loveable for high speed performance on the Autobahn ... but quality and tiny stupid issues are sometimes just a litte bit of annoying ...
3rd ... I'm looking forward to maybe change the Evora for a nice (yellow) Exige V6, if a get a good deal to sell my Evora ...
My job just changed and I'm not in need for a daily driver any more ...
new and old toy ... which I had only for one day together ...
I had an '07 Exige S--I loved that car. In six years, I drove it 80,000 miles and nearly every weekday. It was far from stock and considered by many of my fellow instructors, the best handling street car they ever drove on a racetrack. And yet, I have no desire to get another one--anything less would be a disappointment and anything better would ruin my sentimental attachment to the first car (not to mention ruining my wallet).
Nope, no desire to get another 111... and absolutely no hesitations about loving and driving my Evora.
I can't really tell if I would go back since after 10 years of Elise ownership, it never even crossed my mind to trade my Elise for anything different.
The Evora is a proper GT. The Elise is not. If canyon and track use are the main functions of your sportscar then the Elise gets my vote. If daily driving and road trips are the requirement, the Evora is hard to beat. Having owned several Elise/Exige and an Evora, I think you can't go wrong with either decision.
LOVE this car. It is absolutely amazing. Different chassis concept than the tub design, but excellent in its own way. Much rarer & cheaper than the Elige or Evora also.
That Elan is beautiful. It looks like it's been very well maintained. As for me, I've never owned an Elige and no longer have the back flexibility to get in and out of one, but I really, really want an Esprit, the car that drew me to Lotus in the first place, in addition to my Evora, which someone will have to pry out of my cold, dead hands.
OT: See folks, this is how it's done. No Evora owner is talking crap about the Elige here. It is absolutely possible to be complimentary about another model that we don't own. Take notes.
The Evora was my first Lotus, so I can't go back, but when the budget allows for a track only toy, an Elise (or Exige) will certainly be high on the list. I love the Evora and I love taking it to the track, but it's just a little too "nice." I feel bad when I get the Alcantara seats sweaty and I worry about my helmet snagging the headliner, and god forbid I scuff the paint. Rich guy problems, I know!
In a perfect world, the Evora would do the canyons and a little DD work, and the Saturday night dinner in the city type stuff. Then an Elise would be the ugly track machine.
Elise was also my first lotus. I love the car’s raw handling. I needed a more practical car so I upgrade to the Evora. Would I buy Elise again? maybe. But I also love other cars like McLaren, Ferrari, Lambo, etc. and want to experience those cars in my lifetime if possible. I’m planning to keep the Evora for daily usage and add another special occasion car in the future. And I’m thinking it would be a McLaren.
That Isuzu engine in the Elan easily tunes to 200 HP BTW and is BULLETPROOF! I had a 1991 Impulse RS (handling by Lotus), so it was, indirectly, my first Lotus influenced vehicle. Elan was the only other FWD car besides my Alfa 164 that I'd ever bother owning.
That Isuzu engine in the Elan easily tunes to 200 HP BTW and is BULLETPROOF! I had a 1991 Impulse RS (handling by Lotus), so it was, indirectly, my first Lotus influenced vehicle. Elan was the on;y other FWD car besides my Alfa 164 that I'd ever bother owning.
It's a very smooth engine! I'm looking at tuning options & would definitely like to hit the 200 hp mark. Even owning an Evora, I have to say that the M100 Elan's handling is simply amazing. It's a different chassis design than the Evora of course, but it's nothing short of great. I'd comfortably put it up against most RWD cars for cornering. Steering is quite a bit heavier than the Evora, but it needs less input to turn (not that the Evora needs much at all, it's just different). My only complaint is that the steering column is fixed with no adjustments. The only adjustments you can make are with the seat (fore, aft, & tilt), but it's still noting too bad. Ingress/egress is easier than the Elige & Evora, but slightly more difficult than your average sedan due to how low it sits. The ride is closer to an Elise in stiffness, but not as harsh over bumps. I drove it from Virginia to Oklahoma (~18 hrs), so I got pretty familiar with it. Learned that the soft top is definitely not waterproof when I ran into a brief rain storm lol. I can't say enough good things about it really; it's very impressive although it's not going to run away from any Evora any time soon (or ever). It doesn't need to go fast though; it's a blast to drive at any speed. Although 75 mph feels more like 100 mph. Top speed is 137 mph, so it's basically on par with an Elise. I believe the Elise would have a slight advantage in acceleration though. That will probably change once the Elan is tuned I presume. The most important thing is my wife is in love with the Elan, & when she's happy, I'm happy.
+1 for the M100 Elan! My dad is still enjoying the Elan that I talked him into buying new 25 years ago. They're really great little cars, and quite under appreciated!
+1 for the M100 Elan! My dad is still enjoying the Elan that I talked him into buying new 25 years ago. They're really great little cars, and quite under appreciated!
As for the Elise/Evora discussion, I'm finding this thread quite interesting as I'm in the market right now and am having a hard time choosing between the two. They're so different, but each so compelling in their own way.
find new roof seals[they got pricey] and follow the factory procedure to install them. Clear the goo out of the drain tubes that start at the top windshield corners. You may also have to adjust the windows[which you will be into at some point] and never put the top up/down with the windows up. This should give you a decade of fairly dry motoring.
When you read the factory install procedure, you will quickly realize they did not do this in the factory, it takes hours and involves doing it twice. Mine was my daily driver for 3 years and the only time I got wet was on the highway in a steady downpour when a steady drip would hit my shoulder from the gap between the 'falling pillar' seal and the center horizontal one
Chicken
(and I mean that with the utmost respect)
I bought a 2007 Exige S new. Now I have a 2011 Evora -- I miss my Exige and I will have another one.
I really want to make the Evora handle better but I don't know where to start. I was thinking shocks.
Any thoughts?
M
We are the first to gloat that the Lotus Evora is a fantastic car with exceptional handling. We aren't trying to fix major flaws that simply aren't there... but for those that want a bit more, for those that notice there is room for improvement on the track (especially twisty, technical tracks), HethelSport has three kits in planning.
The prototype for the first kit is on a car and undergoing track testing--this kit will be a performance & technical step-up from the factory while retaining a very comfortable ride. For kits 2 & 3 , we expect greater performance gains through completely new hardware & tuning but with (hopefully) a minimal sacrifice in comfort.
Unfortunetly, these projects take time, and I hope some of you have the patience to stay with us... --Sherman
I don't understand what you want the Evora to do differently. Handle better, in what way? More like a car that weighs 1000 pounds less?
An Evora are magical in what they do, supple yet delicious. The Elige at 2/3 the weight and shorter wheelbase is more responsive, can be made absolutely nervous. Ours is. Quite entertaining.
Take it another notch. The Europa is 500 pounds less, 3/4 the weight of an Elige. 18 pounds air pressure in front. Oh my!
There is something about this less weight thing.
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