Waspy

Never driven a scooby so cant comment, not that keen on their looks tho'
but then I dont like the look of a Skyline much either.
(I am a bit of a girlie tho')

However I love the looks and driving of an Elise both Models, although the s2 is slightly easier for everyday use.
Which is what I have mine for mainly.

Have driven it on track etc too tho' and that is also fun currently having a 165 bhp upgrade. Most Elises dont stay standard for long and most are a little bit individual in some way or the other so it is a lot of fun comparing the cars and the drivers!

You are not just buying a car you buy a complete lifestyle if you want it. Everyone is so freindly and there are so many trackdays, runs and events going on you can soon run out of holiday and money!

Most people seem to like the car too and wave and give way at junctions etc obviously the odd boy racer tries it on but who cares you always leave them behind at the roundabouts!

Get one, you wont regret it maybe keep your scooby too and you will have the best of both worlds.

Gill
@Sinclaire

EXIGE eats WRX (T)

Just read all this and I am amazed at how you guys have been brainwashed by the Scooby propaganda...

Yes they are great cars, if you are a pipe-smoking grandad with a dicky back, or if you are a really good professional rally driver, but who wants/needs to drive a bloated saloon otherwise ??

Look at facts - my Exige competed in the same sprint as a WRX turbo, though in a different class. Weather conditions were the same all day - bloody hot.

WRX best time
64 feet 2.34 secs - standing quarter 15.00 secs - run 89.20 secs

Exige best time
64 feet 2.47 secs - standing quarter 14.23 secs - run 88.29 secs

There was a Puma turbo driven by two friends of mine
Puma best time (from either driver)
64 feet 2.61 secs - standing quarter 15.31 secs - run 88.80 secs

So the Puma's faster than the scooby! (The run is the true test!!)

My Exige has now had an Emerald EMS plus vernier pulleys fitted and is developing even more power now.

PS I didn't win my sprint class - that was won by a modified Elise

Elise times
64 feet 2.27 secs - standing quarter 13.53 secs - run 84.22 sec

I can only say, in the true spirit of the child within me

"put that in your pipes and smoke it....."

I will now duck and run for cover !!!!!!

davek

So you had a good day in your hairdressermobil, but does that mean that depicts all imprezas. Standing quarter in 15 secs, did it have sandbags in the boot?
Thats almost 2 secs more than mine and many others on this forum.

Funny cos when i recently raced an exige i beat him quite comfortably, and went away to smoke my pipe while he went on to perform a few perms.

EXIGE eats WRX (T)

There are many elises and exiges that break 13 secs (and even 12)for the quarter as well - mine just isn't that well tuned yet..

IMHO a seriously sorted Impreza is no doubt a very quick car - my point is that you can say exactly the same about an Elise, or one of its variants - and I prefer a car that needs a skillful driver.

Re your victory, was that on a race track, with official timing and full marshalling, medical and emergency - and both of you trying? Or was he on a trackday 'in' lap, cooling his tyres and brakes?? Or did you 'race' him away from the traffic lights outside a primary school??

I keep my speed for the track... and my hairdryer for the boy-racers!!!

davek

For your information, it was official & it's a shame you should try & brand me with the scumbags that race around streets in built up areas.

IMO your username has boy racer written all over it!!!

skyenet

I bought my Elise beacuse I thought it looked fantastic, so probably a hairdresser then :-) However what I didn't realise was just how much satisfaction I was going to get from it. Maybe its the looks and the bright colour (Yellow) of mine, or possibly it's my hyperactive passenger, my daughter Skye, who also loves it, but it just attracts so much attention and complete strangers just come up to you and start talking away. I get loads of waves and thumbs up from toddlers right up to OAPs and this can really add to the joy of driving it.

Mine is bog standard 120 BHP S2 Sport Tourer (Carpets and CD Player), so does have a crap sounding exhaust and does run out of puff on the Knockhill straight. However it means you have to learn how to corner well to keep up the pace with other cars who can be crap around corners but have loads of power to make up for their shortcomming in the straights. I have even managed the fastest times at Kames, sharing these with a well modified Elise and a modified Scooby. Modified engined Elise don't seem to have any great advantage over standard cars on the road, its only on track where the difference shows through. My favourite roads are Scottish "B" roads and usually nothing can touch an Elise on these. On some "B" roads not even motorbikes can catch Elises, so they are not slouches.

After I bought mine I heard the LOTUS "Loads Of Trouble Usually Serious" saying but, in fact I have done over 16,000 miles, 27 track days and not had a single thing has gone wrong. I think that's pretty amazing. The reliability of Elises has improved and I think Vauxhall had a lot to do with this through their involvemnet with Lotus with the VX220.

Having being a bike rider for years the Elise's drivers comforts and luggage space is luxury. And it even has a roof. Granted even though it only takes a couple of minutes to take off/put on, it is a bit of a pain, but hey at least you can take the roof off!! On a recent camping trip with Skye I managed to fit 2 tents, 2 sleeping bags, 2 roll mats, 2 sets of buckets and spades (camping beside the sea), a kite, 2 disposable BBQs, 1 Cooker, loads of clothes and food, video gear, as well as all the stuff I normally carry which includes a VHS recoder/player and TV SCreen, First Aid kit, and loads of odds and sods. Even managed to take the roof off and stow it as well. Of course it was a bit of a puzzle to fit everything in, but it is possible.

However the best thing about owning an Elise is the amount of new friends I have made because of it. These include the Scottish Elises, many SIDC members (I even attended the SIDC Birthday Bash last year in the Isle of Man), many Scoobynetters and the SS-R club. I have found the Elise is well respected and have always been made welcome by a wide range of Petrolheads and even non petrol heads. The social aspect of owning an Elise (in Scotland anyway) is quite astounding. Not so sure if the same can be said about a Scooby.

EXIGE eats WRX (T)

Dave

Actually we seem to have a lot of common views about scumbag street racers...

I'm glad that,like me, you take it seriously and have a MSA license.

We'll just have to agree to differ on our choice of cars.

M

PS My user name was a tease...

mutant_matt

I don't know why everything has to be a "vs" thread? Can't people discuss the merits of what are both clearly good performance cars without it descending into a childish tit for tat?

I've said what I already wanted to on the matter in hand so all that's left is to say, Hi Ross (see you at the Ring in Sept?), tut and Ian (or is it Iain? sorry ) (see you at the next time I can get up to stay with Alan) and of course Dave.... (see you next time you can make it to the restaurant )

Ta,

Matt

P.S. Get a VXT, an Elise with "real" power potential

Lemmy

Just to prove that some Scooby owning scoobynetters appreciate the lizzy Gina and I are planning to change our MY99 turbo Wagon (but keep the STi7) for an S2 next year. I have driven a mates S2 and was impressed. It is very different to a Scoob and not really comparable. The attraction to us is that you can enjoy it at sub-license loosing speeds and it has alot more feel. It is like driving a racing car. Also it looks alot better, especially in yellow.

Skyenet - We were truely amazed at the amount of luggage you managed to pack in to your lizzy at lst years IOM bash - the word tardis comes to mind. Hopefully we will meet up with you and Skye at this years event if you are going.

Alan and Gina

SJobson

I've never heard of anyone getting robbed of their Elise at gunpoint though, which kind of improves the relative practicality ratios...

My S2 Elise arrived and I got rid of my Scoob 4 months later; the Impreza just felt like a tractor to drive after the delicacy and feedback of the Elise. It's not difficult to drive either - I occasionally commute 20 miles into London in mine, and it's ideal in rush hour (no turbo lag, so nipping into gaps in traffic is far easier). It's comfy too. Doesn't tramline because it's not overtyred... I could go on.

120bhp also proves plenty on track - it's not enough for powerslides but it's enough to work the tyres. And you don't need to replace brakes and tyres after each track outing.

Caterham instead? Well, possibly. But there's no way I'd tour round Ireland in a Cat, and I doubt I'd commute into London in it. If you want a second car which is solely a track car (and a diesel estate as your main car to tow it to the track), fine. I'd rather have a second car which works well on both road and track.

kamikaze

i draged my elise againt m8s my00 on a huge 1/2 mile straight

Scoob def feels faster but in real life they are about the same until stupid speeds. quite a suprising result really.
scoobs brakes were smokin as well after some enthusiastic driving by both of us.
Overal they are both great cars, butin this weather il keep the elsie.

skyenet

Alan & Gina

Unfortunately Skye and I will not make it over to this year's Isle of Man bash. Finances a bit stretched since going on the dole. Scoobynetters buying some of my bargain IT Training software has certainly helped though. As long as I can hold onto the Elise, I'll be happy.

Matt

The VXT 220T is realy nice and very well respected by the Elise guys up here, but then its not a Lotus (That will get a Lotus - Vauxhall debate off to a good start) Only joking guys. Sure we will see you if you get up to the wilds of Scotland, and the great roads.

Iain

[Edited by skyenet - 7/14/2003 11:36:36 PM]

Paulo P

iTrader: (42)

They are unreliable too My friends one is always playing up. I find his tuned (160bhp by Motobuild) frustratingly slow and underpowered to drive No LSD either so they spin the inside wheel and they are a b!tch to get in and out of with the roof on if you are big.

Paul

[Edited by paulpalmer - 7/9/2003 9:27:23 AM]