What would you do? elise vs z06 vs ?

Elise + turbo = schooling.

 

I've got a 944 chump car, great handling car and fun to drive but not very fast. My 355 on the other hand is pretty fast on track, on par with a c6 z51 or c5 z06. Having ridden in a c6 z06 on the same day as my 355, the brakes were very impressive and the engine had some balls but tbh the car was a bit boring in it's power delivery and just didn't feel as tight. You may be spot on on the comfort aspect. It just felt bigger and looser even though it's nearly identical in weight.

I would like to try an elise or exige. Which car you get depends on what you're after. If it's fun and not outright speed, I'd honestly skip the vettes as they are purely bang for the go fast buck and there are more fun cars out there - 944 turbo would be on my list to try.

 

Pete,
Good call on the 944 and even a "redneck" turbo system for a N/A would be a blast.

 

The Corvette. Fast, reliable and huge support from aftermarket and clubs.
It really can do all things. If your goal is to actually get some seat time, the Corvette will be much more likely to survive than some heavily modded 944 or Lotus-probably consistently faster as well.

 

If you're going to be using it a lot on the street then I would recommend the vette.

 

Get a Lotus

Which one depends on what tracks you are looking at. If tight a NA Elise will have the handling and driver involvement you are after with very low consumable costs and will not be that much slower than the supercharged variants. If the tracks are more open you might want the higher powered version.

Have fun which ever way you go!

 

I have had the opportunity to drive an Elise and Exige, also several Corvettes. I have always told myself if I ever had the luxury of being able to spend money on toys, a Lotus would be the first purchase. I was shocked at how comfortable I was in that car, I am 6'3", broad shoulders. I am a Corvette fan, but I would choose a Lotus over a Vette any day.

 

I have and have tracked the C6 Z06 and Elise (in NA and current turbo trim). The Z06 is stupid fast; bolt on slicks and pretty much nothing will run with it. But the running costs are HUGE. I can go thorugh 2-3 set of front brake pads in a single weekend; tires don't last long, either - figure 10 heat cycles max from slicks and I'll chunk unshaved street tires in a single session.

The Elise on the other hand will go at least a weekend on brake pads and can run the same tires longer, too. Pads and tires are less expensive.

I'd estimate similarly-prepared Elise and Z06 to be probably 2-3 seconds per minute of track time apart (e/g/ 3-5 sec on an 1:30 lap time), and the Z06 to cost 3-5 times as much for consumables per hour of on-track operation.

Never, ever underestimate consumables and repairs when picking a track car. More often than not, the purchase price pales in comparison pretty quiickly and many an enthusiast has gotten burned by purchasing a sweet car that he or she simply could not run due to cost.

For example, the magnificent Porsche GT3 Cup car can be had in 996 flavor for say $50K. But to run full-tilt is probably $2000/hr when you add tires, brakes and amortized engine and transmission overhaul costs.

 

A street/track car is a contradiction in terms. A car prepped for the track is horrible on the street. A street car without a full roll cage and a 6-point harness is unsafe on the track.

Buy a used Lexus for the street, and real race car for the track. You'll be glad you did.

 

I have owned and driven alot of sport cars and for the money the Elise is awesome. I had an Elise sport which was supposed to be the racing version. Nut in my view the standard Elise is just as good. I suspect you can find a car for under $35K that is only a few years old. I never had any problem with my Elise only enjoyment

I sadly traded my Elise in for a Evora Turbo. The car was very unreliable starting within 4 months of being new. It is a more modern casis but for what you want the Elise may be better. It will not keep up with a Z06. I had a 09 ZR1 for awhile and just loved that car. I sold it when I got the Audi R8. I think the ZR1 is one of the best cars nade to drive except it looks dated.

Good luck

Lee

 

Lee, how many times do I have to tell you you did not have an Evora turbo unless you went aftermarket. The S version is supercharged!

 

keith obviously every time

I was just sloppy No it was stock and I loved the car whatever it was is a bad and unreliable car. I think my Elise sport was turbo

Lee

 

Nope. The only forced induction on Loti since the Esprit has been superchargers, at least from the factory

 

What they said. Elise is on my shopping list for when I get another garage bay.

Although if it's your only car the Elise doesn't carry much, and probably isn't fun in the snow. Corvette is a hatchback so you could drive it every day, get groceries, etc.

I find the Elise very comfortable, but I'm under 6'0" and, er, limber.

 

Based on my experience, I would vote Lotus every time. A friend of mine ran an orange 2007 Exige S in track days around Chicago at the same time I owned my 2006 Elise. We both got the point of instructing several times and found the Lotus to be a dynamite car to learn good race skills in. it is easy to heal-toe and left foot brake while the steering is telepathic. The lack of monster power and huge tires also means that you can easily play with the car at the limit and have a good margin of error. He traded his for a C6 Z06 and loved it....



That love ended in the middle of the second track day when the LS7 heaved its guts all over the south track at Autobahn Country Club and GM decided not to warranty it. All I can say is that putting a new engine in that thing SUCKED.

I drove the Elise almost daily around Chicago for six years and while I love my F355 Spider, the Elise would beat its ass at a short track like Autobahn or Gingerman. Yes, the Corvette offers great performance per dollar, but there is something magical about the Lotus that the Chevy will never have. Between all of the track days that I have run, I've never seen an Elise or Exige go home on a trailer (driver error excepted).

JK

 

Even though I have never driven or tracked either model I did own 3 MKI MR2's and the connection between the car and the driver is amazing, you hit the nail on the head Jim. Yes my Miata is missing about 100rwhp but the driving experience is something that cannot be replaced. If I were to buy and occasionally track a Z06 it would be the C5 version.

 

this.

I had an Elise and its amazing on track. with a supercharger or turbo it's fast in a straight line too. running costs are fairly low because you're not really putting huge stress on anything because of the low weight, and many Toyota parts keep the cost down too. the only real expensive stuff are body panels, so dont crash and do the upgrades necessary to put it on track first (oil baffles, toe links, etc).

 

Agree on the low running costs of the Elise/Exige--I have an Exige, and it is remarkable how many track days I can get out of pads/rotors (and even tires) versus my M3 on the track. I think the connected feel of the E/E twins blows everything else away that I have ever driven on a track, excepting bespoke race cars. Having said that, if lap times are your only concern (versus skills development and other things) the Corvette is hard to beat.

 

How do the Elise or Exige age?

The weight is low due to everything being made smaller and lighter. Does everything last a few years in?

Hinges still work ok? Body panels lining up? Any wear on interior surfaces?

I'd think about the Elise since I already have a couple of big motor Godzilla cars for the variety. I'd bet that a Vette would make for a better single car though.

Tough choice indeed.

LS

 

He's talking about a C5 Z06, which is a super track car and is about as a reliable and sound way to go as you can get. It's not as fast as the C6Z, but it's not as fragile and doesn't eat brakes as much since it only (only ???) has 405 hp. But it's also still a good bit faster than an Elise...

The old adage, speed costs money, more speed costs more money, how fast do you want to go???

The C5Z only needs some brake cooling ducts, some serious pads, and a brake fluid change to be a super reliable track car. With less than really sticky tires you won't abuse the bakes. Brake rotors are a consumable, but most track rats use NAPA rotors and the are cheap. Slap a set of sticky tires on it and the lap times will plummet. Find a low mileage example and it'll be be more car than most folks can handle... You can get really low mileage C5Z for somewhere in the low $20's.. That's a huge bargain in terms of lap time/dollars

The Elise is less expensive to run, and has nicer steering, but it's way down on acceleration compared to the Corvette.. You will be pointing by Corvettes all the time, so it really depends a lot on how fast you want to go. For what it costs to get into an Elise, you can buy a lot of tires, brake rotors and pads..

 

I would get the Elise. Stay away from c5z06. I had one last summer for track , its one big headache. Rotors crack every Single track day, abs malfunctions, valve springs finally broke ..dropped the piston. Its just a pita car. Now these are common issues.

Elise or Cayman s far better reliability and steering feel and will make you a better driver.

 

The Elise is a fun car however the door sill which doubles as something to protect you in an accident was in the way when getting in and out. I felt the only way to get into them with ease was with the top off.

Go for the C5 Z06. When driving around town it behaves as good as my daily driver but when you lean into it a bit the car comes alive. The weight distribution is set up so that the car is very predictable and there is plenty of power. I have been considering trading up to a C6 however the C5 offers a great raw race car feel. Best of all it is GM so its something you are familiar with and very easy to work on.

 

Dont confuse lightness with roubustness. An else is about as stiff as a car gets. The fiberglass rattles here and there from new. It might even leak a little in rain as from new. The mechanicals though are very robust and the frame is stiff stiff stiff. The lightness comes from having minimal luxuries, the seats are shells, small size small motor and attention to lightweight detail. The frame is really stiff and the suspension strong. Its one of the few cars strong enough and well engineered enought to be pretty much tracked out the box.

I always say that in like if you could only ever have had one sports car and it was an elise you would have mised nothing. Some cars are faster fancier etc, but the elise is pure unadulterated driving fun.

For the track you need to change rotors, (stock calipers are fine) pagid rs14 pads or carbotech, put in a 6 point harness and baffled sump. Pads seem to last me 14 days.

Used lightweight lss wheels are about 1200 and slicks 1300. Slicks will last 4-6 days and can easily heat cycle out before worn.

I dont think you need a supercharged car for the track. A stock elsie is pretty fast once on the boil. Maybe after afew years of track expoerience more power helps, but low power forces you to learn to maintain momnetum in corners, which is what fast track driving is about.

You can also get great adjustable shocks so you can do street or track.

I use my elsie both on street and track. At LRP I can consistently run a 1.03 and at the glenn a 2.18, which is faster than most vettes save a slicked new z06.

The great thing about being able to drive ont he street is yuou get to use and bond with you car so much more.

look at sector111.com for an isea of all that is possible with an elise. When you get reall good aftermarket superchargers can give you close to 300hp at the rear wheels, with brakes and tires pretty much nothing streetable will stay with such an animal.

If you want to really learn how to drive, have tons of fun without breaking the bank an elise is the best way to go by far.

From what i see many vette drivers just use the power on straights and have never really got the cornering part down, the excess power is a crutch that holds them beack, easy meat.

Now for a really expreinced driver with $$$ to burn a new z06 with suspension brakes tires etc is hard to beat. But that is a 100K+ investment and as keith said it costs a lot to run.

You can buy a decent elsie for under 35K, pref witht he lss option which will already be with good shocks and light wheels. Tires pads harness baffled sump etc puts you prbably around 40K. For this other than pads once a year and tires you can run the car for years and years. If you should blow a motor a new one from toyota is 4k. As you progress and have more $$$ you can add power brakes suspension etc. keep chipping away untill you have the skill and a really really fast car.

 

The Elise is a moving chicane to anyone in a C5 or C6 Corvette that knows how to drive-sorry, that's just the way it is.