From one extreme to another

[TheLotus]

My '94 was recently totalled and I am seriously considering a Lotus Elise as a replacement.

 

[Dimitrios]

why do that to yourself?

 

[Russ M]

I think the Lotus is a fantastic car, for the track. As a street car it is just too damn small. In the US where every other person is driving a 2 ton SUV the elise just a quick snack.

Besides, it is no substitute for a viper.

 

[got one]

Yes, the elise is a fun track car, but if you think your Viper was tough to get in and out of...

Also, if you ever have any passengers, the car is louder and even more uncomfortable than the Viper.

 

[Gerald Levin]

There is one here in town that is either a minature kit car, a go cart with a body or an elise. It is tiny. I'm 5'6" and I would have to get a 6" seat lowering kit to get into the damn thing (in addition to driving with my knees in my chest). To each their own, but dayum, that is one small car!

 

[Warfang]

My '94 was recently totalled and I am seriously considering a Lotus Elise as a replacement.

Hey man, sorry about your loss. Glad you made out with only brain damage for wanting a gocart over a Viper. jk

 

[big-n-italian]

<< My '94 was recently totalled and I am seriously considering a Lotus Elise as a replacement. >>

Get another viper. I think you would only regret it later. Once you have been to the dark side, you can't go back.

 

[rcdice]

Not sure what the availability is nationwide on the Elise but the local Lotus dealer here has 4-5 sitting on their lot. Midwestern Auto Group in Columbus, OH. Cool looking, but very go cart like. I would feel safe in one on a public street.

 

[TheLotus]

Viper gone, hello Elise...maybe!

If we are being honest here, most of us know the Vipers handling characteristics. It does not communicate very well to the driver what is happening between the tires, suspension and the road. Most of us have had scary moments in this car. I have seen the quote that even professional drivers would be hard pressed to recover from an oversteer situation in this car. This is what happened to me on a number of occasions, this last one being the worst. Understand, I was not driving in an extreme manner and the road was dry. The rear end lost adhesion and I was unlucky enough to hit a curb which instigated a roll-over. I loved this car as we all do, and I miss it, however my life is far more important to me and my family than a collection of metal, plastic and rubber parts. I love extreme cars, but I want one that is forgiving and will handle. How many of you have had the opportunity to compare the handling of a light weight, correctly set up sports car to the Viper’s. Don’t get me wrong, I am not putting down this car, I loved every second behind the wheel, but my sense of survival is paramount.

 

[got one]

Re: Viper gone, hello Elise...maybe!

Keep in Mind...the Elise's come stock with R-compound tires when you test drive. Put some normal tires on there...you might be worse off due to the relatively same horsepower to weight ratio.

 

[rcdice]

Re: Viper gone, hello Elise...maybe!

I'm with you on the survival quest, believe me. Too much to lose at this point. Elise is probably one of the best handling cars in the world right now, but safe? I don't know. The same lack of mass that makes them so fast means there is a lot less to protect YOU in an accident. If an Elise and a SUV (or something bigger) collide on the street, I gotta believe the Elise is done. Just my .02. I've read about their performance but haven't honestly read item one on their safety. Good luck with your search.

 

[Janni]

Re: Viper gone, hello Elise...maybe!

If we are being honest here, most of us know the Vipers handling characteristics. It does not communicate very well to the driver what is happening between the tires, suspension and the road. Most of us have had scary moments in this car. I have seen the quote that even professional drivers would be hard pressed to recover from an oversteer situation in this car. This is what happened to me on a number of occasions, this last one being the worst. Understand, I was not driving in an extreme manner and the road was dry. The rear end lost adhesion and I was unlucky enough to hit a curb which instigated a roll-over. I loved this car as we all do, and I miss it, however my life is far more important to me and my family than a collection of metal, plastic and rubber parts. I love extreme cars, but I want one that is forgiving and will handle. How many of you have had the opportunity to compare the handling of a light weight, correctly set up sports car to the Viper’s. Don’t get me wrong, I am not putting down this car, I loved every second behind the wheel, but my sense of survival is paramount.

I am sorry for your accident - it certainly sounds extreme. However, you really should spend a decent amount of time at a driving school if you plan to continue driving these types of cars. I have had 2 people tell me that if it weren't for what they had learned in ViperDays, that they would have had bad accidents. Just last weekend, a good friend mentioned that he was coming home late one night, hit an exit ramp a little hot, and dropped 2 tires off the pavement. Mind you, this was in his lifted and supercharged pickup truck. Instinct kicked in and he brought it back on the road. He said without what he had learned at Viper Days he would have rolled it - no doubt.

And most of us have had the opportunity to compare a properly set up Viper to other sports cars, and the Viper IS predictable, and IS safe.

How old were your tires? What were the pressures? How long did you have the car?

Glad you are OK - that's the most important thing.

 

[Vintage Racer]

Re: Viper gone, hello Elise...maybe!

If you go with the Elise, visit your dentist and get all your fillings redone. Handling yes. Rough ride-YES. That handling comes at a price and it's driver comfort.

 

[Bill B]

Re: Viper gone, hello Elise...maybe!

There is a fair amount of information here.
PM me with your phone number and we'll talk. I'm in Plantation, we can get together and you can see for yourself.
The elise is a fantastic car.

 

[TheLotus]

I have had 30 years experience of high performance cars. Grew up in England driving Lotus Elans (TVR's,Jags, etc.) on narrow curvy roads, thrilling in the controlled oversteer as I "threw" it around corners. I had the Viper for over 6 years and was "intouch" with it(no, not driving it like the Elan . The thought was to get a '03 Viper, however after reading the postings on the SRT/10 board it appears similar handling characteristics are present in this model too.

 

[Viperfreak2]

If safety is that important, buy an M3 and leave the computers on. My opinion that the 'similar' characteristics between the handling of the SRT-10 vs. gen I and II is due to the run-flat tires. On several occasions the Gen III had me scared but pulled through without the twitchy drama of the earlier cars. ABS makes a huge difference too.

 

[onerareviper]

Re: Viper gone, hello Elise...maybe!

If we are being honest here, most of us know the Vipers handling characteristics. It does not communicate very well to the driver what is happening between the tires, suspension and the road. Most of us have had scary moments in this car. I have seen the quote that even professional drivers would be hard pressed to recover from an oversteer situation in this car. This is what happened to me on a number of occasions, this last one being the worst. Understand, I was not driving in an extreme manner and the road was dry. The rear end lost adhesion and I was unlucky enough to hit a curb which instigated a roll-over. I loved this car as we all do, and I miss it, however my life is far more important to me and my family than a collection of metal, plastic and rubber parts. I love extreme cars, but I want one that is forgiving and will handle. How many of you have had the opportunity to compare the handling of a light weight, correctly set up sports car to the Viper’s. Don’t get me wrong, I am not putting down this car, I loved every second behind the wheel, but my sense of survival is paramount.

You do realize the Elise has NOT passed US test crash test, and has been given a '3 year' pass. After 3 years, it will need to passed or cannot be sold in the US. Rumor has it Lotus is coming out with a 2+2 similar to the Elise, but slightly larger/heavy + safer in an accident. All this information was provided by A LOTUS SALESMAN WHEN I DID A TEST DRIVE. So no flames if this is not accurate, but the salesman actually seemed very knowledgable and was accurate on other information he provided. That being said, I do agree the Elise is much easier to control than any Viper. Very little torque and excellent feedback make it very easy to control + push to the limits. With that being said, I feel 100% safer in a Viper than a Elise driving on US public roads. It is so freak'in small/light, that even a minor collision could put you six feet under. Just a matter of physics. The average American vehicle on the roads weighs 3,500 pounds, give or take. The Elise is under 2,000 pounds. Have you ever seen a full size SUV/truck collide with a typical US car? It's not a pretty sight. The car is usually totaled even in low speed situations. Keep in mind, that SUV/Truck weight nearly double the typical car. My point is this..... Just about EVERY car on the road weighs nearly double what the Elise weighs. Therefore, in any type of collision you are in DEEP do-do. You are a midget in a land of giants. When I drove the Elise, I was not afraid of the car. I was afraid of every other car on the highway. Too many people talking on cell phones, putting on make-up, not paying attention, etc... Driving this car puts you in a state of mind similar to a motorcycle, where you're anticipating everyone elses mistakes to save you life. A little too stressful for me...

 

[AviP]

I have had 30 years experience of high performance cars. Grew up in England driving Lotus Elans (TVR's,Jags, etc.) on narrow curvy roads, thrilling in the controlled oversteer as I "threw" it around corners. I had the Viper for over 6 years and was "intouch" with it(no, not driving it like the Elan . The thought was to get a '03 Viper, however after reading the postings on the SRT/10 board it appears similar handling characteristics are present in this model too.

From the factory, the car is setup with more understeer than oversteer. But with an unsteady right foot, it's easy to induce oversteer.

It's easy to flog other cars around when they are not producing the torque numbers that a Viper does. Just like the old 911s needed a lot of skill to prevent spinning out (rear mount engine), it's all a matter of learning your specific car. You should take Janni's suggestion and take a class to improve upon those 30 years of inexperience.

It's not the car, it's the driver!