Just read latest edtion of EVO and they indicated that Lotus is thinking of taking 1.8 liter 130 hp powerplant from Toyota and creating an entry level Elise! Same engine that was in the recently retired MR2.

That 1.8 engine has tuning potential and I believe a supercharger is available for it as well.

so it'll be 40K instead of 50K....

Not exactly entry level


BJH

I like the Elise. For under 50k (actually I thought they were closer to 40) what would you rather have? For a new fun driver, the Elise is a bargain. I can't think of a recreational car I'd rather have until you spend a whole helluvu lot more. The same stuff that makes me love the 914 makes me love the Elise (no frills mid-engine, yada yada). I've talked to a lot of drivers from high-dollar sports car dealers.... ask them what car you would take for a fun run through some country twisties, and the Elise is the most common response. Even when cars that cost four times as much are on the menu.

For a 1950lb car, nearly 200hp is awesome... but ironically, the one thing I hoped to see was a model with MORE power, not less!

Current base for standard 1.8 liter Elise in US is MSRP: $42,990. If 1.6 entry level car were to make it to our shores my sense is that it would be less than $40K.

Hell of a nice car. but less of a potential daily driver than the 914.
Needs a hard top to become a daily driver. and the trunk is a Joke.

Wouldn't kick it out of my garage for eating crackers though.

I disagree. A hard top means nothing. Look at all of the people driving rag tops to work on a daily basis. To me a good daily driver is a dependable car with the often needed A/C, a nice sound system and now a days good gas mileage. It the car has sweet lines, that's just a plus.

problem is, you take the top off, and have to leave it somewhere.....

Ever tried getting in and out of an Elise? a real bear especially if you are an old f--rt like me.....but once you are inside sweet.....I wouldn't kick it out of my garage either.
The local dealer is discounting them aggressively.

I agree it's a killer car, but the premium payed is obscene. The Elise should be priced 10K below where it currently is. (BASE price of 42K and change)

Guess that's why i own a 914 w/ more HP, and the same weight

BJH

The Elise IS an entry level car. An entry level Lotus.


Elliot

The Entry Level Elise is Already Here.

For sure a 914 with more power can be done for less money. And I would rather complete my dream 914 than spend the same money on a new car. BUT... If somebody pointed a gun to my head and made me buy a new stock fun driving car for under $50k.... I would just go buy an Elise and be done.

About the tops.... yeah, sucks that the Elise hard top can't be stowed. But the soft top that is also included keeps the elements out and stows conveniently even in the small trunk space... Or passenger seat if you pull it down at a stoplight on a whim while sitting in the driver's seat!! Now that's something I want to do for my 914. And I know Dino would buy one too.

It would be nice if we could get one with a Honda K-series engine instead of the Toyota. There is MUCH better aftermarket support. Build a 2.4 litre NA motor that will make 300hp or add boost and make 500+.

Yeah I agree the Lotus is really over priced for what you get.

They ought to put a Subaru engine in that thing. You could have the high end STi, worked over a bit to put out 300+ HP, or you could have an entry level 2.5 NA engine with 170 HP... Dry sump the motors and you'd really be able to get the center of mas down. Then again you have the problem we have which is finding suitable mid-engine transmissions. For the toyota they just take the whole drivetrain.

Tony

Not trying to debate or beat a horse or anything, just chewing this here in the garage...

I agree it's a lot of money for no amenities. But, I'm recalling my conversations with guys who work at the high-dollar supercar dealership... who say they would take the Elise over anything else in the showroom if they wanted to do a twisty road fun run.

My question for those who call the Elise overpriced is: What other car (in stock form) in that price range is more fun to drive?

I think my number one choice for fun factor would be the Ariel Atom. But that's even more overpriced for what you get!

Again though, amenities aside - just pure fun factor, what *factory stock* car do you choose for under... even $60,000?

If I could fit in a Elise, I'd want one.

I am considering purchasing an Elise or an Exige.

I have yet to drive one, but the Top Gear television show footage sure looks scary, oversteer like a mad man.

I believe Shaggy had told me of some wierd front / rear weight ratios but I do not see them in the specs.

I'm not really interested in a car that may need to be 'thrown' into turns though.


Laurie and I like to run the backroads of the Southwestern U.S. and the range of each of these cars is not good (10.5 U.S. Gallons).


I am also quite used to a more 'neutral' car with near no body roll.

A 'driving' factor' relative to a teener is a nod toward safety as the car has modern safety equipment, to quiet my in-laws about the 'small car' thing.


We shall see though...


John





P.S. There is an Aubergine (color) available though...

n 1: hairy upright herb native to southeastern Asia but widely cultivated for its large glossy edible fruit commonly used as a vegetable [syn: eggplant, brinjal, eggplant bush, garden egg, mad apple, Solanum melongena] 2: egg-shaped vegetable having a shiny skin typically dark purple but occasionally white or yellow [syn: eggplant, mad apple]

I can't believe that so many people actually like the lines of it.

I personally think it looks like an Opel GT on steroids and was rear ended by a Ford Maxi-Van...

I agree, the teener is so much more subtle, the styling is a negative, garish.

I would go with it though, rather than fight it, I like the Burnt Orange color the best.

John

I'm 6'3" and 275 lbs and I fit! Just cant get out of the damn thing without a crane!

everyone is entitled to their opinion, but i'm a bit surprised to hear people suggest that the elise is anything other than an incredibly competent car -- even for the money. you guys do realize that a new elise is less than a new boxster (base;not-S), right?

they are quite neutral: can oversteer OR understeer on command. the footage on TopGear was fairly exacerbated. i know of one that is daily driven with no complaints.

The tame little 1.8 Toyota 1ZZ-FE engine makes about 215 reliable HP with a supercharger. The aftermarket for that engine is not like Honda but it is decent. Plenty of Corolla and MR2 tuners out there. Lots of TRD stuff for that motor too.

Its not going to be long before the supercharger is ready for the 2ZZ-GE engine that is already in the Elise ....that will probably make close to 300 hp.

According to AutoWeek, Lotus is building 15 supercharged cars called the Exige Cup. They will not be street legal because adding the supercharger requires recertification and Lotus won't pay to do that. List price $79,915, real price $$$$$$???????? Not exactly entry level.

The "entry-level" Elise is not slated for the U.S. It's to replace the rover-powered Elises in Europe.

I love my Elise. I've installed a cold air intake, sport muffler (dealer installed), micro-battery (weights about 18 lbs less) and few other cosmetic goodies.

Bad Elise traights...

NO storage. The trunk is about as big as the 914's glove box (well slightly larger, but not much)

Bitch to egress and ingress from

Hard top takes about 15 minites to install and stores nowhere except your garage.

A/C works only when it's warm out. If it's hot and humid, it ices over

Rattly and noisy, but it's a street-legal racecar... not a new 911!

A little lacking in torque, and the power comes on at a higher power band. Takes a bit of adjustment to get used to. (see below)

Good Elise traights

Handles as good as (or better than) a 914

30+ mpg

Reliable and overall built quite well for a Lotus

Aftermarket parts and accesories are slowly becoming available

Awesome sound when hitting the higher RPMs. 2nd cam switchover is like a turbo kicking in.

Website:

For those interesed, visit http://www.elisetalk.com Nice sight, with cool people (but no secret directory of semi-naked chicks and no Mike Z!)

Photo comparison:

http://www.my914-6.com/lotus

Ed is 6'10" and 350lbs. there's a picture floating around somewhere of him standing next to a mini cooper.

i like the elise, but i'd rather put that $40k in my 914. i'm 60% there. we'll see who ends up with the better car ...
Andy

found it, here you go:

My Brother is looking into a MR2 project. Gonna put the same engine in as the elise. I also had a 2001 celica with the same motor.

Plenty of other platforms are using this motor. Simply a great motor and there is aftermarket support. Also seems to handle 250hp with a turbo with no internal work.

He is hoping this mr2 will be an elise killer for under 20k. We shall see!


As cool as an elise is I can't imagine putting even less HP in it.

[quote name='Qarl' date='Jul 17 2006, 08:00 PM' post='730775']

Website:

For those interested, visit http://www.elisetalk.com


Thanks for the link, I looked a bit for the Lotusclub.com but did not find it.

John

P.S. I could do a Z impersonation on the Lotus site if you wish.

I know the act, we all do, it takes, maybe ten minutes to learn.

P.P.S. How would you rate the brakes, Lotus, huh?

The brakes are very good. It takes quite a bit to activat the ABS and in reality, I haven't done it.

The car is light, 1900 lbs, and the brakes are MORE than adequate.

There are "upgrade" kids for the Elise, but like the 914, they really aren't necessary until you start upgrading the motor, turboing, or supercharging.