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Re: S1 Lotus Elise
Posted: Mon May 18, 2026 7:58 pm
by Marv
Jobbo wrote: Mon May 18, 2026 9:42 am
dan wrote: Mon May 18, 2026 8:24 am
Do you actually want an investment car or something you can use?
Mint low mileage S1's fetch a large premium because they are investment cars, so you can't use them if you don't want to lose your money. I look after a few sub 10k mile cars that basically do 50 miles a year to my workshop and back, they're lovely but also pointless and the owners would expect 25 to 30 grand to take it off their hands.
If you want one to use then great, it'll probably be worth what you paid for it when you come to sell, whenever that might be, you might even make a tiny bit but cars and not losing money don't really go together unless you're a billionaire.
Dan is obviously correct - surprised it needed saying really. Buy one because you want to drive it and enjoy the fact it won't really depreciate, and you just pay for what you wear out and use. But don't treat it as an investment.
+1 I bought the 968 and M3 because I wanted them and thought the depreciation would be low. Just a nice thing that the trend for them has been that they have gone up in value...but then I won't capitalise on that unless I sell them. So it's kind of a moot point for me
Re: S1 Lotus Elise
Posted: Mon May 18, 2026 11:24 pm
by Carlos
I don't think I can get in an Elise with the roof on and barely with the roof off, they are tiny!
I'm sure I'm quite a bit bigger than you at 6'1 and 22 stone and can't get comfortable in cars like that with a fixed fairly low steering wheel placement.
This is not investment advice lol but Z1 and Z3's seem to be appreciating but Z4M's still seem cheap at 15-20k for lowish usable mileage examples. Even a 996 could be as good a home for your cash as an Elise.
Re: S1 Lotus Elise
Posted: Fri May 22, 2026 11:33 am
by mik
Lotus forum member. Several other forum members have commented on what a clean example it apparently is.
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/20465325
Re: S1 Lotus Elise
Posted: Fri May 22, 2026 11:39 am
by Rich B
Looks lovely!
i need one of these - mine has mostly disintegrated!
where can i get one?
Re: S1 Lotus Elise
Posted: Fri May 22, 2026 11:42 am
by mik
Rich B wrote: Fri May 22, 2026 11:39 am
Looks lovely!
i need one of these - mine has mostly disintegrated!
where can i get one?
Looks like some kind of oven tray?
What’s it called and I can ask on the Bosch/Siemens forum? (Or TLF)
Re: S1 Lotus Elise
Posted: Fri May 22, 2026 11:44 am
by Rich B
It’s the heat shield to the catalyst - i might have found them on a site called SJsportscars.
Re: S1 Lotus Elise
Posted: Fri May 22, 2026 11:51 am
by mik
Have bought from them before. No issues. Steve Roberts (I think).
edit: assume you've also checked
Deroure
Re: S1 Lotus Elise
Posted: Fri May 22, 2026 1:15 pm
by Matty
I'm friends (friend!) with Dave, the owner of that yellow one on Facebook. Not sure why, I don't think I know him at all! Either way, it looks mint. He's a serial Lotus owner and appears to look after his stuff well, so no doubt it's a good car.
Problem is, if you're buying with future values in mind, the mileage will be a hurdle.
My 4C was the cleanest of the clean, with impeccable service history, almost perfect spec and I still struggled to move on because everyone immediately dismissed it due to "high" mileage.
Re: S1 Lotus Elise
Posted: Fri May 22, 2026 1:18 pm
by duncs500
Yeah, he's active on the S1 FB group and he's had quite a number of S1s I think. From what I've seen he is meticulous in doing them up, that is a beauty. I'd have that over a super low miler any day.
Re: S1 Lotus Elise
Posted: Sat May 23, 2026 9:08 am
by scotta
duncs500 wrote: Fri May 22, 2026 1:18 pm
Yeah, he's active on the S1 FB group and he's had quite a number of S1s I think. From what I've seen he is meticulous in doing them up, that is a beauty. I'd have that over a super low miler any day.
He buys slightly ropey cars and restores them and shifts them on. Bit of a hobby. I think he’s got an Evora also at the moment. He did a sport 190 Elise before that looked the dogs when he was finished with it. I’ve spoke to him on messenger a few times when he was doing audio upgrades on and Evora he had.
Re: S1 Lotus Elise
Posted: Sat May 23, 2026 9:27 am
by scotta
Ohhh now then.
I went on the internet and found this.
https://www.hangar111.com/lotus/car/lot ... sport-190/
Thats an absolutely safe place to put your money. These are rare AF.
Re: S1 Lotus Elise
Posted: Sat May 23, 2026 5:51 pm
by Jobbo
Just don’t turn it upside down in a field.
Re: S1 Lotus Elise
Posted: Sun May 24, 2026 4:57 pm
by Zonda_
I was browsing Elise’s just now and saw a lovely Series 2 30 miles from me, read to the bottom of the ad, “please contact Jonathon Webb for more details!
Must resist…