Original Europa, Elan and S1 Elise - How do they compare?

[chikico.matos]

Hi everybody!
(Warning - mild rambling ahead, lol)

New forum member here! Just dreaming out loud (for now!) about a car that fills the senses with road feel, sensitivity and nimbleness, I literally became obsessed with Lotuses, and I've been reading about these three little beasts for a while, trying to figure out which one would blow me away the most
Here's my question: between the original Elan, Europa and an Elise S1, which one would be the best drivers car for road use?

It's a question that has been bugging me for ages, especially considering that not only are we talking about cars from different eras, but also because I haven't had the opportunity to actually be inside any of them. However:

• Being slim and roughly 1.70m tall, I can imagine that once in, size won't be much of an issue in any of the three.
• Build quality may also not be an issue in any of them - I've been inside an Elan +2 (the closest to any of these) and it surprised me how decent its interior felt. I was expecting a much more tinny build quality, and that wouldnt've been a deal breaker.

In an ideal world, the Europa is my top pick, as it's often praised for its driving dynamics. However, I'm concerned about its gearbox, which supports rear suspension components and may wear out quickly. While the Europa appears to be mechanically simple and suitable for DIY maintenance, I lack experience in this area. Nevertheless, I'm open to learning and enjoying the process of taking care of it myself. The Renault engine, being modified by Lotus, might pose challenges in finding exact replacement parts. Also, I vaguely remember reading about gearbox linkage issues that could be hard (and expensive) to address. The Europa's gearbox feel might also be the weakest among the three.

I wonder if the front engined Elan could offer a similar driving experience without requiring such a potentially brutal maintenence schedule. They command the highest prices, though, and the mid engine configuration is gone.

That's why the S1 Elise became an option. As far as I know, being on top of maintenence, they are rock solid when it comes to reliability (especially in comparison to the other two) and it seems to have readily available parts. However, I don't know how much of the telepathic, freakishly responsive feel of the Europa I'd be missing out on by choosing an S1 Elise.

In short, it all comes down to feeling connected and having fun at reasonable speeds for public roads. For all of you, way more experienced on these machines than me: how do these three compare?

Edited October 3, 2023 by chikico.matos

[jep]

If you want to drive the car a lot, Elise S1. Buy a good one (ideally one garaged all of it's life) and they are extremely reliable despite being 20+ years old. Don't buy one with non-factory spec suspension, Bilstein replaces original Koni, that's fine but avoid others. 

Elise S1 may be the greatest road car Lotus have ever made.

Europa lovely, skinny tyres and rasor sharp turn-in. Don't buy a non-Lotus chassis one - the chassis is the gold. Not much fun in heavy rain, not due to handling but it's hard for other road users to see you. 

Elan - brilliant. 

I'd start with the Elise S1, you shouldn't lose money on it and work backwards from there.

Justin 

[Escape]

Welcome to TLF!

That's a rather wide range of cars you're considering.

I'd say the Europa is the most special, definitely the rarest one to see on the road. But possibly also the hardest to live with and maintain. I would definitely look for a later one with a Twin Cam instead of the Renault engine.

Elise's on the other hand are plentiful by comparison, so easier to find a good one and someone who's familiar with working on them. The S1 may not yet be in the same league as an Europa or Elan, but it is certainly becoming a classic, especially now that production of the type has stopped.

The Elan would be my choice I think. If you're not set on open top motoring, why not consider a +2? For some reason those prices are a lot lower but they're at least as nice a road car.

Do keep us posted how you progress, and don't hesitate to ask advice if you consider a specific car. It's a small community and a lot of cars will be known on here. You might even find a previous owner to give you some inside info.

Filip

[jep]

I would not agree that Elise S1 is not in the same league as Elan and Europa. Elise S1 was of generational importance, a truly remarkable achievement by Lotus. 

For me, it drives equally as well as any other Lotus road car, probably better though of course Elan and Europa are near equals and some will say better. Fair enough. 

The more I consider your question, the greater I lean to starting with an Elise S1. It's easy to find a good one, they are hardening in price, they are cheaper than Elan or Europa and if you drive your cars hard, Elise will be easier to maintain. 

Europa - yep, buy a twin cam, the chassis deserves the power. 

Justin 

[Escape]

My comment wasn't meant disrespectful towards the S1 Elise. 😉 I do not dispute its importance to Lotus and we all agree it's one of the best sports cars ever made (as in the recent poll). I just meant that at 25ish years old, it's a different proposition to a 50+ years old Elan or Europa.

[chikico.matos]

Thank you for your feedback, @jep and @Escape!

The Elise is probably the one that makes more sense to buy, it's just that the ride height (at least in proportion to the rest of the car) plus the thick, rounded roof bar (don't know how to call it) reminds me of a dune buggy... Lowered ones, even if just slightly, plus the soft top on, look vastly better I think.

I'll definetly look into the +2. I wasn't considering it initially because of the extra weight, not sure if the driving dynamics would be negatively impacted by that.

There's a guy about 10km away from me that has one, he told me he would take me for a drive in it last time I was with him. Very very beautiful car, maybe even more so than the 2 seater to my eyes. First time in a Lotus coming very soon, yay! I hope every other car doesn't get ruined after that🤣
I don't think he's registered over here yet, it'd be cool if he also came over to the forum!

As far as maintenece goes, how would the Elans differ to the Europa? My preconception is that the Europa, being a 60s MR, would be the most feedback-y, responsive, sensitive and delicate (also the preetiest to my eyes, so I'm admittedly biased towards that one)

[Escape]

In the end, you need to follow your heart. Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, for me the Elise S1 has that same cuteness factor as the original beetle, only packing a punch. Flattened beetles (if you know what I mean) aren't my thing though ;-). Do try to get some drives as well, so you know what you're getting into.

I don't think on the road there will be that much difference between an Elan and Elan +2. Yes, they're heavier, but still light and nimble, just not as quick around a track. I'd say the main difference is how much you want to drive open top.

[chikico.matos]

Yes, don't get me wrong, it looks, in the best sense of the words, like a harmless-looking puppy, shaped very beautifully (also, looks even better in person, in movement). It's just the ride height, really. It looks goregous on the 2nd pic (prefer the og headlamps though)