Elise
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From: West Coast
Originally Posted by ge2,Sep 6 2006, 04:48 PM
You're all spoilt, mine gave me nowt 
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Joined: Jan 2004
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From: South Bucks
I had a 1.1 metro given to me! No HG problem although it was K series and I thrashed it everywhere....just clutch, gearbox and coolant system rotted/broke 
Then I went with Honda and never looked back since....
Civic
CRX
Aerodeck
Prelude
S2000
...and now strangely a Suzuki vitara aswell as the S2k. I hope I dont regret selling the prelude. A CV joint has already gone on the vitara not to mention it stinks of dog!!! Any tuips for ridding of dog smell?
Ive shampooed, unleashed a whole can of air freshner inside, left it on the driveay with all the windows open for a couple of days, fabreezed it. Im running out of idea's!!
Then I went with Honda and never looked back since....
Civic
CRX
Aerodeck
Prelude
S2000
...and now strangely a Suzuki vitara aswell as the S2k. I hope I dont regret selling the prelude. A CV joint has already gone on the vitara not to mention it stinks of dog!!! Any tuips for ridding of dog smell?
Ive shampooed, unleashed a whole can of air freshner inside, left it on the driveay with all the windows open for a couple of days, fabreezed it. Im running out of idea's!!
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According to Plans Motorsport (the guys that set up my VXT, based in Dunsfold where Top Gear is filmed) who specialise in Elises and VX's: The quality controls placed on the VX220 by Vauxhall improved the fit/ finish of the later S2 Elises (111R and now the S) .
The K-Series is also universally acknowledged as being a well designed, light engine that is flawed. To re-iterate the points raised by both mikedys and MarkB, the main problems with the K-Series (according to Wikipedia):
"The engine's head-gasket was made out of an innovative silicone-type substance rather than the more traditional materials. However the cylinder head waterways were poorly machined and the thermostat was placed in a less than optimum position. These factors often resulted in head-gasket failure, particularly in larger vehicles such as the Land Rover Freelander.
In these applications the greater body weight caused the engine to heat-up too quickly compared to the rest of the system. The thermostat would then open and a sudden rush of cooler water would enter the head causing temperature distortion.
This was relieved to a certain extent by a special pressure release thermostat which, with the aid of a spring loaded valve, allowed a small amount of cool water to enter the head so that the engine warmed-up a little more slowly and evenly. However the optimum solution of moving the thermostat to the outflow from the head, allowing that rest of the water system to warm-up with the engine, was never implemented.
Another modification to reduce chance of the head-gasket failing again, is to insert steel dowels into the cyliner block when changing the head-gasket which renforces the new gasket".
Anyone arguing the corner of the K-Series should consider why so many serious track dayers convert their S1's to run VAG or Honda units with similar power figures as the more highly tuned variants of the K-Series (VHPD, etc.)? Could it be tuneability, or the fact that these units are less likely to go bang, or both? I don't know...
One Lotus salesman i spoke to, while considering if i really 'could' afford a 111R, quite candidly told me that the higher tuned versions of the 1.8 K-series (with exception to the VVC) were really problematic and over-stressed!! hmmm... Maybe he was pushing me to spend more on the Toyota engined car?
Personally, i wanted the performance of a 111R and the Toyota engine, but only had 17k to spend (older R's tend to be ~19k+). Literally every S1 ans S2 in my price range that i looked at (~10) suffered, at the very least, from poor build quality.
By comparison, the second VXT i looked at (the one i bought) was immaculate, well bolted together and had been obsessively maintained by an enthusiast. The purchase was a no brainer...
If it were me advising my friend, i'd be inclined to suggest the Elise (any variant) so that it keeps my car an uncommon sight on our roads. But i have to say that IMO a stock 150bhp 2.2 NA VX220, compared like-for-like with an Elise will be slightly cheaper, more exclusive, as fast, offer almost identical thrills, be as good if not better built and will be less prone to going pop (the 2.2 ECOTEC (camchain) in the VX has a light Alu. block with Alu. pistons and failures are NOT as common by a considerable margin!).
Oh, and it will also be cheaper to service (
The K-Series is also universally acknowledged as being a well designed, light engine that is flawed. To re-iterate the points raised by both mikedys and MarkB, the main problems with the K-Series (according to Wikipedia):
"The engine's head-gasket was made out of an innovative silicone-type substance rather than the more traditional materials. However the cylinder head waterways were poorly machined and the thermostat was placed in a less than optimum position. These factors often resulted in head-gasket failure, particularly in larger vehicles such as the Land Rover Freelander.
In these applications the greater body weight caused the engine to heat-up too quickly compared to the rest of the system. The thermostat would then open and a sudden rush of cooler water would enter the head causing temperature distortion.
This was relieved to a certain extent by a special pressure release thermostat which, with the aid of a spring loaded valve, allowed a small amount of cool water to enter the head so that the engine warmed-up a little more slowly and evenly. However the optimum solution of moving the thermostat to the outflow from the head, allowing that rest of the water system to warm-up with the engine, was never implemented.
Another modification to reduce chance of the head-gasket failing again, is to insert steel dowels into the cyliner block when changing the head-gasket which renforces the new gasket".
Anyone arguing the corner of the K-Series should consider why so many serious track dayers convert their S1's to run VAG or Honda units with similar power figures as the more highly tuned variants of the K-Series (VHPD, etc.)? Could it be tuneability, or the fact that these units are less likely to go bang, or both? I don't know...
One Lotus salesman i spoke to, while considering if i really 'could' afford a 111R, quite candidly told me that the higher tuned versions of the 1.8 K-series (with exception to the VVC) were really problematic and over-stressed!! hmmm... Maybe he was pushing me to spend more on the Toyota engined car?
Personally, i wanted the performance of a 111R and the Toyota engine, but only had 17k to spend (older R's tend to be ~19k+). Literally every S1 ans S2 in my price range that i looked at (~10) suffered, at the very least, from poor build quality.
By comparison, the second VXT i looked at (the one i bought) was immaculate, well bolted together and had been obsessively maintained by an enthusiast. The purchase was a no brainer...
If it were me advising my friend, i'd be inclined to suggest the Elise (any variant) so that it keeps my car an uncommon sight on our roads. But i have to say that IMO a stock 150bhp 2.2 NA VX220, compared like-for-like with an Elise will be slightly cheaper, more exclusive, as fast, offer almost identical thrills, be as good if not better built and will be less prone to going pop (the 2.2 ECOTEC (camchain) in the VX has a light Alu. block with Alu. pistons and failures are NOT as common by a considerable margin!).
Oh, and it will also be cheaper to service (
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Mark, sorry - not got any vids.
Against most S's there really is no comparison (sorry if this upsets anyone!).
To give you an idea of performance:
Off the line its the same as a VXR220 ~4.2s to 60
On a roll (40mph+) its marginally faster than an E46 M3 and tops out at about 155
(mine's had the pre-cat removed and a Stage 1 remap with ~240bhp @ the flywheel)
and it returns about 38mpg on long trips!
Against most S's there really is no comparison (sorry if this upsets anyone!).
To give you an idea of performance:
Off the line its the same as a VXR220 ~4.2s to 60
On a roll (40mph+) its marginally faster than an E46 M3 and tops out at about 155
(mine's had the pre-cat removed and a Stage 1 remap with ~240bhp @ the flywheel)
and it returns about 38mpg on long trips!
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Joined: May 2002
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From: Cheshire
I was idly browsing through the PH classifieds the other evening and found myself starting to give semi-serious consideration to one of the VXR220 that is up for sale there.
There's also a modified VXR220 up in there, putting out in excess of 300bhp
There's also a modified VXR220 up in there, putting out in excess of 300bhp