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Hello!
Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 11:13 am
by Serg
Hi there!
I finally got an Elise after a long time of pondering whether I could live with one as a DD, it is an face lifted Graphite MY2010 SC, bought from Murray's.
The main obstacle preventing me from buying one earlier is that it took a very long time (years) of explaining/conning the OH that this car was relatively very safe, thanks to TC/ABS/Airbags... unlike the rented 1999 (it was an S135 or s160, not sure) that spat us off a roundabout and scared the living crap out of us.
My first experience of an elise was at a drivers dream days event at Bruntingthorpe. I got to drive a number of super/sports cars, including 360 modena, 911t, TVR Tuscan, Gallardo, Subaru WRX turbo, a Caterham and an Elise. I enjoyed the Caterham and the Elise the most!

The experience stayed with me and a few weeks later I decided that we should rent an Elise to take us on a family event trip to climb Ben Nevis.
This was a 1999 Elise S135 on semi slicks, hardcore to someone so out of their depth like me. It was raining... So I make my way nervously from Glasgow to Fort William, then on the last roundabout before Balloch I take it calmly and without rushing at something like 20mph, come the exit and I feel the rear snapping to the right, presumably caused by me not being used to the throttle response vs the civic... I don't have a clue what I'm doing so I liftoff... do a 360 and end up on the grassy triangle between lanes. Very fortunate that there wasn't other cars around, and that this roundabout was unfinished, a couple weeks later a barrier appeared where I had landed in the middle of the triangle. A very nice chap stopped to help, and helped push the car from the triangle and got covered in mud in the process... Forever grateful to him otherwise I would be stuck there looking like the idiot I was.
Amazingly there was no damage to the car, I guess I entered the grassy triangle at a good angle and it helped that it was a low angled kerb. So we continued on our way to Ben Nevis, that was the most nervous driving I have ever done, should really have turned round and gone home.
Anyway I don't like feeling like an ignorant idiot so this event prompted me to educate myself. I bought an S2000, did advanced driving lessons, airfield limits training at Crail, Knockhill tuition and a couple of track days. Now I'm back in an Elise! This car feels far more confidence inspiring than the S135 and even the S2000 (never felt confident with rear on less than perfect surface, odd movements).
Cheers!
S
Re: Hello!
Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 12:27 pm
by campbell
Welcome, Serg.
That's a fairly familiar tale you have told, and although it's a pity it took so long to get over the shock of the S1, you are here now and will have the opportunity to discover a whole new side to Elise ownership
You've clearly taken a very measured route back to getting the best out of a rear drive lightweight sports car - smart move.
My brother has an S2000 and for sure those have their horror-stories, albeit later versions ("facelifted" ones I guess, from around 2004?) are allegedly better set up. His certainly hasn't found any verges in several years of ownership
The S1 / S2 / S2.5 debate rages on in these pages from to time and the simple fact is that any of those variants can easily be spaded by over-confidence or lack of thought for road conditions. I've had my S1 for 13 years and 97,000 miles, and had my share of "moments". None have resulted in facing the wrong way (except on airfields and the odd trackday!). Those environments have been excellent for teaching how the Elise really does react when provoked, however, and I'd commend all (as well as the Advanced Driving you mention too) to anyone who wants to get the best out of their Elise in regular driving.
I still remember, as if it were yesterday, collecting my S1 ("UJI" to those who know her) from Murray Lotus. In p!ssing rain. Then proceeding to drive it to the Borders to watch the Jim Clark Rally - mostly in p!ssing rain also. On the factory fitted Pirelli P-Zero deathtraps. Spent most of it repeating "accelerate in a straight line; brake in a straight line"
One thing you may not yet have done is a "Walshy Day" - see
http://www.carlimits.com for info. These are the final piece of the jigsaw for advanced car control (IMHO) and many fellow SE members have undertaken these. Can be a bit of a commitment (North Weald in Essex is his regular base, however there is talk of Scottish venues...) but well worth it, for the mad Welshman's sense of humour and own car control demos if nowt else!
Enjoy your time here. You'll be made very welcome. Take a moment to read our "charter", and keep an eye on Meets for a chance to get to know people for real. None of this faceless internet persona for Scottish Elises...See this from our most recent outing to Arisaig...look up Campaganza in Meets and Gallery for more insight...
cheers!
Campbell
Re: Hello!
Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 1:07 pm
by j2 lot
Re: Hello!
Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 1:34 pm
by robin
Hi Serg,
Welcome along.
Ditto what Campbell says - the old low speed wet roundabout spin is a classic - the car takes some getting used to - I crashed my first one shortly after taking ownership in similar conditions - unfortunate enough to hit the kerb and bust loads of expensive suspension bits at the same time. I crashed my second one much more spectacularly in Spain a few years later. I then decided it might be an idea to actually learn how to drive and did similar things to you and without doubt going out with carlimits/walshy was the most useful of the lot.
Cheers,
Robin
Re: Hello!
Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 1:42 pm
by Serg
Thanks for the welcome! You guys seem like a friendly bunch
I would very much like to do a Walshy day. I was looking in the Scottish Elises driver training page, It mentions Walshy days at Crail, I wonder if this can still be arranged if we put enough people together? Also very interested in East Fortune track because its so conveniently close to where some family live, but there doesn't seem to be a way to get in there in a car. I did an "experience limits" there a few weeks ago where I drove a GT3, R8 (big civic) and a white racing elise (guess what was most fun?). In a way I felt disappointed because I thought I was going to be on the actual track, instead it was on a bit of disused airstrip and some cones... On the plus side this experience in the racing elise is what got me to look at them again and eventually led me to buy one
I would also like to try out autotesting. Do you guys organize this type of thing?
Arisaig is stunning, I have spent a little time there in my S2k whilst I waited for my sister to climb up and down Ben Nevis (stayed back this time, once is enough!) as part of the 3 peaks challenge. I would love to go back as part of an elise party and chill out on the beach with a camp fire at sunset, I have been know to don a wetsuit and go for swim in such locations

Re: Hello!
Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 1:47 pm
by Serg
j2 lot, the Europa is so rare I think this might actually be you.
Where you are Glasgow green last wed playing 5 a side? If so I am the guy who drove past and waved

Re: Hello!
Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 2:19 pm
by mckeann
Hi Serg, the experience limits day you did at East Fortune is run by a guy on here called Andy Gordon. Its a shame, but east fortune is now a bike only race circuit, the car days were cancelled due to noise issues, you cant even do bike trackdays now, only racing.
Re: Hello!
Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 4:02 pm
by j2 lot
Serg wrote:j2 lot, the Europa is so rare I think this might actually be you.
Where you are Glasgow green last wed playing 5 a side? If so I am the guy who drove past and waved

Daily commute normally involves the roads around Glasgow Green but not played 5s there - there is/ was a black Europa &a dark blue Europa in Glasgow but as far as I know mine is the only graphite one

Re: Hello!
Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 4:38 pm
by Serg
It was a dark color, not sure what particular shade. Funny how there's something like a 30% chance of being you! Those cars are so rare.
Mine is a new shape elise, I have never seen another other than at Murray's forecourt!
Re: Hello!
Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 6:09 pm
by Andy G
Welcome Serg. Sorry to hear you felt misled by the east fortune track. We do state it's the airfield as opposed to the bike track and would lie to use the bike track but they won't let us unfortunately. Impossible to find an actual track !
Delighted the race car got you in to an Elise though, and hope it bring you many adventures

Re: Hello!
Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 6:37 pm
by Serg
Andy G wrote:Welcome Serg. Sorry to hear you felt misled by the east fortune track. We do state it's the airfield as opposed to the bike track and would lie to use the bike track but they won't let us unfortunately. Impossible to find an actual track !
Delighted the race car got you in to an Elise though, and hope it bring you many adventures

No worries, It was an unfair comment for me to make because I made the assumption and did not read the description. I have edited my post to replace the libelous word "cheated"

I did enjoy the experience in the end despite the fact the real track was annoyingly just the other side of the trees!
The only other track in Scotland that I know of is Kames
http://www.eastayrshirecc.co.uk/track seems to be quite open to cars and affordable, although really short. Has anyone been there? I just need somewhere to experience some slip

Re: Hello!
Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 6:50 pm
by Serg
It seems the Kames track at 3.5 meter wide with scattered furniture very close to the edge (like tires and a tree!) is perhaps not a good place for noobs like me to explore limits
http://youtu.be/ZKGSLhp7yGo
Re: Hello!
Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 7:07 pm
by tut
Hi Serg, and welcome to Scottish_Elises, we are indeed a friendly bunch.
To be honest, Knockhill is probably the best place to gain experience. Very safe even if you run off or spin, plenty of experienced drivers on here to go around with you, and a free instructor at our events.
The next one is TT 2012 starting on the 29th of June, if you could make it you would have not only KH, but a weekend with the rest of us and probably one you would not forget.
http://www.scottishelises.com/phpbb/vie ... =2&t=32223
tut
Re: Hello!
Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 7:49 pm
by Andy G
Yup, Knockhill is way safer than Kames for a beginner.
If you can make TT, you will have an epic start to your Elise ownership. It's genius
Check out
www.carlimits.com for the driver training. Worth every penny

Re: Hello!
Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 9:45 am
by Serg
I might make it to the KH event if I can weasel myself out of some prior commitments. I hope the organizers can deal with a late application if things go my way
Cheers
S