Elise vs. 350z

[bps1804]

I'm starting to save for a down payment on a new car and i was curious as to what your opinions are for a Z and an Elise, as those are the two that i'm seriously looking at.


I've had my eye on a Z for awhile, but the Elise has really started to grab my attention. I've heard nothing but good things from people who have driven it and i love the look. The only thing i'm concerned about is that they use the 2zz. I love my GT-S, but i'm looking for something with some more low-end torque. I know it weighs about 600lb. less, but has anybody here driven one and can tell me what their acceleration is like?


The other thing is that an Elise costs about $13-16k more, so i was hoping to hear some input as to if the extra cost is worth it.

[omabramo]

why not the mr2? much cheaper than both of those, and just as fun as the z

[GTsRasta]

x2 about the Spyder. The Elise will be small, cramped, have a hard ride, and fragile due to the body. It's more of a exotic toy. Not the best thing to take around every day. The Z will be a nice 13 second beast after bolt ons and you wouldn't have to worry so much about the upkeep as much as the Elise.

[neological]

The Z is a street car, the Elise is a track car. Pick accordingly.

[GSBoek]

If he's looking for a brandnew car the MR2 is not an option anymore, they were discontinued.
As for the Elise and Z, I have driven neihter one so I'll just say from what I perceive. If you're looking for something comfortable definitely get the Z. The Elise is crammed. If you're looking for some ready banzai action the the Eise is your car. Acceleration-wise they are not far apart stock, with a bit of an edge for the 350Z.
If it was my money it would go for the Lotus because of the exclusivity and pure driving dynamics, but the 350Z is the better overall package, although it seems everyone has one.

[bps1804]

why not the mr2? much cheaper than both of those, and just as fun as the z


x2 about the Spyder.



I was considering an MR2, but to be honest if i was going to get a soft-top, i'd rather get an s2000 :hide:



If he's looking for a brandnew car the MR2 is not an option anymore, they were discontinued.
As for the Elise and Z, I have driven neihter one so I'll just say from what I perceive. If you're looking for something comfortable definitely get the Z. The Elise is crammed. If you're looking for some ready banzai action the the Eise is your car. Acceleration-wise they are not far apart stock, with a bit of an edge for the 350Z.
If it was my money it would go for the Lotus because of the exclusivity and pure driving dynamics, but the 350Z is the better overall package, although it seems everyone has one.


You and i think exactly alike on this. The Z seems to be the best bet for the money and still has the acceleration i want, but like you said, everybody has one and as sexy as it is, the Elise IMO looks better. I'm betting that the Elise is more fun to drive and handles much better as well, but again, that's why i'm asking.

Just how bad IS the crampedness (?) of the Elise? I'm 6'2" and that could be an issue. I don't have any problems with the GT-S, so is the Elise really that much smaller?

[marc]

If he's looking for a brandnew car the MR2 is not an option anymore, they were discontinued.
As for the Elise and Z, I have driven neihter one so I'll just say from what I perceive. If you're looking for something comfortable definitely get the Z. The Elise is crammed. If you're looking for some ready banzai action the the Eise is your car. Acceleration-wise they are not far apart stock, with a bit of an edge for the 350Z.
If it was my money it would go for the Lotus because of the exclusivity and pure driving dynamics, but the 350Z is the better overall package, although it seems everyone has one.


I'm 6'2"


you will not fit in an elise.




I've never driven the Elise - I've driven the 350Z - and its a pretty boring, lame car in my opinion - there's little feedback, sloppy steering, a notchy shifter and a boring power delivery - and its not as fast as everyone thinks it is - realize that the tank weighs about 3400+ lbs.

Read this full article - it should help you out a lot

http://www.roadandtrack.com/article.asp?section_id=31&article_id=1949

cliff's notes
Best All-Around Sports Car
We go to great lengths to help you choose.

FINAL STANDINGS
1 - Chevrolet Corvette Coupe
2 - Porsche Boxster S
3 - Porsche Carrera S Coupe
4 - Lotus Elise
5 - Honda S2000
6 - Dodge Viper SRT-10
7 - BMW Z4 3.0i ( :gap: )
8 - Nissan 350Z
9 - Mercedes-Benz SLK350

[bps1804]

I've never driven the Elise - I've driven the 350Z - and its a pretty boring, lame car in my opinion - there's little feedback, sloppy steering, a notchy shifter and a boring power delivery - and its not as fast as everyone thinks it is - realize that the tank weighs about 3400+ lbs.


Really? I had really high hopes for it, that's pretty disappointing.


Read this full article - it should help you out a lot

http://www.roadandtrack.com/article.asp?section_id=31&article_id=1949

cliff's notes
Best All-Around Sports Car
We go to great lengths to help you choose.

FINAL STANDINGS
1 - Chevrolet Corvette Coupe
2 - Porsche Boxster S
3 - Porsche Carrera S Coupe
4 - Lotus Elise
5 - Honda S2000
6 - Dodge Viper SRT-10
7 - BMW Z4 3.0i ( :gap: )
8 - Nissan 350Z
9 - Mercedes-Benz SLK350



Well as much as i'd love either of those Porsches, they're a bit out of my price range. Same with the Viper. The Elise's price tag was pushing it a bit and each of those are at least $10k more.

As for #1, I'm personally not a fan of 'Vettes (unless it's an older sting ray). They're fast as hell but i hate how they handle, even with the coupe's variable traction.

The Benz is an option, but the expense is more than the Elise. Granted it's only a few thousand, but that's still something i consider.

And i flat-out forgot about the BMW Z-series. The only BMW i've driven was a 328i and i didn't like it that much to be honest. Does the Z4 drive completely different?

I'm going to look at s2k's some more. And maybe find an Elise i can actually sit in to see if it really would be that uncomfortable.

[marc]

I've never driven the Elise - I've driven the 350Z - and its a pretty boring, lame car in my opinion - there's little feedback, sloppy steering, a notchy shifter and a boring power delivery - and its not as fast as everyone thinks it is - realize that the tank weighs about 3400+ lbs.


Really? I had really high hopes for it, that's pretty disappointing.


Read this full article - it should help you out a lot

http://www.roadandtrack.com/article.asp?section_id=31&article_id=1949

cliff's notes
Best All-Around Sports Car
We go to great lengths to help you choose.

FINAL STANDINGS
1 - Chevrolet Corvette Coupe
2 - Porsche Boxster S
3 - Porsche Carrera S Coupe
4 - Lotus Elise
5 - Honda S2000
6 - Dodge Viper SRT-10
7 - BMW Z4 3.0i ( :gap: )
8 - Nissan 350Z
9 - Mercedes-Benz SLK350



Well as much as i'd love either of those Porsches, they're a bit out of my price range. Same with the Viper. The Elise's price tag was pushing it a bit and each of those are at least $10k more.

You can snag a used Boxster S for $25,000
You can snag a used Viper for $35,000
You can snag a used 911 for $15,000 (classic late 70s awesomeness) to $40,000 (996 generation) - my preference is for the 1989-1994 964 because it looks like the old classics, or the 1995-1998 993 because it was the last air cooled model but incorporates most of the modern technology.



As for #1, I'm personally not a fan of 'Vettes (unless it's an older sting ray). They're fast as hell but i hate how they handle, even with the coupe's variable traction.


understood - for me, the hood is just TOOO long (and I love a long hood)



The Benz is an option, but the expense is more than the Elise. Granted it's only a few thousand, but that's still something i consider.


The Benz is a poseur car. Don't waste your $ on it.



And i flat-out forgot about the BMW Z-series. The only BMW i've driven was a 328i and i didn't like it that much to be honest. Does the Z4 drive completely different?


The Z4 is a totally different experience from any other BMW I've ever driven - I liked it so much I drive one as my daily driver.


I'm going to look at s2k's some more. And maybe find an Elise i can actually sit in to see if it really would be that uncomfortable.


If practicality weren't an issue the S2000 was my first choice.

The Z4 has a better ride, better fuel economy, better stereo, more usable torque and a broader powerband in general (with smoooooooth like butter power delivery), more lateral grip and a larger trunk

The S2000 has better transitions, a better shifter, and is faster in a straight line but its tame out of vtec, gets terrible fuel economy, has a garbage stereo, and not much interior space.
It also looks aggressive, but I like the meaty, substantial look of my Z4 - I didn't buy the car for compliments, but everywhere I go people are like "wow, nice car" - mainly because I got it with the sport suspension which almost nobody gets - this lowers the car a good deal and it comes with different wheels - just enough so that it looks different, but subtly

oh yeah - when my Z4 lease runs out, I plan on picking up an S2000 as a replacement convertible

[mukalicious]

i see elise and michigan.

i dont think those two go together.

[omabramo]

I was considering an MR2, but to be honest if i was going to get a soft-top, i'd rather get an s2000 :hide:
there are hard tops available for the spyder, i believe they are rare, and have a high price tag, but they are there if you really want one. i love these little cars. if you are planning on coming to that one big meet at kensington, you might be lucky enough to see 00MRS there (he was there last time) see if you like it then, he should be able to answer all your questions on the car.


i see elise and michigan.

i dont think those two go together.
i see plenty of them there in the summer :shrugs:
but the roads do suck :sadpace:

[TW00Si]

If you're looking for some ready banzai action the the Eise is your car.
What the hell is banzai action?

[mukalicious]

If you're looking for some ready banzai action the the Eise is your car.
What the hell is banzai action?


the better question would have been, what the hell does that say?

[GTsRasta]

Lots of these questions can be answered if you just signed up on elisetalk.com and did a search or made a thread saying you're a potential elise buyer. There were quite a few members there that had both a lotus and a 350z to have a comparison with.

And as far as the accelerations for each cars go...there's no way a 350z can keep up with an Elise. One guy has a sig saying he ran a 13.03 quarter mile with just 177 whp after bolt ons. And to get into low 11's, all you need is 350+ whp. Check out forcedfed.com for their turbo packages (which is great for full engine and balance work, but expensive). Here's the video if you don't believe me, although it says 400 crank hp for the video, I'm sure they raced it at around 352 whp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3mXLJvhbYM

[bps1804]

Really? I had really high hopes for it, that's pretty disappointing.


Well as much as i'd love either of those Porsches, they're a bit out of my price range. Same with the Viper. The Elise's price tag was pushing it a bit and each of those are at least $10k more.

You can snag a used Boxster S for $25,000
You can snag a used Viper for $35,000
You can snag a used 911 for $15,000 (classic late 70s awesomeness) to $40,000 (996 generation) - my preference is for the 1989-1994 964 because it looks like the old classics, or the 1995-1998 993 because it was the last air cooled model but incorporates most of the modern technology.


If i were to buy a porsche, i'd buy it new. I know a guy who has a 911 GT3 and just drives the hell out of it. He treats it like an EVO or STi. I'm not sure if it's just him or if most porsche owners push their car a lot, but i'd be worried about engine wear.

Same goes with the Elise.


The Z4 is a totally different experience from any other BMW I've ever driven - I liked it so much I drive one as my daily driver.


I'll actually look into one of these. A friend of mine has a Z3 and hopefully he'll let me take it out. I'm assuming the Z3 and Z4 drive similar enough.

i see elise and michigan.

i dont think those two go together.


It'd be fine for 8-9 months out of the year, and during the winter months i have an old beater that i use.


there are hard tops available for the spyder, i believe they are rare, and have a high price tag, but they are there if you really want one. i love these little cars. if you are planning on coming to that one big meet at kensington, you might be lucky enough to see 00MRS there (he was there last time) see if you like it then, he should be able to answer all your questions on the car.


I'm pretty sure i'll be at that meet. Maybe 00MRS can take me around in it.


Lots of these questions can be answered if you just signed up on elisetalk.com and did a search or made a thread saying you're a potential elise buyer. There were quite a few members there that had both a lotus and a 350z to have a comparison with.

And as far as the accelerations for each cars go...there's no way a 350z can keep up with an Elise. One guy has a sig saying he ran a 13.03 quarter mile with just 177 whp after bolt ons. And to get into low 11's, all you need is 350+ whp. Check out forcedfed.com for their turbo packages (which is great for full engine and balance work, but expensive). Here's the video if you don't believe me, although it says 400 crank hp for the video, I'm sure they raced it at around 352 whp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3mXLJvhbYM



400hp on an Elise is pretty intense. I'll check out those Elise forums, i only posted this question here because i was already a member and i figured i'd get as much info. on personal experience as possible.

[Kani]

I have driven an elise, and I have to say its pretty much the most awesome thing I've ever driven. Its everything I love about my mr2, only better, and I would not worry about the power. The thing is crazy fast, and pretty much effortlessly so. I have not driven the 350 Z, but I don't see how it can compare. The elise comes with a mid engine feel (drive some, you'll see what I mean), as well as good power. Also awesome is the directness of the steering, one of my favorite things about my mr2 is it has no power steering, and the elise also comes this way. If you can find one to drive, I suggest you do so. Its really an experience.

[Sylver1]

I would never change my 350z for the elise for 3 reasons:
1 the z is more luxurious and not a go cart.
2 been there done that, the 2zz is a big dissapointment torque wise (unless its FI)
3 the z has more torque, more power, and more aftermarket than the elise.
the only thing I dont like about the z is the gas mileage.

[booyaolian]

elise>z
no comparison
z is everywhere

[WhiteRhino00]

Have you taken a look at the Exige?

[mindphunk]

oh yeah - when my Z4 lease runs out, I plan on picking up an S2000 as a replacement convertible

Smart move. I picked up a 2007 two months ago when honda was having its incentive program. I love it. The stereo does suck, but thats an easy remedy. Its really the most fun I've ever had driving.

[GSBoek]

And as far as the accelerations for each cars go...there's no way a 350z can keep up with an Elise.
Both stock, it is possible if you believe a few people on the Elise forums. There was at least one instance I can recall on one of the Elise forums where a stock 350Z ran away from a stock Elise, and the Elise guy had stayed in Lift in all the gears, above 60mph the Z started to walk away and by 110 it was 3 cars ahead.

[LightningRod]

If this is gonna be your only car (and therefore daily driver), go with the Z.

[SickCelica696]

You can get a hardtop 2003 mr2 for like $16k.

[SOAPY]

Exige S? :gap:

[TaRaNtULa]

if your 6'2", you can not look cool getting out of an elise. you have to crawl out. i'm short and skinny (weight reduction), and have sat and driven an elise. It's a rough ride, but that's what I expected. My friend has a Z i drove that as well. I would pick and elise over that anyday, especially since i beat him in my Celi!! (heheheh) I will be picking up the Exige S next year.

[GSBoek]

What the hell is banzai action?
Banzai is a Japanese cheer that can be translated as either "Long life" or "Hurrah". But we westerners use it wrongfully as "Attack" because of the Japanese WWII cry "Tennouheika Banzai" when their troops attacked, which actually meant "long live the Emperor".
In the case of the Elise I used the term like we normally use it wrongfully to refer to attacking a roadcourse. Hope that clears it for you.

And to all the Japanese peeps on here, cheers! No offense at all meant. I have a couple of Japanese friends as well.

[twistedGTS]

1 the z is more luxurious


I disagree. There is nothing luxurious about a nissan but on the other hand lotus screams exotic. I'd go with the Elise, i drool all over when i see one.

[TW00Si]

Banzai is a Japanese cheer that can be translated as either "Long life" or "Hurrah". But we westerners use it wrongfully as "Attack" because of the Japanese WWII cry "Tennouheika Banzai" when their troops attacked, which actually meant "long live the Emperor".
In the case of the Elise I used the term like we normally use it wrongfully to refer to attacking a roadcourse. Hope that clears it for you.

And to all the Japanese peeps on here, cheers! No offense at all meant. I have a couple of Japanese friends as well.
Thanks for the clarification, as I was no aware of the wrongful usage. Hence the :confused:

[LightningRod]

1 the z is more luxurious


I disagree. There is nothing luxurious about a nissan but on the other hand lotus screams exotic. I'd go with the Elise, i drool all over when i see one.


I drool too.

But in no way is it practical for use as a daily driver. I would take it out on weekends, that's it. OP still needs to answer if this will be his DD or not.

[marc]

[QUOTE=marc]
The Z4 is a totally different experience from any other BMW I've ever driven - I liked it so much I drive one as my daily driver.


I'll actually look into one of these. A friend of mine has a Z3 and hopefully he'll let me take it out. I'm assuming the Z3 and Z4 drive similar enough.


The Z3 and Z4 drive nothing like one another - two totally different vehicles
Z3 and Z4 drivers hate each other with a passion as well, basically due to the different natures of each car

think of the Z3 as a classic british roadster, think of the z4 as a powerful german sports/touring car


I would never change my 350z for the elise for 3 reasons:
1 the z is more luxurious and not a go cart.
2 been there done that, the 2zz is a big dissapointment torque wise (unless its FI)
3 the z has more torque, more power, and more aftermarket than the elise.
the only thing I dont like about the z is the gas mileage.


1 - I don't see any luxury in black on black on black with nasty cheap plastics painted aluminum - the Zs interior is lame as hell

2 and 3 - torque and power aren't going to matter when your car weighs 1900 lbs

the 350Z weighs 1500 lbs more than an Elise - FIFTEEN HUNDRED POUNDS - that's insane. When you do the math, the Elise has a better power to weight ratio than the 350Z, so absolute power numbers mean nothing without taking into account weight - this is why the Elise is a full second faster to 60 mph than the 350Z

[bps1804]

1 the z is more luxurious


I disagree. There is nothing luxurious about a nissan but on the other hand lotus screams exotic. I'd go with the Elise, i drool all over when i see one.





I drool too.

But in no way is it practical for use as a daily driver. I would take it out on weekends, that's it. OP still needs to answer if this will be his DD or not.



I doubt i would use either of these cars as my daily driver (though marc uses the Z4 for his). I'd probably just get some used civic or corolla or something to tool to work in and what not.



I'll actually look into one of these. A friend of mine has a Z3 and hopefully he'll let me take it out. I'm assuming the Z3 and Z4 drive similar enough.


The Z3 and Z4 drive nothing like one another - two totally different vehicles
Z3 and Z4 drivers hate each other with a passion as well, basically due to the different natures of each car

think of the Z3 as a classic british roadster, think of the z4 as a powerful german sports/touring car


Hmm, i had no idea they were so different. Guess i should get my hands on the 4 and see what it can do.

[marc]

Hmm, i had no idea they were so different. Guess i should get my hands on the 4 and see what it can do.


make sure you drive the 3 liter with sport package

[Sylver1]

Oh, it is next to sh!tty interior of the elise, and I would like to see a video showing that the elise is faster than the z, until then I call BS.

[LightningRod]

Oh, it is next to sh!tty interior of the elise, and I would like to see a video showing that the elise is faster than the z, until then I call BS.


Dude ...

We both drive 3300+ lb. tanks

The Elise is half our weight

Power-to-weight ratio HEAVILY favors the Elise

Not to mention the fact that it'll tear up any road course you throw at it compared to to other stock cars

Quit being such a Z fanboy and GTFO if you can't handle the truth.

[marc]

Oh, it is next to sh!tty interior of the elise, and I would like to see a video showing that the elise is faster than the z, until then I call BS.


Reality Check

http://www.roadandtrack.com/assets/download/0503_best_sports_car_data_panel.pdf

ELISE
0-60 mph - 4.6 seconds
1/4 mile - 13.3 seconds @ 103.1 mph
Skidpad - 1.03g
Slalom - 72.6 mph
60-0 mph - 115 ft

350Z
0-60 mph - 5.6 seconds
1/4 mile - 14.1 seconds @ 101.8 mph
Skidpad - 0.89g
Slalom - 67.3 mph
60-0 mph - 114 ft

Z wins only on 60-0 mph, by one foot

http://controllercode.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/10/pwned.jpg

[LightningRod]

Oh, it is next to sh!tty interior of the elise, and I would like to see a video showing that the elise is faster than the z, until then I call BS.


Reality Check

http://www.roadandtrack.com/assets/download/0503_best_sports_car_data_panel.pdf

ELISE
0-60 mph - 4.6 seconds
1/4 mile - 13.3 seconds @ 103.1 mph
Skidpad - 1.03g
Slalom - 72.6 mph
60-0 mph - 115 ft

350Z
0-60 mph - 5.6 seconds
1/4 mile - 14.1 seconds @ 101.8 mph
Skidpad - 0.89g
Slalom - 67.3 mph
60-0 mph - 114 ft

Z wins only on 60-0 mph, by one foot

http://controllercode.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/10/pwned.jpg


Thank you sir. I was just too lazy to look it up myself, and I knew you were going to do it anyway.

[drewd]

How does a heavier car stop faster??

[LightningRod]

How does a heavier car stop faster??


Maybe it had bigger brakes. :shrugs:

[Carbonized_GT]

man LightningRod and marc just double teamed that guy.

I = laff.

[Sylver1]

:fawk: thank you for your time.
Seriously the z is still a better DD though.

[GSBoek]

Really, all it would have taken is this :chuckles: :
thank you for putting me straight.
Seriously the z is still a better DD though.
The Z is arguably the better dd indeed.

[marc]

nobody debates the Z is a better DD

hell, I might be hard pressed to drive an Elise as a DD - and I'm insane (I'd probably drive it as my DD anyways)

but as far as its class - I'd take the RX-8 > Z any day

hell, I'd take the new Mustang over the Z any day - that thing is a beast
you get a modular V8 (this means if you want to make 500 whp all motor, you're about $5000 away), and it weighs less than the Z

[Kani]

I'm still not sure why this debate is continuing, it basically comes down to this:

Z - awesome car, good DD with good performance.

elise - crazy ass car with no practicality, but wicked performance.

They aren't even really in the same class, it comes down to use, not numbers. The elise is a better numbers car, the Z a more practical car with good numbers none the less. Don't get the elise to daily, get the Z. Don't get the Z as the dedicated performance/track car, get the elise. Figure out what its used for and choose =)

[00gtsGETemHIGH]

s2k

[Celica_GT-S]

I'm starting to save for a down payment on a new car and i was curious as to what your opinions are for a Z and an Elise, as those are the two that i'm seriously looking at.


I've had my eye on a Z for awhile, but the Elise has really started to grab my attention. I've heard nothing but good things from people who have driven it and i love the look. The only thing i'm concerned about is that they use the 2zz. I love my GT-S, but i'm looking for something with some more low-end torque. I know it weighs about 600lb. less, but has anybody here driven one and can tell me what their acceleration is like?


The other thing is that an Elise costs about $13-16k more, so i was hoping to hear some input as to if the extra cost is worth it.

Screw the elise..... Go for the Exige S. ive heard thats got some pretty big balls.

[GSBoek]

Big balls price too, mid 60k

[GTsRasta]

This charlie guy on elisetalk.com and moremonkey.com cracked the Lotus ECU and is tuning the SOB without a piggyback. How he did it is still amazing to me, he calls it "monkeytuna". As of right now, he's getting 290+ whp to his modified Exige S. If you want to save money, get the Elise with bolt ons and the tripoint kit (our greddy kit but for more money due to the ECU differences) and you'll be good for 250 whp. Add water injection and a tighter pulley, and you can cruise on up to 300 whp. 300 whp may not seem like much in the tuner car biz, but forcedfed got a low 11 second quarter mile with a 130 mph trap with just 350 whp.

[bps1804]

I'm still not sure why this debate is continuing, it basically comes down to this:

Z - awesome car, good DD with good performance.

elise - crazy ass car with no practicality, but wicked performance.

They aren't even really in the same class, it comes down to use, not numbers. The elise is a better numbers car, the Z a more practical car with good numbers none the less. Don't get the elise to daily, get the Z. Don't get the Z as the dedicated performance/track car, get the elise. Figure out what its used for and choose =)



Well neither would be a DD, i was looking to see if driving the elise is really worth the extra $10k+ than the Z.


Screw the elise..... Go for the Exige S. ive heard thats got some pretty big balls.



Exige = too much $

[SOAPY]

^^ but it'll be worth it.... :evil:

[skalogre]

Well neither would be a DD, i was looking to see if driving the elise is really worth the extra $10k+ than the Z.




Exige = too much $

In my opinion, if I were in your place and had a daily driver I would definitely get the Lotus. While the 350Z would be a more sensible choice as an only car, the Lotus would be just a sweetheart to drive and (as long as you remember what the car's priorities are) I would expect that you will not regret it ;)

[MothTRD]

get the z as a daily drive car and get the Elise just becasue you want it

[goretro77]

I was in the same postion as the original poster a little over a year ago. I have a 4runner as my daily driver and was deciding between the following cars for weekend car that can also be fun at the track:
350Z
Honda S2000
Mistubishi EVO
Corvette C6 Z06
Subaru WRX Sti
Lotus Elise or Exige

I test drove every car I listed above. I immediately went for the Elise. Its been over a year since I've owned a Lotus Elise and I've had no regrets. It is a fun purpose built track car that is street legal and has been more than reliable.
If your more into handling than outright power then go for a test drive of the Elise/Exige. The Vette wins on power right out of the box. The 350Z is a great all-around sportscar thats also good for everyday use. The EVO and WRX Sti are technically very advanced cars but a bit odd looking. I wish you Good luck in your decision. These are all nice cars and I had fun when I drove each of them.

[marc]

I was in the same postion as the original poster a little over a year ago. I have a 4runner as my daily driver and was deciding between the following cars for weekend car that can also be fun at the track:
350Z
Honda S2000
Mistubishi EVO
Corvette C6 Z06
Subaru WRX Sti
Lotus Elise or Exige

I test drove every car I listed above. I immediately went for the Elise. Its been over a year since I've owned a Lotus Elise and I've had no regrets. It is a fun purpose built track car that is street legal and has been more than reliable.
If your more into handling than outright power then go for a test drive of the Elise/Exige. The Vette wins on power right out of the box. The 350Z is a great all-around sportscar thats also good for everyday use. The EVO and WRX Sti are technically very advanced cars but a bit odd looking. I wish you Good luck in your decision. These are all nice cars and I had fun when I drove each of them.


you forgot to review the S2000