Fun Car Comp: Boxster vs Vette vs Lotus vs XK vs..

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cadfaeltex

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I've been pondering what would make a really fun weekend kinda convertible for a while now. Wishful thinking but gives me goals to get out of debt and save up for. I would be looking at used if that makes a difference. I'm talking about the current generation of each. What do you guys think of:

Porsche Boxster
Vette Convertible
Lotus Elise
XK8
Miata
Honda S2000
John Cooper Works Convertible MINI
 
For me, It'd be a Porshe. I prefer the look of the 911, so I'd probably try to get a Cayman. But Boxters are nice, too!
 
I have always wanted a Lotus for a couple of reasons -

1. Great handling
2. How many Lotus' do you see up and down the road compared to the other cars?
3. Lotus has come a long way as far as quality.

Although one bad thing about Lotus is dealer support or finding a mechanic willing to work on it and Lotus Elise is basically a go cart with a cab on it. So if you are a tall person it will be a tight fit.
 
Honestly, if you want fun, you have to go out and drive each one. It's a subjective thing with so many variations from person to person that it's going to be very hard to get good recommendations.


That said, here are my opinions for what they're worth:

Porsche Boxster: Available with SO MANY combinations of trim levels and options packages that the driving experience may be very different from one car to the next (depending on what you're looking at). This car is about its chassis, not speed; the more powerful engine options are great, but shouldn't make-or-break it.

Corvette Convertible: Doesn't tickle my personal fancy, but definitely worth a look; if "fun" for you means loads of torque and/or feeling like you're driving a very imposing (if low-slung) machine, it will trounce all the other options on this list.

Lotus Elise: Small, very lightweight, and built by the king of the hill in chassis development. Enough said.

XK8: Very good car, but I would cross it off the list right away because it doesn't come in stick.

Miata: Possibly the best bang for the buck.

Honda S2000: Highly underrated by a car buying public that simply doesn't value handling. First gen has a higher redline and a tad less weight; second gen has a bit more torque and better suspension.

John Cooper Works Convertible MINI: Loads of fun, but why bother when you have rear wheel drive options?
 
Originally Posted By: SVTCobra
Lotus Elise is basically a go cart with a cab on it. So if you are a tall person it will be a tight fit.

Actually, the Elise has plenty of room on the inside. You'd be surprised.

The first Elise driver I ever met was like 6'6" and he fit just fine.
 
A lot of nice cars there. They cover quite a spread of strengths.

The Boxster, well, it's good at everything but a master of nothing. Its got good power, good brakes, good handling, good comfort - nothing that really stands out though. It does have the Porsche factor if that's important to you.

The Vette is the "missile" of the group. Point and shoot, pins you to your seat, still comfortable for cruising. I personally love Vettes but in some circles they're not 'hip'.

The Elise, Miata, S2000, and MINI to me all are vaguely in the same category. Different flavors of a similar philosophy. Fairly quick, but their biggest strength is not in their power, rather handling/braking. So you have to ask yourself, are you the kind of person that loves to hear an engine burble and the thrust of a hard launch, or are you more into taking off ramps at twice the suggested speed?

The Jag is the oddball in my opinion. It's more about luxury than performance than the others. Yes it has performance but it's the tourer, the cruiser of the group. To me it says it says "I'm wealthy" more than the others which to me say "I like to have fun".

Good luck and keep dreaming.
smile.gif
 
Originally Posted By: bxd20
The Elise, Miata, S2000, and MINI to me all are vaguely in the same category. Different flavors of a similar philosophy. Fairly quick, but their biggest strength is not in their power, rather handling/braking.

I see what you're saying, but I think the categorization is too vague. In other words, I think the differences outweigh the similarities.


The Elise and S2000 are bona fide sports cars, and they offer some of the best handling experiences out there.

As great as the Mini is to drive, it's still an economy car when you get down to brass tacks. It handles brilliantly for what it is, but it just isn't a sports car. Heck, from what I've seen, it generally is not even considered the sportiest economy car available.

The Miata has sports car fundamentals in economy car clothing. It's about getting a piece of what makes cars like the S2000 great to drive, just with less peak capability and at a lower price point.
 
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Is the Elise the one with the Toyota engine?

All Lotuses use Toyota engines, AFAIK.
 
Originally Posted By: d00df00d
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Is the Elise the one with the Toyota engine?

All Lotuses use Toyota engines, AFAIK.


That`s what I was thinking. I`d take a Celica GTS over an Elise.
 
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Originally Posted By: d00df00d
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Is the Elise the one with the Toyota engine?

All Lotuses use Toyota engines, AFAIK.


That`s what I was thinking. I`d take a Celica GTS over an Elise.

Aren't all Elise's supercharged? The "sport" edition one I autocross with is anyways. An NA Celica GTS is a fine car but not in the same league as an Elise in terms of fun, or outright scary performance when on a track.
 
Originally Posted By: cadfaeltex
I've been pondering what would make a really fun weekend kinda convertible for a while now. Wishful thinking but gives me goals to get out of debt and save up for. I would be looking at used if that makes a difference. I'm talking about the current generation of each. What do you guys think of:

Porsche Boxster
Vette Convertible
Lotus Elise
XK8
Miata
Honda S2000
John Cooper Works Convertible MINI



For me I think the choice would narrow itself down to the 'Vette or the Miata. Grossly different vehicles I know, but both fun. In the end I think the 'Vette gets the nod from me personally because I like v8 torque and straight-line acceleration out of the corners so much. But the Miata really is the best example of a true sports car on that list.

Most of those cars have a lot of appeal, actually. The only one I'd throw right off the list without consideration is the Lotus. I'm not paying $50k for the Lotus name and suspension just to get a Toyota drivetrain in drag. If Lotus was still doing their own drivetrains it would be a different story. Next to go would be the S2000- the Miata just mops the floor with it in terms of small British or Italian sports car cool factor. It is the MG or Alfa Romeo of today.
 
I vote for the Porsche Boxster and the Lotus Elise even if straight line speed is a priority. The NA Elise can acheive sub 6-second 0-60 times and the supercharged ones (Exige) are even quicker.
 
Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
I'm not paying $50k for the Lotus name and suspension just to get a Toyota drivetrain in drag.


Exactly! That`s like these Countach kit cars you see running around with the air-cooled VW bug engines in them. Save your money and buy a Bug or a Celica.
 
Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
Originally Posted By: cadfaeltex
I've been pondering what would make a really fun weekend kinda convertible for a while now. Wishful thinking but gives me goals to get out of debt and save up for. I would be looking at used if that makes a difference. I'm talking about the current generation of each. What do you guys think of:

Porsche Boxster
Vette Convertible
Lotus Elise
XK8
Miata
Honda S2000
John Cooper Works Convertible MINI



For me I think the choice would narrow itself down to the 'Vette or the Miata. Grossly different vehicles I know, but both fun. In the end I think the 'Vette gets the nod from me personally because I like v8 torque and straight-line acceleration out of the corners so much. But the Miata really is the best example of a true sports car on that list.

Most of those cars have a lot of appeal, actually. The only one I'd throw right off the list without consideration is the Lotus. I'm not paying $50k for the Lotus name and suspension just to get a Toyota drivetrain in drag. If Lotus was still doing their own drivetrains it would be a different story. Next to go would be the S2000- the Miata just mops the floor with it in terms of small British or Italian sports car cool factor. It is the MG or Alfa Romeo of today.

I guess I see a toyota drivetrain as a plus! Atleast is SC form, it seems pretty exotic, you get a bit of whine, but mostly you hear it tearing up chunks of air and jamming it down the intake and then out the carbon fibre sport bike muffler... No one will ever confuse it for a corolla engine.
I've seen a lot of crazy miata's as well, and for some guys half the fun is building a car how they like, then driving it. One guy had an anti lag system on his turbo'd miata that had it almost sounding like a WRC car... Not very street friendly but he could turn it on and off.
 
I like the new XK8 a lot.

Twice, I've come close to buying a coupe. I passed on the first one because the colors and wood were marginally feminine looking.

The second time I just decided I had other things I needed to do with the 70K+ it was going to set me back.

But I do like them a lot, especially the coupe.
 
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
I'm not paying $50k for the Lotus name and suspension just to get a Toyota drivetrain in drag.


Exactly! That`s like these Countach kit cars you see running around with the air-cooled VW bug engines in them. Save your money and buy a Bug or a Celica.

Calling an Elise "a Toyota drivetrain in drag" is like saying the Corvette isn't a modern sports car because it has a pushrod valvetrain and leaf spring rear suspension. It ignores just about everything of importance about the car.
 
buying a lotus, porsche, corvette... don't seem like a smart reward for getting out of debt. that's like eating a birthday cake as a reward for losing 2 lbs.

miata - terrific vehicles. reliable, fun, low maintenance.

S2000 - kinda like an overgrown miata. very, very impressive, though not as light on its feet. s2000 has sex appeal. miata has soul.

XK is affordable, holds resale if you buy used, but gets crummy mpg. durable, fun, and the only one that is better slow than fast. It also has a back seat of sorts, more fun with friends.

But for my real opinion, see first paragraph.

M
 
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