Lotus - Elise . Oodam . com
Why the Lotus Elise?
Elise's are great. I've had mine for over five years and can't bear to part with it.
I paid £13000 then and it still has to be worth £7500+. The joy is that it's not going to drop much more and it is still drives as well and looks as good as it did when it cost £24000 (options list put it up).
A common question I get asked about the S1 Elise is, 'Is it practical as an everyday car?'
Well yes it can be. It is
slightly impractical, the boot is small, and without carpets, it's bloody noisy. With carpets and a good stereo however it's quite acceptable. You'd be surprised what you can fit in it though. I can squeese in my fishing gear (just about with no passenger and a rod out the window). The Tesco's weekly shop for two fits snuggly in the boot.
Possible reasons for wanting an Elise...
- You want a sports convertable but the MX5, Sport Ka, Z3, and MGF/TF are a bit too soft for you.
- Fuel economy: You can really get up to 50mpg in an early elise, although you'd need to drive like a saint. You can realistically expect to achieve a combinded figure of around 37 mpg with the odd blast and a generally 'above average' pace of travel.
- It's a convertable that gives nothing up: Rigid and lightweight chassis designed not to have a roof.
- Handling: It doesn't take long to feel part of the car, the steering is instant, the brakes give loads of feedback and your bottom is so close to the floor that 60mph feels very very fast. I have yet to drive a better handling car.
- You can obey the speed limits and still enjoy a spirited drive.
Possible reasons not want an Elise...
- You don't like being looked at.
- You don't like noise.
- You like to cart huge things around (like family, fat mates, bags of compost etc).
- Squeaks and rattles drive you mad.
Lotus Elise S1 Photo's.
Lotus Elise S1 Statistics.
These stats are straight from the original sales booklet:
| Engine | Transverse mid-mounted 4 cylinder water cooled 1.8 16v engine. Double
overhead camshafts with hydraulic tappets. Electronic fuel injection. Electronic engine
management system. Maximum power:118bhp (88Kw) @ 5500 RPM Maximum torque: 121.8lb ft (165 Nm) @ 3000 RPM |
|
|---|---|---|
| Body | Composite front and rear 'clamshell' body sections with frontal safety structure. Seating for two. Vehicle weight: 690 kg | |
| Chassis | All Lotus design, lightweight space frame of bonded anodized extruded aluminum with integral roll over hoop, extruded aluminum impact absorbing structures and steel galvanized rear sub frame, manufactured by Hydro Aluminum Automotive Structures. | |
| Transmission | 5 speed trans axle driving the rear wheels. Synchro on all forward gears. | |
| Fuel System | Fuel tank capacity: 36.4 litres (8.0 gallons) Fuel requirement: 95 RON minimum octane unleaded. | |
| Suspension | Independent by upper and lower wishbones, co-axial coil springs and inverted mono tube dampers. Extruded aluminum uprights. Trailing toe links on rear for compliance steering control. | |
| Brakes | 282mm aluminum/matrix ventilated disks mounted outboard front and rear. Non-servo split circuit hydraulic system. Front brakes fitted with unique Lotus/AP racing opposed piston calipers. | |
| Wheels | Lotus design, 5 spoke alloy. 5½ J x 15 front and 7J x 16 rear. | |
| Tyres | Unique Pirelli P Zero. Front: 185/55R 15. Rear: 205/50R 16. | |
| Performance | Acceleration: 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph): 160 km/h (100 mph): Maximum speed: |
5.9 sec's 18.0 sec's 202 km/h (126 mph) |
| Fuel Consumption (93/116/EC) |
Urban conditions: Extra urban conditions: Combined: Total C0² (g/km) = 168 |
9.6 l/100 km (28.9 mpg) 5.7 l/100km (49.9 mpg) 7.1 l/100km (39.4 mpg) |
| Standard Equipment | Alloy wheels, 3 way catalytic converter, coded signal imobiliser, cloth trim interior, black soft top, unique Lotus/Nardi steering wheel, STACK electronic speedo and tacho with multifunction LCD readout, rear removable window. | |
| Optional Equipment | Metallic paint, leather trim options, radio fixing kit, auxiliary lights, coloured soft top, interior stowage kit, Cobra alarm system, vinyl leather seat option, passenger foot rest, boot bag kit. Optional equipment may vary by market. | |