nah prob with a high quality camera, but back in the day yt uploads were in this crappy 240p. wish someone would upload the original hd version of these videos.
Hi all, I just hired an Elise SC - and I can safely say its the best car I've ever driven. Absolutely stunning - sound of the super charger is fantastic! Would recommend to anyone.
I remember seeing one for the first time as well. It was orange and I was impressed with how small it was. Didn't really geta chance to hear it, but I can't imagine it sounding anything like the growl of an American V8.
I have the Elise R and it's 'laugh out loud' fun & fast. Great fun on road and track. Makes driving other cars dull. 90% of a 100k supercar experience for a fraction of the money.
@JasonTyberiusKirk Exactly right, and there is one other factor: Superchargers and turbochargers require some engine speed higher than a non supercharged engine to really produce their horsepower, That is fine for performance cars, but for normal sedans or saloon cars, the larger engine with no supercharger/turbocharger makes more sense in most cases than a small engine with supercharger, because a larger naturally aspirated engine makes more torque at lower revs.
@dirtbikeryzz The point is FUN! My favorite EXOTIC is the Lamborghini LP670 SV but this car is way more fun to drive. Lambo is more powerful yes, but it's fat and "slow"(heavy in corners and you can't see anything). If I'm looking to have fun driving on some nice winding road I will take this any day over the heavier cars you propose.
Plato on 5th gear lambasted this car for not having an LSD, but if you think about it, the car is so light and mid engined, most owners would probably spin 360 degrees straight away with an LSD. I believe lotus engineers. This guy seems to talk sense too. Nice 1.
@bmants im the 6ft and I get on just fine esp with the roof off. You dont get these cars for comfort, you get them for going fast. Uprated suspension is a must, it makes the world of differece to the driving experience. If you want a comfortable lotus then save up and get the evora although id wait until they launch the supercharged edition. Lotus is one of the last standing things that shows british technical and mechanical engineering at its pincale.
Go for it mate, the 911 and exige have very similar stats only thing is the lotus is considerably smaller and doesn't have all the fun gadgets and instrument controls in the dash. Get what you pay for though so your call. Personally I'm looking at the exige
Bahaha I LOVE the little throwaway comment about the Elise S1 "but then again you had failing head gaskets all the time didn't you?" It's funny 'coz it's true (well, stereotypically anyway) Class review.
if somthin was to go wrong with the parts on this car how easy is it to replace them is it expensive , i mean for Godsake the engine is made by Toyota?
Obviously it doesn't make the same kind of music as a ferrari V12 or a TVR straight 6 but if u rev those small engines they can still make a great noise. the elise really is a wonderful car. Cheap to buy, cheap to run, nobody will hate u for killing the planet and it's still seriously fast... lotus cars are the closest things to hardcore track-day-cars without being unusable in everyday life. the elise goes like some many times more expensive cars, looks great... what more could u want?
Sadly Lotus prices are going further away from avg drivers. I know cars are amazing and tech costs. But Lotus was for the driver, thus the Elise. I hope they don't get too high, like so many other cars have.
i must say this car is nice...i love the mpg...power, performance...and yet comfort in mind...the only drawback would be the front...id change the hood it looks so ugly to me...but other than that nice car...nice color too..
You are correct sir, this is the direction that the auto companies should have been moving many year ago, instead we have been building ShitUV's here in America. So what of the reliability of a Lotus, I have never heard one compared to a Lexus?
@Molo9000 Are you familiar with the Audi R10 and R15 racecars. The R10 during it's first season dominated Lemans and prototype racing, the R15 on the other hand has a vehicle weight of under 2000lbs . While the diesel/racing technology derived R8 roadcar concept was the star of auto shows. I am sure diesel engines, hybrid engines, and even electric engines all have a lot of potential if they are considered as being power plant choices for sports cars.
i never said i didn't like European cars. and considering this started with me defending the Lotus (which is British) and the fact that my daily driver is a S65 AMG, i can tell u that i love European cars. i also love old American muscle, currently restoring a 71 Cuda (yea i liked Nash Bridges). love American cars up until the early 70's then they begin to go downhill. also own a IS350 (i guess its just an overpriced Toyota to you) and a modded 3rd gen RX7. i like a wide variety of cars
haven't actually driven either the lotus or the porsche 911 although i simulated driving for both and though porsche has more power i prefer the lotus because it is rear engine and provides a different type of handling
imagine how great these vids would be with hd
I just assumed they filmed with a flip phone, possible a Motorola Razor haha
nah prob with a high quality camera, but back in the day yt uploads were in this crappy 240p. wish someone would upload the original hd version of these videos.
Lotus is based on awesome principles, I love it, it will be the first rear wheel drive car I get. STUNNING!
Fantastic! I've got a laser blue S2 that looks identical. I absolutely love it!
these are great reviews, they are the best on the net. you keep making them i will keep watching them.
Chris thank you
I Love Lotus, my favorite car ever.
awesome car thanks for the review.
I adore this car.
I saw this car at a gas station, it stood out a hundred times more than the other cars, the British have done an awesome job making this car!
The Britts always do great car reviews. This one is no exception !
Thanks for the post.
Im Into karting and i reckon if i get one of these ill be taking it to a track every weekend
theyre awesome
i love the scenery
Great car and a nice detailed review, Thanks Chris :-)
Chris Harris was already on top at that time :p
thinking about one of these... very helpful review .. Chris Harris top man
Great review, succinct yet clear, detailed, informative and emotive... good man... you're enthusing me to splash out :-)
Elise design has aged so well.
Hi all,
I just hired an Elise SC - and I can safely say its the best car I've ever driven. Absolutely stunning - sound of the super charger is fantastic! Would recommend to anyone.
I hope to own one soon, and will blog the experience.
indeed~
at first i was a bit worried about his script
but he did a fine job overall!
Love this car Bro... I might buy this car
I ran a S1 Elise for many years. Had it supercharged, 750kgs, went like hell and changed direction like a housefly
I remember seeing one for the first time as well. It was orange and I was impressed with how small it was. Didn't really geta chance to hear it, but I can't imagine it sounding anything like the growl of an American V8.
13 years🎉
Great review, the elise never looks dated
elise = my dream car :)
I like this guy.
so much spunk from Chris in these old videos
i cant stop but starring at his bold spots
cup holder demostration was priceless
Epic review
This car should be awesome at a twisty mountain road! Now that it has more torque it should be a real thrill to drive.
he knows cars, hats off
The absolute future of sports cars.
This I think is the best roadtest ever by Autocar...
perfect weekend car
Nice review
It gets warm, but not hot.
It is also a bigger boot than you think, so if you push things right back in the boot then they don't get warm at all.
I love chris harris.
He's a Felipe Contepomi lookalike! (Argentina and Leinster rugby), and says all that info very well - kudos!!
Car's nice too. More track racing?!!
I have the Elise R and it's 'laugh out loud' fun & fast. Great fun on road and track. Makes driving other cars dull. 90% of a 100k supercar experience for a fraction of the money.
this is the best car in the world,excellent handling,great engine and is very reliable.what else do you need and everybody can afford it
I'd kill for one of these cars
got a 2003 lotus elise turbo charged best car i ever drove
Yeah i seen him "Spanking" a few cars as chris harris says, does a great review!
this guy is hilarious with the pointing and the thumbs up!!!! hes bangable
I want one. I really Really want one...
thanks
Oh 240p, we meet again...
One of the nicest car on fuel and fun
@JasonTyberiusKirk Exactly right, and there is one other factor: Superchargers and turbochargers require some engine speed higher than a non supercharged engine to really produce their horsepower, That is fine for performance cars, but for normal sedans or saloon cars, the larger engine with no supercharger/turbocharger makes more sense in most cases than a small engine with supercharger, because a larger naturally aspirated engine makes more torque at lower revs.
@dirtbikeryzz The point is FUN! My favorite EXOTIC is the Lamborghini LP670 SV but this car is way more fun to drive. Lambo is more powerful yes, but it's fat and "slow"(heavy in corners and you can't see anything). If I'm looking to have fun driving on some nice winding road I will take this any day over the heavier cars you propose.
you can do aftermarket mods that are a lot more than a bolt on if you have a good tuning shop and the money
Chris Harris? Makes videos for the Drive network now. Great videos.
a very kickass British MR2
Plato on 5th gear lambasted this car for not having an LSD, but if you think about it, the car is so light and mid engined, most owners would probably spin 360 degrees straight away with an LSD. I believe lotus engineers. This guy seems to talk sense too. Nice 1.
@bmants im the 6ft and I get on just fine esp with the roof off. You dont get these cars for comfort, you get them for going fast. Uprated suspension is a must, it makes the world of differece to the driving experience. If you want a comfortable lotus then save up and get the evora although id wait until they launch the supercharged edition. Lotus is one of the last standing things that shows british technical and mechanical engineering at its pincale.
I want one
@Bmants I'm 6'3 and was fine in my exige.
Wow Lotus with a cup holder WOW just WOW
@SagaraSouske
Diesel works in long distance racecars (because they have to stop for fuel less often) but we are talking about sportscars here.
Go for it mate, the 911 and exige have very similar stats only thing is the lotus is considerably smaller and doesn't have all the fun gadgets and instrument controls in the dash. Get what you pay for though so your call. Personally I'm looking at the exige
the 2002-present Lotus Elise is assembled in
Hethel, Norfolk, England.
you give perfect thumb ups
i like this guy, sort of like a top gear for car nerds like me
Would it be worth getting the LSD if you wanted to indulge in a bit of drifting?
I'd take it. I just love small sporty vehicles.
Does the road clearance ever serve as a problem?
if you go and get one of those this thing handles 99% better
Bahaha I LOVE the little throwaway comment about the Elise S1 "but then again you had failing head gaskets all the time didn't you?" It's funny 'coz it's true (well, stereotypically anyway)
Class review.
if somthin was to go wrong with the parts on this car how easy is it to replace them
is it expensive , i mean for Godsake the engine is made by Toyota?
i like that, smooth ride :) but its said to be noisy as hell, thats why the stereo system is not so "updated"
I saw a bunch of used ones, maybe a year or 2 older with like 10k or lower miles fer 30k at my local dealership
Obviously it doesn't make the same kind of music as a ferrari V12 or a TVR straight 6 but if u rev those small engines they can still make a great noise. the elise really is a wonderful car. Cheap to buy, cheap to run, nobody will hate u for killing the planet and it's still seriously fast... lotus cars are the closest things to hardcore track-day-cars without being unusable in everyday life.
the elise goes like some many times more expensive cars, looks great... what more could u want?
Video quality: 240
Chris Harris's review: top quality
Sadly Lotus prices are going further away from avg drivers. I know cars are amazing and tech costs. But Lotus was for the driver, thus the Elise. I hope they don't get too high, like so many other cars have.
i must say this car is nice...i love the mpg...power, performance...and yet comfort in mind...the only drawback would be the front...id change the hood it looks so ugly to me...but other than that nice car...nice color too..
You are correct sir, this is the direction that the auto companies should have been moving many year ago, instead we have been building ShitUV's here in America. So what of the reliability of a Lotus, I have never heard one compared to a Lexus?
Im 6'5"-6'6". Is there any chance i've me fitting in to the SC or any Lotus models?
@Molo9000
Are you familiar with the Audi R10 and R15 racecars. The R10 during it's first season dominated Lemans and prototype racing, the R15 on the other hand has a vehicle weight of under 2000lbs . While the diesel/racing technology derived R8 roadcar concept was the star of auto shows.
I am sure diesel engines, hybrid engines, and even electric engines all have a lot of potential if they are considered as being power plant choices for sports cars.
the point is to keep the weight of the car as low as possible. the earlier models didn't even have electric windows.
@hunghuge12
They are already 1,000lbs. to 1,500lbs, ahead of the rest of the market with the Elise and Exige.
and if u've been in one there really comfortable. i got in one just today
please do!
hey what a coincidence i just saw one 10 minutes ago!!!!!
thumbs up!!!
got the best tyres ever
i been looking to buy a lotus as my next car, and i see that i can get a 2006 or 2007 for about 25,000 is that correct?
its recorded in catalonia? i can see the montserrat mountain
I am thrusting my fist doing the thumbs up in front my screen.
nice car. 4.4's at 33mpg simple amazing.
i never said i didn't like European cars. and considering this started with me defending the Lotus (which is British) and the fact that my daily driver is a S65 AMG, i can tell u that i love European cars. i also love old American muscle, currently restoring a 71 Cuda (yea i liked Nash Bridges). love American cars up until the early 70's then they begin to go downhill. also own a IS350 (i guess its just an overpriced Toyota to you) and a modded 3rd gen RX7. i like a wide variety of cars
Hey, tell Jeremy Clarkson to do one. We need someone like you.
Simply the Best, Better than all the rest. I prefer my SC to my recently purchased Ferrari 55XX.
I'm not disputing any of that, I'm sure it is awesome. Until bits start falling off it! ;) Tell me different when you've owned one!
Right, I'm well aware, but does he still work for autocar?!
I've heard getting in and out is a bit undignified but once you crowbar yourself in, you're sound as the proverbial pound :)
haven't actually driven either the lotus or the porsche 911 although i simulated driving for both and though porsche has more power i prefer the lotus because it is rear engine and provides a different type of handling
0-60 in 4.4, that's a performer.
A very sexy car the Elise not the fastest but one of the cars with the hottest design
@AlexanderBlueAvenue all of their new cars r heavy yes the new elise will hav a 4 but itll weigh 2400 pounds
its a superchaged engine, the guy has stated that in the vid more than 3 times