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914World.com _ 914World Garage _ Mid-engine sports car takes $18K in damage
Posted by: zymurgist Jul 8 2005, 12:41 PM
Oh man. Sucks to be this guy.
http://forums.evolutionm.net/showthread.php?t=147572&page=1&pp=15
Posted by: tat2dphreak Jul 8 2005, 01:04 PM
DAMN! totaled at 10 mph?!?! 
that sux, lotus' are beautiful cars!
Posted by: URY914 Jul 8 2005, 01:36 PM
Bring that lil' SonnaBitch over to my house and I'll fix 'er up good as new in no time. 
Paul
Posted by: zymurgist Jul 8 2005, 01:39 PM
Yeah, from what I've read, they're hella performers. I see a few on the highways in Maryland... there's a grey one that I've seen several times on I-70 and a few others from time to time.
R&T lists it as one of the top 10 fun cars in the current issue. Boxster S made it, too... 2 mid-engine cars made the list.
Posted by: tat2dphreak Jul 8 2005, 01:47 PM
I'd take one over a Boxster... that's how much I like them... haven't seen one here yet though... actually, I MAY have seen one, but it was moving down 75 so fast I couldn't tell, and my chrysler DAMN sure couldn't catch it to see...
it was either that or a ferrari... I really only saw the tail end for a sec...
Posted by: zymurgist Jul 8 2005, 01:49 PM
They're really small. I don't think Ferrari makes anything that little.
Posted by: tat2dphreak Jul 8 2005, 01:54 PM
| QUOTE (zymurgist @ Jul 8 2005, 02:49 PM) |
| They're really small. I don't think Ferrari makes anything that little. |
at the speed it was going I couldn't tell... I was doing 80 and it was like being passed by a crotch rocket... it was out of sight that damn quick!
I think the 360 is small... how much smaller is the elise?
Posted by: TROJANMAN Jul 8 2005, 01:57 PM
| QUOTE (tat2dphreak @ Jul 8 2005, 11:47 AM) |
| I'd take one over a Boxster... that's how much I like them... haven't seen one here yet though... |
if boxsters were as rare as the elise, would you have a different opinion?
Posted by: Qarl Jul 8 2005, 02:00 PM
From the title, I knew it was about an Elise... the good news is that the crash structure does well at higher speeds. I know of somebody that t-boned a gun at 65 head on with his Elise and just walked out...
The problem with crashes and these cars is the price of the parts and labor to install. The front fiberglass clamshell and structure is over $8K and about half as much for labor.... add in paint and all of the little bitty parts.... $18K is crazy.
And consider you can get an entire car for $43K????
So the engine must cost $1.00...
Doesn't make sense...
Posted by: phantom914 Jul 8 2005, 02:03 PM
| QUOTE (tat2dphreak @ Jul 8 2005, 11:54 AM) | ||
at the speed it was going I couldn't tell... I was doing 80 and it was like being passed by a crotch rocket... it was out of sight that damn quick! I think the 360 is small... how much smaller is the elise? |
A little smaller than a Miata, so it should be obvious whether what you saw was an Elise or a Ferrari.
Andrew
Posted by: tat2dphreak Jul 8 2005, 02:06 PM
| QUOTE (TROJANMAN @ Jul 8 2005, 02:57 PM) | ||
if boxsters were as rare as the elise, would you have a different opinion? |
nope... boxster is too heavy, and too $$$... I'd rather have a light car with less hp...
my opinion *might* change if I rode in an elise, but I doubt it, I'm NOT a huge boxster fan... despite it being a mid-engine Porsche... I was not that impressed with the standard boxster I rode in...
Posted by: tat2dphreak Jul 8 2005, 02:09 PM
| QUOTE (phantom914 @ Jul 8 2005, 03:03 PM) | ||||
A little smaller than a Miata, so it should be obvious whether what you saw was an Elise or a Ferrari. Andrew |
wasn't THAT small... guess I haven't seen one yet then...
the rear sure looked like the rear on the elise, but a ferrari's rear looks similar too... round tail lights, etc...
Posted by: zymurgist Jul 8 2005, 02:16 PM
Lotus Elise: 149 inches long.
Porsche 914: 159.4 inches long.
The 914 has a longer wheelbase, though (96.5 vs. 90.6 inches).
All 914 numbers from Pelican; all Lotus numbers from puresportscar.com.
BTW, the Toyota MR2 Spyder is 153 inches long with a 96.5 inch wheelbase. But I just found out (by going to Toyota's website) that it is no longer being made for the US market. Another mid-engine car bites the dust. 
Posted by: olav Jul 8 2005, 02:56 PM
My friend has a Lotus Elise and we went to a car show together in his car. He basically drives it at 6K at 100 along 280 in N. Cal. I think that's 4th gear. He thinks he's on the track whenever he's in the car. It's pretty funny. There is no place to hang on in the car for the passenger when cornering and we touch shoulders it's so small. Engine sounds nice at 6k-8k or where ever it redlines.
We also drove up to big sur together except I was in my 914.
My car is way more comfortable to drive in and I didn't feel much of a difference in terms of acceleration. His car can go to a higher speed than mine because I don't want to drive my car beyond 120 or so because I'm a scaredy cat and I dont' have aero set up or anything kinda gets floaty. Plus I don't want to hurt my car.
handling wise he has sticky compound tires and I have SO2s but we are close in the sense that I didn't feel like he was taking corners faster.
I think my car sounds better and can accelerate faster but that could be because my car sounds like it is. I like the sound of my car better.
All in all I would take my car over the elise from a comfort and safety aspect. He gets better gas mileage and has air con though. But I don't drive my car daily.
Just my .02 
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