Elise can be used normally. Daily performance impressions. From commuting to leisure of MY2011 Lotus Elise.
I like cars I wasn’t so interested in getting a license, but after I got a license, I enjoyed driving and became interested in various cars.
From April 2011 to April 2014, I used Lotus Elise from commuting to leisure for 3 years. It was a very good car that was fun in many ways. I still want to own it if I can afford it. I would like to deliver the impression of Elise. I think that the engine is different from the latest model, and the settings of the undercarriage have changed accordingly, but I think that the feeling I got on it does not change much. I hope it will be helpful to those who are considering it.
What is Lotus Elise?
Lotus Elise is a lightweight sports car designed, manufactured and sold by Lotus cars. When the first generation came out, I remember the big topic being the use of aviation adhesives to join the chassis to reduce weight.
An aluminum bathtub chassis is covered with a FRP body, and rigidity is secured only by the chassis, so the ceiling is Targa top and you can enjoy open drive. The engine drives the rear wheels with a midship laid out behind the cabin.
MY2011 Lotus Elise main specifications and specs
Main features
Body type: open
Number of doors: 2 doors
Riding capacity: 2 people
Body size: total length 3800 x width 1720 x height 1130 mm
Vehicle weight: 900kg
Main specifications
Engine type: 1ZR-FAE
Maximum output: 136ps (100kW) / 6800rpm,
Maximum torque: 16.3 kg ・ m (160 N ・ m) / 4400 rpm
Driving performance impression
Power performance
Focussing at the engine output alone feels weak, but it is necessary and sufficient because the vehicle weight is less than 1 ton. Accelerate to the target speed without stress if you depress the accelerator when necessary.
Operation performance
This is Lotus. “Run”, “Bend” and “Stop” can move as you want. The front and rear double wishbones, the springs of the sax, and the suspension of the Bilstein dampers allow the car to turn with the steering wheel operated without causing anxiety or uncomfortable body movement.
The brakes on the front AP and rear Brembo are very effective, and the vehicle speed is reduced linearly according to the amount of brake application.
In addition to the midship, there is almost no pitching when braking, and I feel like I’m sucking it straight to the ground, so I’m not worried.
Daily performance impression
The reliability is high.
The engine is made by Toyota, so I was not worried about it breaking. In fact, the engine has never been a problem in three years. Also, there was no trouble in the electrical system. As I happened to hit a good individual, my Elise was able to commute and leisure without any trouble while owning it.
Getting on and off is still difficult.
There is no problem if you get used to it, but if you think about it normally it will be bad. The thick and tall side sill is an obstacle to getting on and off to ensure the rigidity of the chassis alone. First, insert one foot, drop the butt, and get on the remaining foot. The opposite is true when getting off. Since the driver’s seat is small, you have to move the seat position to the back every time you get on or off.
Interior, minimal comfort equipment.
There is no power steering. But once it starts, there is no problem.
The minimum number of comfortable equipment was. Manual air conditioner, 1DIN size CD player, power window. This was enough because this car is a car to enjoy driving.
Visibility. Good visibility from the driver’s seat.
Visibility from the driver’s seat is good. Thanks to the excitement of the tire fenders on the front, it is easy to see where the tires are, and it is easy to grasp the feel of the vehicle. The rear view from the rearview mirror is very good thanks to the tunnel back. When combined with a door mirror, there was no problem with rear visibility.
The sitting position is extremely low.
The sitting position is extremely low. Feeling that the butt is about 10 cm from the ground. You can actually touch the ground by sitting on the seat and opening the door. The height of the line of sight was the same as or lower than that of the guardrail.
The interior space is small.
The interior space is very small. The driver’s seat, passenger seat, and shoulder space are less than 10 cm. It is very cramped for two men to sit down. So I recommend putting a woman next to it.
There was no cup holder.
Nowadays, there is no such thing as a cup holder that is standard equipment on various foreign cars. Beverages with a lid that does not spill can only be placed in a small space in the car.
The noise entering the car is large.
The noise that gets into the car while driving is quite large. If you’re driving in the city, you can talk to your neighbors without problems, but at high speeds, wind noise and road noise can get in quite a bit, making it difficult to talk to your neighbors.
Opening and closing the soft top is very easy.
It’s very easy to open and close the soft top to enjoy the open air drive. 3 steps it takes about 30 seconds. You can either put the removed soft top in the trunk or place it in the exclusive space behind the seat in the cabin.
The trunk space is surprisingly large.
The trunk space is wider than I expected. The opening is narrow, but the inner space of the rear body shell is large, so it has more volume than you can imagine from the appearance. If you have a carry-on size trunk, you can put it in two from the opening and slide it sideways. There is no problem if the luggage is for one or two night trips for two adults.
Fuel economy is good.
Gasoline is designated as high-octane.
The actual fuel consumption was 12 to 13km / L for commuting and 16 to 17km / L for high-speed driving.
Tires have a long life.
The genuine tires are YOKOHAMA ADVAN NEOVA, which are quite high grip tires. High-grip tires literally have a shorter life instead of scraping their own rubber to get a high grip, but in the case of Elise, the rear tires lasted two years. The front seems to be okay after 3 years, so I think I will have it for 4 years. The tire size is 16 inches at the front and 17 inches at the rear, so it is now a normal size, so the price of tire replacement was cheap.
Attention is high.
Maybe it’s because my Elise was orange, but just running normally gets the attention of others. If you are trying to encounter a group of elementary school boys while stopping at an intersection, you are already a hero.
Try to be a gentleman as you are seen around you.
It stands out, but the policeman has never stopped me. Perhaps the above intention was good.
The girls’ reception is surprisingly good.
This was unexpected, but despite the fact that it was “hard to get on and off,” “narrow,” and “noisy,” the girls received it well. I have been asked to drive date from the other side.
Summary
I tried driving performance impressions and everyday life impressions of the 2012 Lotus Elise that I owned and used everyday. We all know driving performance impressions, but you probably don’t see impressions of everyday life. You can use it on a daily basis without problems, and if you are traveling with two people, there is no problem with luggage space. I hope it will be helpful for those who are considering purchasing Elise.
#lotus #Elise
