With the new Lotus Elise hitting the dealerships next week, which car will be the better performance car, and which more fun to drive?

The Elise is 1,950 lbs so equally light weight with a 190 horsepower engine.

How do you think this stacks up against a modified 914-6 with a 2.7RS Euro engine and SC brakes and Koni's?

Or what engine does it take to be more than competitive - meaning more fun on the roads too.

Thanks

My car weighs 1980# and has a 2.7 twin plug putting out 198 hp at the wheels. I've done several track events with a guy that has a very nice Elise and we run very similar times. We were running together during one run group and I couldn't pass him but put enough pressure on him that he spun.
I would say our cars are very evenly matched. I'd definately like to swap seats with him and give it a go.

He must have been driving a 190R for the track (has ignition cut off, roll bar, harnesses, etc)?

If so that was last model and not the one imported. That one weight 1,500 lbs and has 200 hp.

I don't remember if it has a roll bar but it is the old style body. It must have been a grey market car to get in the U.S.

My bet is you would turn faster times in the Elise. Even though your 914 is a track car and has been updated with modern tires, brakes, etc., 30 years buys a lot of technology.

IMHO 1959 was a banner year for sports cars, with the Porsche RSK, Ferrari 250TR, and D-Type Jag competing as cutting edge, very expensive, full blown factory racers. You could beat all with the street legal Elise while talking to your passenger and running the A/C. But I'd still rather have one of oldies!

How about for fun on the street?

The new Lotus Elise is a hot car.

I think its one of the few classics of our time.

ugh...lose the convertible

Heh...ALL Elise's are convertables. Only the Exige has a roof

How much does one of these on the American soil cost? Pretty snazzy little car, quite exotic.

And I agree, 30 years does buy you A LOT of technological improvements.

-Dan

MSRP: $39,985. That's a lot of 914.

That's not he standard convertible top. Those are both older Elises.

Look at my Avatar!

0-60 4.9 seconds
0.60 4.7 seconds (with sports package).

THe car is much stiffer then the 914.

The Federalized car has a six-speed.

Even though horespower and weight may be equal, a lot has to do with gearing!

The car also redilines at 8500 RPM and is designed to be run in the higher RPM range. So the cars will be different in feel engine-wise.

Here are some more pics.

I should be getting mine in November/December

rhr

rhrhrth

4tt

w3r3

The red says, "Hey look at me! I'm overcompensating!"

That green is hot.

The yellow looks a bit like something you'd find in a Chinese buffet.

-Rusty

(really hoping you ordered the green... )

I badly want one of these. Dammit.

Quarl - if you decide you don't like it - send it over :-)

Ok.......so how is it that Lotus gets away with venting the radiator through the top of the hood, but everyone who suggested doing that for a teeners oil cooler is told "no way" because all the hot air expelled will go into the car with the top off????

Inquiring minds want to know??

The moment I can afford an Elise I buy one. This is THE ultimate car. There is nothing that I want more than an Elise, not even cars like Lambo's, Ferarri's etc. (altough an Aston DB9 may be an exception to the rule )

Sorry Rusty... I gotta go yellow to match the 914-6 GT conversion car.

I'm getting it with all the options (touring pack, sports pack, and hard top).

The answer to that is simple. Lotus has engineers and we have bullsh!tters.

-Ben M. (low tollerance for BS assumptions)

Karl,

Which will be ready first, the 914 or the delivery on the Elise? I'm very glad to see Lotus back in the fray on american soil...maybe the Elise's sales will help that Esprit replacement too that we've been waiting for for over 10 years haha.

You'll HAVE to post a pic of your new garage with the matching 914/Elise...then you can post the definitive comparo of the two! Or better yet let us know how the little man likes each

this thread's pics are like porno! I love the new elise, and I definately think it's a classic of our time, a 914 for the next generation... I'm sorry to say, I think the 914 would get spanked in a race with the new elise...

but it would sure be a fun race to watch or be in!

HUH???

I vent my oil cooler through the front hood..
Its not a sealed compartment in the front trunk any longer, so its not so great when it rains... but thats silly about the heat causing a problem...

brant

The car has intakes underneath, on the front. The car vents over the hood and over the windshield.

Here are two websites...

http://www.puresportscar.com (lots of pics in the galleries)

http://www.elisetalk.com (the best one). Go to the General Discussion forum


www.eliseclub.com website domain name is taken.... BY ME!

Mwuhahahahahahaha!!

Where is the trunk?????? Only good for day trips?????

Here is my review from a while back...

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?act...&f=2&t=6774&hl=

And one more thought. Why didn't Toyota go to the parts bin, take the Mister2 platform and build something similar for half the price? OK, it wouldn't be a Lotus, but It would be damn close if they kept the weight down. And why doesn't Mazda put the 6 or rotary in the Miata?

There is a market for 2000 lb cars that are fun to drive. Think that will be my next project. Salvage late MR2, put in real motor and mount an RSK or 904 replica fg body. Hmmmmmmmmmm.

Intakes underneath....Mmmmmmm ground effects..../drool

Couldn't be too hard to make our car a flat bottom...was just thinking about it the other day. Has anyone done this before. Use some NACA ducts like on the Elise to takeover for the cooling flaps underneither....who knows, could work?

where does it say that the hot air from the Elise' radiator does -not- come into the cabin ?

Isn't uninvited heat in British cars required? I know my feet are kept nice and toasty in an MG-TD -- whether I want them that way or not

More to the point, isn't that the only kind of heat in British cars?

The big 914 race shop in colorado has a few flat bottomed 914's...

one with a real diffuser too..

works just fine on the ovals (vegas, etc)
I was told that the various aero tricks helped them gain 10mph (if your already capable of pulling 150mph or more)

brant

man that is one ugly car, but I like what they are trying to do.