2006 Lotus Elise Track Review - Still The Ultimate Driver's Car for Under $50K?
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- Опубліковано 25 кві 2024
- I've already decided that the Elise/Exige is the most rewarding sub-$50K analog driver's car for canyon driving, but does that praise still apply when the car is pushed harder at the track? Or does the platform's shortcomings become amplified?
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Hey guys, Cris here. Thanks to @Zygrene for having my car on his channel quite a bit 😂. Glad I was finally able to give him the opportunity to review it on track!
Hey Cris! Your car is my favourite Zygrene regular! No offence, but I love how it looks like such a hard-working car, not often looking clean, but very well used and enjoyed, which is what it's all about! I never tracked my Elise but the first time I pushed it's limits on the road I was shocked at how you had to drive it properly, lifting off means oversteer, once pushing past it's limits at the front it means understeer, much more so than in any other car I've driven. But those states incredibly controllable, the throttle pedal is like the volume control on an expensive hi-fi system, giving you incredibly precise control. I hope the repairs mentioned were not too expensive and you continue to enjoy this awesome car for a long time to come!
The handling traits you mention are all to be expected on this platform. It's so easy and fun to throttle steer - as you get more comfortable with it, you don't even counter steer when it rotates on a lift, you just add more throttle to catch the rear. Super fun. And it will definitely push on throttle, unless it's a tight 2nd gear corner and you can induce power oversteer. You want it set up so it's neutral on neutral throttle, then you can back it in with trail braking, balance it on the throttle through mid corner (on longer corners anyways), get it pointed early so you can gas it and let the understeer track you out to exit curbing. And the steering is second-to-none of course. (I used to track an Exige S240)
That thing sounds nuts! I have driven this exact car and perhaps one of the most rewarding driving experience, ever!
The absolute best type of car content on UA-cam. DRIVING these cars that they put there money into
One of my favorite tracks with one of my favorite cars. Wish this video was 2 hours long.
Remember guys. It’s not about Lap times. It’s about GOOD TIMES! And the Elise is about as good as they get. 😊
this car looks so fun. You could tell how raw it is just from the video itself. Time to put it on my list.
I love this car so much. Credit to the owner. The sound is fantastic. Not sure if it's just the video bit it always sounds the best of any 2ZZ I've heard. As other's have said, the Elise is not usually the fastest thing on track, and "fixing" would surely impact it's on road ability and well-roundedness more than most cars. I've seen what I would regard as extreme negative camber on the front (well over 2 degrees negative) when my old one tramlined on bumpy roads with only 0.3 degrees.... You surely can go faster on track much easier in other higher powered cars, but I would imagine you'd need something like a fast track built Caterham or ariel atom to have much more fun than this thing provides.
Great driving, killer sounds…. Looks like a real good time!
I own one of the later S3 Elise (Final Edition), but I think ND2 or ND3 Miata maybe far better value for different uses, and if lap time is your thing then stick with a Porsche GT3 RS or GT4 RS or single seater kit cars. If you want rawer street legal then go for a Caterham, perhaps towards newer and more raw model, or an Ariel Atom or a KTM X-Bow, if you want a fast 'production' kit car then go for a BAC Mono. Even within 'Elise' there is no clear winner between S1/S2/S3, or a Two-Eleven or a 340R, or S1/S2 Exige, or S3 Exige, Three-Eleven, an Evora, or an Emira. Elise in any form in an interesting proposition for different use in any form, yet it is not a min/max car. But it still puts a lot of smiles to your face and people around, and is a low maintenance track car, it generally does what you want it to do and is a very forgiving car for how analog it is and short wheelbase it has. Two-Eleven is the most hardcore 'platform' of an Elise, but even with track pack, racing slicks and any other measures, it won't set lap records.
I adore my ND2, but it’s nowhere near as raw as an Elise. The steering is fairly numb, the suspension is sloppy in stock form, and the engine is not nearly as charismatic (although it’s still great) With some modifications it’s a joy to drive and really competent but it’s not going to give you same feeling.
The transmissions are pretty fragile for track use too, you either get it built, cup car sequential, or swap in the NC Miata trans. Or some dudes just keep spares around and plan on going through one a season…
Still a ton of fun and a much better daily driver. It’s a great dual purpose car. I just have lowering springs, an exhaust, intake mod, an alignment, and some front subframe braces and it’s a ton of fun as a street car.
@@NDEEZMiata I am looking to step up to a ND (currently in a NB2) for dual duty use, so this is all very valuable information. Thanks for posting your experiences.
Never get bored of driving these. The comments on the shifter are interesting - earlier Elises aren't great, but I've driven a few late S3s, after they got the exposed mechanism, and they're worlds better right from the factory. Shame Lotus didn't figure out how to make it feel that good much earlier!
I had a blue 05. Loved it. Totaled it after almost 3 years. Just got the 22,500 service that day. 🤦♂️
Sounds like multiple cars when near the walls. love it
Great in-car. Really gave you a sense of the car at speed. Agree, it needs sticker rubber. The Sport Pack Elises came with R comps (80 TW).
owned a 1ZZ Elise for (unfortunately) only few months. The handling and steering feedback was by far the BEST I’ve ever felt in a road car, incomparable with anything else really.
One of the best drivers cars out there - for a good price. Great to see this back on the channel
Cool video, really miss my 06 elise myself. Also, its really not recommended to hook your thumbs inside the wheel like that!
@Zygrene what go pro mount are you using for your helmet?
Love Lotus…..add lightness!
Great drive, that’s really track toy at its finest. I have heard all Elise/Exige have their engine very far back so the weight distribution and handling are a bit like old 911s
Being transverse it's directly over the rear wheels. It's only "mid mounted" due to being canted forward a little. So it's not as rearward as a 911 obviously, but combined with nearly no weight over the front wheels, the short wheelbase and the relative height of the CoG and it's supposedly very reminiscent of an old 911 in how it feels (I've never driven any 911).
Nice video! What event was this at?
looks like sonoma
Sonoma with Lightspeed on 3/31
@@Zygrene how u think it compares to mclaren , im asking becuz in thinking if people actually use allat power in mc laren . i think driving effciently with whatever speed you want is more fun than just trying to be as fast as possible espeically in everyday driving. i think inline 3 could be cool for that especially with tthe sound
You are a very good driver
Im surprised the Elise is such a handful on track. I thought it would be better balanced being a mid-engine car. I dont wrestle my 987 Cayman S like this at all on track, but i also dont have 200 TW competition tires on it either. Is this due to the tires like you mentioned in the subtitles, or is this just how the Elise drives at the limit?
No power steering at all in the Elise.
I'm guessing the short wheelbase is a big factor contributing to the twitchy rear end. And the lower grip RS4 tires. This is the only example I've driven on track so can't say definitely.
I've driven my 987.2 Cayman S at the limit with stickier 200 TW tires and it still understeers at the limit, but that's how Porsche designed it. That's one of the reasons I bought it, because it's predictability at the limit.
You can't really judge based on a single in person video. Some people drive fast but not smooth. Many steering corrections can happen with throttle instead of turning the wheel, but not everyone does this. Besides, if he's just getting used to the car it's to be expected.
you also have power steering, have any track videos?
Is it me or was the tire mounted in reverse in the front driver tire at the beginning of the video?
It was, the shop that mounted them later fixed them
does the rush sr count as a track car for under 50k or is that cheating 😂
Zygrene, I used to own a Lotus Elise, tracked it a few times a year, but with prices having gone up to 45-50k, I'm considering a 3rd gen (03-07) viper instead. Any experience with vipers? I've read that the Viper was a better handling car than the c6 Z06 and that makes the viper a very cool alternative to the elise/evoras in that price range that wont depreciate like corvette will
I've only driven a 2013 Viper GTS in the canyons. It was terrifying.
There's no way in hell that a viper handles better than a c6 zo6 lolol
@@frankchoi7viper’s wheelbase is shorter though, might be a little bit more playful
@@frankchoi7the C6’s steering is also notorious for lacking feel
Anybody know what type of rear spoiler is that and who make it?
Its a GUT Wing, no longer in production had to find it on the forums
Anyone know a lotus alternative for the same price?
Used Alfa 4c is the closest thing but no manual and no other cars this light sadly. Maybe a used Ariel Atom? Best budget car is an mr2 spyder with an engine swap though.
Cayman/Boxster
2zz swap or kswap mr2 spyder will basically get you a similar experience when setup properly. The biggest difference is the use of macpherson struts front and rear (just like the cayman) instead of the double wishbone that the lotus uses
Cayman S, Alpine A110, Factory Five kit car.
K swapped MR-S sounds incredible. I reviewed a 2ZZ MR-S years ago - felt like an every day livable Elise.
This car is very sensitive to aero which can help with both understeer and the lift off oversteer. Doubtful bigger front tires will do much compared to trail braking and using the oversteer to your advantage. Agreed no matter what this is the most fun you can have; I'd say even well above $150k.
More fun than a caterham you think? Granted you probably won’t want to drive on the street very often
I think caterham 420r would be the perfect balance of speed and fun. Plenty of power but not as insane as the supercharged ones
Would love to build one and track it someday, big go kart lol
@@NDEEZMiata yeah I’m not counting crazy cars like caterham or Ariel. Those would be awesome but even less usable than a lotus which is weird to say!
The A90 supra is still the best overall track car.
British cars ftw
I was set on buying an Elise, however when I drove it I couldn’t get over how poorly put together it felt. It seemed like bits could fall off it at any moment. Passed on it.
You buy an Elise for the driving experience, not for how nice to is.
Or spend 10 to 20k more and buy a 996 cup....
There is an order of magnitude in running cost difference here
@@blackmkiv cup cars aren't for the norms....
@@flsupraguy I understand, I'm saying that people shopping for a Lotus track car aren't the same people shopping for a Cup car.