Candidate: Lotus Elise

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Another day, another car. This time out, it’s the Lotus Elise.

For my budget, the Elise is arguably the definitive road-friendly trackday toy. Relatively low on power, but far lighter than most cars, they’re everything a sportscar should be. Not only that, but the car’s lack of bulk gives it reasonable fuel economy figures. Where’s the downside?!?

Well, clearly, it’s not a very practical car. Easily the smallest I’m considering, the passenger seat and footwell would no doubt be the primary luggage space. It’s also the hardest to get in and out of. The first time I tried it with the roof on, I strained a muscle in my groin. Seriously, it’s like posting yourself through a letterbox. Plus, it has the same problem as the VX220 for trackdays: my head would be the highest point on the car. Unsettling. :-/

Still, I do find myself tempted by the prospects of trackday fun and planet-friendly fuel consumption. The only question becomes which model do I go for? Well, for starters, it has to be a second generation model. Its improved roof assembly mechanism is reason enough. That leaves me considering either the 111S, or the 135R — all other variants are outside my budget.

The 111S is the more road-biased model, having more creature comforts — incl. air-con of all things — and returning a staggering 41mpg on the combined cycle. The 135R, on the other hand, is aimed more at trackday enthusiasts. While it’s less powerful (135bhp vs. 160bhp), it’s significantly lighter and stiffer. It ends up a little less quick to 100km/h than the 111S (5.4s vs 5.1s), but I’d expect it to feel better. As a final bonus, the 135R also features an adjustable ride height, which could come in handy when my council introduces speed bumps to the estate I live on. Hmmm... I think I’m still more tempted by the 111S, mind. Maybe I’m going soft. :-)

  • Straight-line speed: 9 out of 10 (111S) or 8 out of 10 (135R)
  • Chuckability: 10 out of 10 (predicted)
  • Kerb appeal: 7 out of 10
  • Economy: 7 out of 10
  • Practicality: 1 out of 10

Really, I should take both models for a test-drive. See how much the stiffer ride bothers me on normal roads. Anyway, must plough on with these damn previews. I’m getting into analysis paralysis here. It’s about time I laid all the cards on the table, chose a car and got down to the serious business of finding a good example.

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