My mate recently wrote off his 80’s 911 and might be in the market for a Lotus, anyway after a few pints down the pub debating what to get he threw some figures at me stating that a S1 Elise is quicker (?!) surely this can’t be true? He even emailed me this morning going over the same numbers giving good reason to buy a little S1 Elise over an Exige. Not that I’m biased in anyway but are his numbers right? I’ve cut and pasted his email to me below:
The standard Exige puts out 190bhp and 187 N:m (torque) and weighs 914kg (the S is only 933KG). That’s 203bhp per ton.
An Elise (series 1) 160 is obviously 160bhp and has 178Nm torque but only weighs 725kg! Thats 220+bhp per ton.
Or of course you have the 190bhp (minimum, up to 225 bhp) option with the VHPD engine although they are quite rare (basically out of a Caterham R500).
220bhp in a rover engined for �12,495! cane’s the ass of a series 2 Exige (non S) I would think due to weight, that’s over 300bhp per ton!
Someone tell me his talking out of his proverbial!
I would say there’s not a lot of defference between a 143bhp 111s S1 and an Exige S2 190 upto about the 100mph, then Exige will start to pull a gap. I would say S1 to S2 is more to do with comfort and usability and looks than outright speed
intresting timing, as i had a similar experience / conversation with a guy at oulton couple of weeks ago.
i have a standard s2 na exige and he was driving a bell and colvill converted 160 s1 elise.
we were well matched, but at oulton he had the edge, later on the brakes, quicker through the turns and due to linear power delivery quicker out. i reeled him in on 2nd cam and on the longer straights. at somewhere like silverstone i suspect it would have been other way round, but it was great fun and really close lap time wise.
must say its got me thinking…well sorted or honda’d S1 would give me top off driving for pleasure and a great track tool, but i love the look, feel and build quality of my exige, over a 8-10 yr old elise.
Depends what your mate is after, as standard there will not be a lot in it on the road in a straight line to be honest between.
S1 Sport 160
S1 Exige
S2 111R or SC
S2 190 Exige or S
However day to day to live with for me it would have to be the Elise SC or the Exige S they are just so much more user friendly and faster in the real world on the road as the SC make it effortless to drive fast.
For an out and out track focused car a Honda SC or Audi powered S1 Elise or Exige or a SC Exige.
He really needs to decide what he wants from it and what he wants to use it for?
I’ve had a an s1 Elise 111s and a NA Exige S2 and i’d say there was not much in it. The Exige might have been a tiny bit quicker in a straight line, the Exige was also faster through the corners due to the sticky rubber. The brakes were significantly better on the 111s for feel and power in my opinion.
I was luck enough to drive an s1 elise 190 at the le mans bugatti circuit earlier this year, it was absolutely amazing and in a straight line easily quicker than an S2 NA Exige and not far of my Exige 220. Through the corners it was outstanding, it did have A048’s and some seriously nice Nitron shocks. It was the closest to a race car that i’ve driven and more focused than anything else i’ve driven on the track. I’m lucky enough to have driven a supercharged Atom numerous times including the sameday and although the Atom was quicker it was not as involving.
It made me very tempted to sell my S2 220 and buy an old s1 190 and pocket some change.
I would love to have my old S1 Sport190 back, it was an awesome car and with a true 190hp+ (engine dyno proven) it was so fast to 100mph, I must admit from 80mph+ the Exige is now faster (so my bum dyno tells me) but it was the lack of weight that made that car so good
Used to have an Elise S2 190 sport great car! dynamics shocks, scholar tuned to 195bhp and Plans Geo set up they weighed the car at 740kg. Still had Head gasket failure etc. probably 12sec to 100mph however the Exige S1 Audi sooooo much faster! probably 8 or 9 to the ton.
Oh yes the audi power will make it faster, but the 190’s were the best VHPD car as there was less weight and aero loss than an S1 Exige, the Exige was a bit faster on a fast track were aero grip mattered but most other places a 190 was faster
Wind the boost up on your Audi matey, mine has more charecter than Russell Brand and Katy Perry locked in a room full of bondage gear and talc, when wound up to No.11!!! And certainly more charecter than any Metro derived lawn mower engine!
No offence to Metro owners, lawn mower owners, or VHPD powered Exige owners for that matter.
PS. has anyone sniffed Katy Perrys new CD? It smells of Strawberrys!!!
[quote=SeanB]Wind the boost up on your Audi matey, mine has more charecter than Russell Brand and Katy Perry locked in a room full of bondage gear and talc, when wound up to No.11!!! And certainly more charecter than any Metro derived lawn mower engine!
No offence to Metro owners, lawn mower owners, or VHPD powered Exige owners for that matter.
PS. has anyone sniffed Katy Perrys new CD? It smells of Strawberrys!!! [/quote]
