[NFS]

I'm thinking about getting myself 'something for the weekend'. Maybe not right away, but sometime in the next 12 months.

My ideal would be a Lotus Elise or VX220.

Good examples of both seem to be available for £10k or so. Although you seem to get more for your money with the VX. I'm also a bit worried about running costs with the Lotus on the basis that they seem to be made from bacofoil, gaffer tape and plastic.

I've thought about Caterhams etc, but I would like to be able to use the car for work during the summer, so need something with SOME practicality.

MX5 is also an option, which is attractive, because of the price, but I would prefer something as quick as the 330i.

I'm only a learner petrol head .. so any advice from you guys would be more than welcome.

[dxb335d]

Dax rush!

[NFS]

Now THAT would be BRUTAL

I reckon you would like this one Carlos ...

http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-uk...=&max_mileage=

2 litre Group A Cosworth Engine with anti lag - 430hp and 4wd

0-60 - 2.48 secs
0-100 - 6.6 secs

Shame it's £26K

[chrisbin]

Originally Posted by needforspeed

I'm thinking about getting myself 'something for the weekend'. Maybe not right away, but sometime in the next 12 months.

My ideal would be a Lotus Elise or VX220.

Good examples of both seem to be available for £10k or so. Although you seem to get more for your money with the VX. I'm also a bit worried about running costs with the Lotus on the basis that they seem to be made from bacofoil, gaffer tape and plastic.

I've thought about Caterhams etc, but I would like to be able to use the car for work during the summer, so need something with SOME practicality.

MX5 is also an option, which is attractive, because of the price, but I would prefer something as quick as the 330i.

I'm only a learner petrol head .. so any advice from you guys would be more than welcome.

What do you want to know??

My first "toy" car:



My second one:




My Current one:





As far as your initial thoughts go...

A Caterham or Westfield (like mine) is brilliant - fantastic experience at sensible speeds. However they are totally impractical so you will have to decide whether you can cope with that or not. View it as a motorbike with 4 wheels.

MX5's are very very capable and good value.......but........are you going to open a salon as well???

Elise/VX220 - this is a continual debate and one which I had too. Overall the VX is probably the more sensible choice - slightly more reliable and cheaper to run....however....do you really want a Vauxhall (even one which was built by Lotus) sat in your garage?????

There is of course the TVR option (see above) for the same sort of budget....

Hope that helps for starters!

[dxb335d]

Originally Posted by needforspeed

Now THAT would be BRUTAL

I reckon you would like this one Carlos ...

http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-uk...=&max_mileage=

2 litre Group A Cosworth Engine with anti lag - 430hp and 4wd

0-60 - 2.48 secs
0-100 - 6.6 secs

Shame it's £26K

what a monster, imagine trying to launch that fooker. Spin all 4 wheels like a biatch.. Would just about live with a veyron ro 60mph lol.

I know of a few cossies with over 700bhp, imagine those engines in that ''light as a fart'' Dax!!

I have only been out in one Dax Rush and it had a v8 in it. Went quite quickly!

[NFS]

Originally Posted by chrisbin

Elise/VX220 - this is a continual debate and one which I had too. Overall the VX is probably the more sensible choice - slightly more reliable and cheaper to run....however....do you really want a Vauxhall (even one which was built by Lotus) sat in your garage?????

Your Elise looks stunning mate. I have to say that looking down your photo's I thought ..

Caterham .. nice, but I wouldn't use it much.

TVR .. bet the engine sounds great, but not really my thing.

Elise .. Now that's a CAR.

My heart wants an elise, for cheap weekend laughs. Why be sensible about a car that's purely for fun?

I think I may end up selling the 330i in Sept 08, then buy a 320d (quick enough for a daily driver) and an Elise for fun.

What's the Lotus like to run? I suppose I'm worried that a £10K-12K example will just fall to pieces.

[chrisbin]

Originally Posted by needforspeed

Your Elise looks stunning mate. I have to say that looking down your photo's I thought ..

Caterham .. nice, but I wouldn't use it much.

TVR .. bet the engine sounds great, but not really my thing.

Elise .. Now that's a CAR.

My heart wants an elise, for cheap weekend laughs. Why be sensible about a car that's purely for fun?

I think I may end up selling the 330i in Sept 08, then buy a 320d (quick enough for a daily driver) and an Elise for fun.

What's the Lotus like to run? I suppose I'm worried that a £10K-12K example will just fall to pieces.

Thanks!
Your summary is pretty fair actually. The "7" and the TVR were 2 "things" that I always wanted to do, and I'm glad I did. One of the best things is that I had the Westy for just over 2 years and sold it for a profit, then had the TVR for just over 1 year and got what it bought it for.....try doing that with an E90/92!!!!!

The Lotus is pretty cheap so long as you buy a good one - not that difficult as there are plenty to choose from if you're patient...

Insurance can be done as a modern classic/limited mileage so not too bad - obviously depends on your age! Petrol - well mine's a Sport 135 and averages about 30/31 (not that I care!), standard car will do even better. Servicing? Well not much to worry about really, providing you find yourself a good "independent" - don't go using a main stealer.... its only a Rover K underneath so aside from HGF (get an AA breakdown repair policy for c.£90) not much really goes wrong with them.

Elises are basic so don't expect a quiet time and get used to hearing all sorts of rattles etc....but the ride is pretty comfortable....and the driving experience means you really won't worry about anything else...tyres and brakes will last as long/short as you want them to - its a v. light car so not much pressure on them.

Make sure you are happy about getting in and out, especially with the roof on. Its an "artform"....not as bad on the S2 as the S1, but still challenging!

I love mine. Its the third car in the stable so doesn't get used unless I want to...which is great cos it keeps it feeling special. It gives me exactly what I want which is the same raw driving experience that the "7" used to, with the added dose of practicality offered by the TVR. It is something that I can have fun driving without having to extend it to licence busting speeds (unlike the TVR/Porsche's etc).

At the moment you should be able to get one around the £11k mark, but once Spring has sprung, then asking prices will creep up a bit...on the flip side there will also be more choice then...

When/if you get serious I have lots of Lotus contacts so let me know!

Phew!
Sorry if that went on a bit!!

[NFS]

Originally Posted by chrisbin

It is something that I can have fun driving without having to extend it to licence busting speeds (unlike the TVR/Porsche's etc).

Thanks for your post .. it's very helpful and the above is EXACTLY what I want. A car that you push hard in without having to get to silly license losing speeds to find it's imits.

Presumably an £11K Elise will lose very little in terms of depreciation as well?

Oh ... what's HGF?

I have the money in the bank at the moment, but my better half wants a new bathroom I've been fixated on what I'm going to swap the 330i for, but to be honest I still really like it. So getting a weekend car would (hopefully) cure me of fantasy car shopping for a while.

[chrisbin]

Originally Posted by needforspeed

Thanks for your post .. it's very helpful and the above is EXACTLY what I want. A car that you push hard in without having to get to silly license losing speeds to find it's imits.

Presumably an £11K Elise will lose very little in terms of depreciation as well?

Oh ... what's HGF?

I have the money in the bank at the moment, but my better half wants a new bathroom I've been fixated on what I'm going to swap the 330i for, but to be honest I still really like it. So getting a weekend car would (hopefully) cure me of fantasy car shopping for a while.

HGF = head gasket failure. Its a common K series issue. Its something that you need to plan for and may experience (c.£500 to fix - AA cover you up to £500), or may not....a few basic rules like not ragging the engine until its properly warmed through certainly help. Also, the 135 head cars are supposed to be less susceptible. But unfortunately there is no definitive way of predicting whether it will go on any given engine/car...as I say, its common, but then that has to be balanced against the number of K series engines that are out there!!

As you say, depreciation shouldn't be a big concern.....buying an S2 for c.£11k will mean that you should figure on a drop of £500 - £1k each year.....probably until it reaches £9k'ish.....thats based on the current market...S1 Elises seem to have bottomed out with £8k buying you a reasonable standard car....£10k gets you a nice spec.....while the S1 is regarded as being a more pure car, the S2 has enough of a following to mean that its unlikely to drop below S1's.....

I think your plan with the 320d makes great sense - as you say its quick enough and also, given you will be driving a diesel daily, will make the Lotus experience even more enjoyable...

I continually debate with myself about justifying running 2 cars for myself, but any car that I would genuinely want to replace the 2 either costs far too much, would lose me my licence, or hasn't got 4 seats for the school run!!



As for bathrooms.........they're very slow around corners........



Edited to add....if you have the money in the bank then get it spent quick...the pressure for the bathroom will only increase!!!!

[mjh93sa]

Originally Posted by chrisbin

What do you want to know??

My first "toy" car:

My second one:

My Current one:



As far as your initial thoughts go...

A Caterham or Westfield (like mine) is brilliant - fantastic experience at sensible speeds. However they are totally impractical so you will have to decide whether you can cope with that or not. View it as a motorbike with 4 wheels.

MX5's are very very capable and good value.......but........are you going to open a salon as well???

Elise/VX220 - this is a continual debate and one which I had too. Overall the VX is probably the more sensible choice - slightly more reliable and cheaper to run....however....do you really want a Vauxhall (even one which was built by Lotus) sat in your garage?????

There is of course the TVR option (see above) for the same sort of budget....

Hope that helps for starters!

It looks like the Elise is the only one that you've managed to keep on the tarmac!

[chrisbin]

Originally Posted by mjh93sa

It looks like the Elise is the only one that you've managed to keep on the tarmac!

Better??


I guess I've been too busy driving it to do any arty shots...!!!

Well, except for this, but it was before I changed the wheels and I prefer the new, meaner look!

[CrimsonRedE93]

I Think the bullet proof Honda S2000, get the wife to drive it and its slow, keep you foot in and it makes you smile

[chrisbin]

Originally Posted by CrimsonRedE93

I Think the bullet proof Honda S2000, get the wife to drive it and its slow, keep you foot in and it makes you smile

Well each to their own....but I think you've hit the nail on the head....its another of those cars that you have to "rag" to make them perform...and in all fairness, the handling is nowhere near Elise levels....but, its a Honda so will be reliable, and they are very practical....

I've driven a few Porsches - Boxsters, C4S, 993, 996Turbo - and their all very capable cars...but thats the problem..to get any excitement you have to be driving silly speeds...and you should only be doing that on track, and then they get very expensive to run/repair...

[NFS]

Originally Posted by chrisbin

Well each to their own....but I think you've hit the nail on the head....its another of those cars that you have to "rag" to make them perform...and in all fairness, the handling is nowhere near Elise levels....but, its a Honda so will be reliable, and they are very practical....

I've driven a few Porsches - Boxsters, C4S, 993, 996Turbo - and their all very capable cars...but thats the problem..to get any excitement you have to be driving silly speeds...and you should only be doing that on track, and then they get very expensive to run/repair...

I find Boxters and S2000's a bit tame. They are also a bit pricy for me.

But in the end .. I have to admit I like the look of the Elise much more than anything else

With the possible exception of the Exige.

They are just incredibly small, low slung and purposeful.

I've never driven one though, so I'm going to phone a specialist dealer near me and arrange a test drive.

[dxb335d]

I have driven a very early one NFS. Drove like a kart and handles very well. This particular one was severely underpowered. But like you said you (NFS) dont really want a car which is too fast for the fear of your license!

[chrisbin]

"Drives like a kart" is a fair sum up!!

Just remember that its rear drive, mid engined, and has no traction control or abs....well, some of the newer ones have abs but a used one like you are considering will not. The brakes will need a very firm push as no servo either!
Steering is direct and you will be able to feel a tiny piece of gravel on the road surface....which, incidentally will feel like you are sitting on anyway!!!

So basically, totally unlike your Beemer!!!

Seriously, treat it with respect and it will reward.....take liberties and it will bite like only a mid engine rear drive car can!!

[dxb335d]

Originally Posted by chrisbin

Seriously, treat it with respect and it will reward.....take liberties and it will bite like only a mid engine rear drive car can!!

Hence watch out NFS for accident/repaired lemon ones!

[chrisbin]

Originally Posted by dxb335d

Hence watch out NFS for accident/repaired lemon ones!

Agreed - but with some careful sourcing that can be fairly easy.

[NFS]

Originally Posted by chrisbin

Seriously, treat it with respect and it will reward.....take liberties and it will bite like only a mid engine rear drive car can!!

Are they forgiving when driven on the limit?

One thing I like about BMW's is that you they reach their limits very progressively. So you get plenty of warning that you are losing grip so you can adjust accordingly.

So can you slide an Elise around a bend or does it snap at the limit and send you backwards into a hedge?

Originally Posted by dxb335d

I have driven a very early one NFS. Drove like a kart and handles very well. This particular one was severely underpowered. But like you said you (NFS) dont really want a car which is too fast for the fear of your license!

I want a car that's quick up to around 90mph. Beyond that there is not much point in this country.

[chrisbin]

Originally Posted by needforspeed

Are they forgiving when driven on the limit?

One thing I like about BMW's is that you they reach their limits very progressively. So you get plenty of warning that you are losing grip so you can adjust accordingly.

So can you slide an Elise around a bend or does it snap at the limit and send you backwards into a hedge?



I want a car that's quick up to around 90mph. Beyond that there is not much point in this country.

Hmmm well, being mid engined it is going to snap quicker - can't beat the laws of physics I'm afraid....however, the limit is going to be much higher than you are used to...trust me...!! To be honest, on public roads, you really shouldn't find that limit...in the dry........
In the wet its a very different story and they need a lot of respect.



Your last 2 sentences sum up my philosophy completely!

[BC4J]

Originally Posted by needforspeed

I'm thinking about getting myself 'something for the weekend'. Maybe not right away, but sometime in the next 12 months.

My ideal would be a Lotus Elise or VX220.

Good examples of both seem to be available for £10k or so. Although you seem to get more for your money with the VX. I'm also a bit worried about running costs with the Lotus on the basis that they seem to be made from bacofoil, gaffer tape and plastic.

I've thought about Caterhams etc, but I would like to be able to use the car for work during the summer, so need something with SOME practicality.

MX5 is also an option, which is attractive, because of the price, but I would prefer something as quick as the 330i.

I'm only a learner petrol head .. so any advice from you guys would be more than welcome.

How 'bout this puppy...

[Cafe.Racer]

There's something about the Elise that made it go out of date and makes it look old fashioned, the VX doesn't have this problem, maybe because they're rarer.

Anyway, if you get bored with the K-Series' performance or reilability, you could always throw the Audi 1.8T in...

http://www.auto-teknix.co.uk/

Then if 260bhp isn't enough, Bernard knows what to do next...