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Slingshot vs. Lotus Elise - in real life

17K views 50 replies 16 participants last post by  Bigfoot21075 
#1 ·
No, not a race but a visual side by side comparison. I know folks think they can squeeze up to a Lotus for nearly the same money as an SS (I contemplated it myself) so this is for you folks.

I went to C&C in Great Falls, VA and up front was a Lotus. I intentionally parked next to it so I could snap some photos. People don't realize A) how big the SS really is and B) just how small the Lotus is. In person, the SS dwarfed the Lotus by a large margin.

So if you are on the fence, this may sway you one way or another...
 
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#5 ·
Everyone has been amazed at how big it is in real life to include the dealer. It really has a LOT of road presence and for all the folks that think they won't be seen, well, this sort dispels that notion. Just look how much higher all the rear lights are than the Lotus.
 
#8 ·
I wanted a Porsche 911, and intended to buy one last year. When I started optioning it out I got it up to over 130k in short order. No way I could get past the mental block of spending that much on a car. I seem to have a built in limit of around 50k.
So, I started looking into options. I didn't really want to just go with straight line speed, been there and done that too many times as it is. I really like the Lotus's but being 6' 5" and over 60 and a little arthritic, the Lotus was just too hard to get in and out of. Tried the new C7, and I just don't fit. My head hits the top, even if I scrunch down.

When Subaru announced the new 15 WRX and their engineers claimed the 911 as their benchmark for chassis and handling, I thought I'd give it a shot. It can use another 75 hp but from a cornering standpoint, it has a high grin factor, and most importantly, I fit, and it's one of the most comfortable cars I've owned. With an OTD price under 40k, I have been able to literally fill two garages and still have not gotten to the price of that Porsche.
I can't wait to take my grandkids for rides in the Slingshot this spring.
 
#11 ·
I wanted a Porsche 911, and intended to buy one last year. When I started optioning it out I got it up to over 130k in short order. No way I could get past the mental block of spending that much on a car. I seem to have a built in limit of around 50k.
So, I started looking into options. I didn't really want to just go with straight line speed, been there and done that too many times as it is. I really like the Lotus's but being 6' 5" and over 60 and a little arthritic, the Lotus was just too hard to get in and out of. Tried the new C7, and I just don't fit. My head hits the top, even if I scrunch down.

When Subaru announced the new 15 WRX and their engineers claimed the 911 as their benchmark for chassis and handling, I thought I'd give it a shot. It can use another 75 hp but from a cornering standpoint, it has a high grin factor, and most importantly, I fit, and it's one of the most comfortable cars I've owned. With an OTD price under 40k, I have been able to literally fill two garages and still have not gotten to the price of that Porsche.
I can't wait to take my grandkids for rides in the Slingshot this spring.
Wriggly, in my opinion I think you made a wise choice. Although Porsche's handle amazing.. they nickel & dime you for everything, $800 for crest in seat, $350 for billet door caps, etc. The Lotus of course is one of the best track cars you can buy, but extremely hard to get in and out of and tiring for someone of any age. The subaru WRX/Sti is a versatile all wheel beast and in my opinion one of the best pound for pound vehicles on earth for the money. You can do a Cobb tune, intake, turbo back exhaust and get a nice HP bump.
 
#12 ·
Thanks for the pictures, I never realized how small the Lotus is. (We don't have many of them here in Iowa....)

I'd also agree with Slingmods about the Porsche & nickle and dime'ing you. I had a Boxster, it was the first time it needed service and they gave me a horrible quote & almost a month to get stuff done that I sold it for $5k more than I bought it and wiped my hands of it. (The joys of buying a Boxster S that the dealer you bought it from priced as a Boxster!)
 
#15 ·
After seeing an Atom on the road, it would make the SS look downright gigantic. The atom is a full 15 inches shorter than the Elise although the Atom is 5 inches wider. The Atom has all it's mass centralized so it makes it look that much smaller than it really is.

So yeah, I "found" the extra weight. Considering the Elise weighs about 300 more than the Slingshot - some might ask Lotus where all its weight is hidden? ;)
 
#17 ·
The SS does look massive because of that wide front end, but that width is made up mainly of those lovely, lightweight aluminum suspension arms.

I'm still wondering where the 1700 lbs come from. No one answer I'm sure. If you've ever built an airplane you know that the empty weight is determined by literally hundreds of decisions during design and construction. My RV-8 airplane is 26 feet wide and has 300 HP but weighs only 1150 pounds. Polaris is used to making rugged off road machines and it shows.
 
#19 ·
The SS does look massive because of that wide front end, but that width is made up mainly of those lovely, lightweight aluminum suspension arms.

I'm still wondering where the 1700 lbs come from. No one answer I'm sure. If you've ever built an airplane you know that the empty weight is determined by literally hundreds of decisions during design and construction. My RV-8 airplane is 26 feet wide and has 300 HP but weighs only 1150 pounds. Polaris is used to making rugged off road machines and it shows.
Yep - we've heard of the 'tubing'. Keep in mind, the SS doesn't contain the that that really make cars heavy - doors and their hardware, crash structures, airbag modules, AC/Heater motors/controls/piping, glass. Glass is really heavy.

I'm fine with it and I'm sure I'll enjoy, but there will always be an element that will say 'hey, if it's fun at 1700#, it could be SO much more fun at 1,500#'
 
#18 ·
As an owner of two Elises, I can chime in.

I asked before about 'perspective' - that is, when describing 'handing' and 'acceleration' what's the baseline? Someone used to driving a pickup all day is going to have a different perspective on 'handling' than someone who races shifter karts.

That said, the Elise is like having relations with Kate Beckinsale. After that, how can one go to a random everyday person? :). Seriously though - one can argue with the size, the difficulty of ingress/egress and the lack of creature comforts, but there's a reason that every auto enthusiast, owner, journalist, etc regards the Elise/Exige as the arguably some of the greatest handling cars EVER made. I'm not talking about in 2005, I'm talking about EVER. There really is nothing like the experience of throwing an Elise around a twisty country road or a proper road course. When I get an SS in spring, I'm sure the experience will pale, but that's ok. It's a different animal and half the price of what I just sold my '08 Elise for.

As far as comparisons, I've had my Elise parked to an Atom a few times (I know a local owner well). The Elise is tiny - and it dwarfs the Atom. Seeing an SS next to an Atom (which we'll be able to do at the next Supercar Saturdays in Chicago in May) will be eye opening. The SS is a VERY VERY wide vehicle and very front heavy. The Elise, is well, the Elise.

That said, the pics don't do it justice. As others note, I think the Elise is one of the sexiest car designs of recent memory. The fact that a car that you can buy for $32K ('05 NA model) has the looks of a super car (just in a pint size package) really is a feat to the work of the Lotus designers. The only issue with THAT pic is the color. It's called Graphite Gray. Nice color. On a BMW 5 series or a Tahoe you drive your kids to soccer practice in. The Elise is meant to wear skittles colors. My two were Saffron Yellow and Chrome Orange respectively. Then you have Krypton Green, Ice White and Ardent Red. The grey, silver, black color options just don't show the lines.

Same goes for the SS. While the metallic is a gorgeous color and makes the vehicle look sinister, I think it would look much better in brighter colors (with the black accents). Lambo Ithaca Verde or Jeep Gecko Green, Mustang Grabber Orange, Corvette Millennium Yellow. Bring on the wraps!
 
#20 ·
Yeah, the Lotus is pretty incomparable when it comes to handling. Went to a Skip Barber driving school where we drove Bimmers, Porsches, Lexis ISF and Exige. I hated getting out of the Lotus to drive any of the others.
 
#25 ·
They got rid of the elise because it didnt meet us safety guidelines since it has no bumper and the waiver ran out. That said Lotus is trying to bring both it and the Evora back to the US.

They are great cars but they are essentially 10 year old exotic cars and experience 10 year old exotic car problems with an inflation factor due to its collective nature.
 
#26 ·
Lotus Elise owner here... I've never seen the slingshot in person yet, I was planning on checking it out at a dealership this past weekend but was busy and didn't get a chance. All I can say is WOW, way bigger than expected.

As stated, lotus had an airbag exemption which ran out for the Elise/ Exige in 2011 and for the evora in 2014. As far as "10 year old exotic car problems" I'm not really sure what those would be. Most have under 40k miles and would experience some of the same issues that maybe a toyota would over the same period of time.

With a sample size of 3 owners, it's a bit hard to make the argument about "if they're so good, why are Lotus owners selling their cars?". Maybe they're on here because they sold it? For me, I bought mine from the original owner. He is about 70, has an Esprit, 80's BMW M6, e46 M3, some sort of e36 track car, the Elise that I bought from him, and an MG that he was having restored and needed garage space for

Here's an article that sums up its existence pretty well I think http://jalopnik.com/if-lotus-died-in-america-would-anyone-really-care-1638194455
 
#28 ·
Lotus Elise owner here... I've never seen the slingshot in person yet, I was planning on checking it out at a dealership this past weekend but was busy and didn't get a chance. All I can say is WOW, way bigger than expected.

As stated, lotus had an airbag exemption which ran out for the Elise/ Exige in 2011 and for the evora in 2014. As far as "10 year old exotic car problems" I'm not really sure what those would be. Most have under 40k miles and would experience some of the same issues that maybe a toyota would over the same period of time.

With a sample size of 3 owners, it's a bit hard to make the argument about "if they're so good, why are Lotus owners selling their cars?". Maybe they're on here because they sold it? For me, I bought mine from the original owner. He is about 70, has an Esprit, 80's BMW M6, e46 M3, some sort of e36 track car, the Elise that I bought from him, and an MG that he was having restored and needed garage space for

Here's an article that sums up its existence pretty well I think http://jalopnik.com/if-lotus-died-in-america-would-anyone-really-care-1638194455
Funny article but kind of true.....Esp about the owners.
 
#38 ·
Hi I have a 06 exige that I have had new since 06, 65 k miles on it . Have done about 30 track days at vir and summit point, going as fast as I could, shifting at redline all the time. The engine is pretty bullet proof. Have never had any engine issues, though I have went through lots of r compound tires ! I love this and hopefully can keep it for a while longer. I just got a grey slingshot Saturday. It is so much fun ! The lotus is faster but the slingshot feels faster.
 
#44 ·
Not sure if you got the info but...

1. Just click the "Upload a File" in the response section (at the bottom of the page) next to the "Post Reply" button.
2. Then select a pic from your computer/cloud when you click "browse"
3. You then choose whether to use a "thumbnail" or "full image". If you use "full Image" it will get re-sized so that it doesn't mess with the margins of the browser window.
4. Click "Post Reply"
 
#42 ·
Evo and I were chatting a lot yesterday when I went to check out and drive his SS. Again, I've had two and he was one of the early Elise owners in '05.

To me, the SS elicits the same response as an Elise. FUN!!!!

Everyone gets hung up on horsepower, weight, et al. Everyone thinks their thing is the best thing. The Elise is an amazing machine for what it is and every review of it will share that. The handling and driver connection is sublime. It's impossible not to smile when driving that vehicle.

That said, it's not the ONLY vehicle that fits this description. I'm not a big grumbly straight line guy, but if it's fun, it's fun.

I no longer own either of these two vehicles, but they were different tools for different jobs. My little '69 Mini Moke with it's 38hp engine may have been the most fun vehicle I've ever had. THAT is what I'm looking for in my next toy. That's what I see with the SS. And for 1/2 of what I sold my last Elise for? Now we're talking!

This was my first Elise and the Moke had a different interior by the time I sold it (and my former Jeep Wrangler Unlimited in the background). Having fun while motoring is what life should be:

 
#46 ·
What filters are you trying to access? The oil filter is easily accessible under the car when you pull the under tray to change the oil.

The air filter can be reached via boot engine bay. You can REALLY get it it if you jack up the car and remove the driver's rear wheel.

Removing the clams is a pain in the arse, but can be done in an hour and there are very few things that an owner would need to do to maintain the vehicle.

With ownership of two Elises, I have done/had multiple oil changes, de snorkel, air filters, install a supercharger, remove a supercharger for rebuild, oil pan, RTV brace, new clutch/flywheel, replace plugs, flush coolant and new exhaust.

None required clam removal. The only thing that required a clam removal was the new radiator.
 
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