Depressing

[schurch]

The renault megan hatchback... 0-60 in 6.5s ... faster than a stock elan

Very depressing.

And the Vauxhall makes it in less than 6... sadness.

[muley]

Doesn't bother me - I never do 0-60 races from the lights (well not often) and my car looks very stylish - unlike the vomit-inducing Megane or the Vauxhall whatever...

[Stef]

The Megane is a horrifc ugly car. And it's French. I know where I'd rather be. Can't see you selling out to get one either!

Besides the idiots who drive these vehicles usually can't, so it's quite easy to burn them out.

If the Elan was made now, yes it would probably have a 1.8, it would be interesting to see what performance it would have.

[Monty]

The renault megan hatchback... 0-60 in 6.5s ... faster than a stock Elan

Very depressing.

And the Vauxhall makes it in less than 6... sadness.

Stock elan is 6.5 secs with out mods, so with a chip and exhaust should get that below the 6 secs.

[schurch]

really? 6.5? I thought it was 6.9?!

I definately wouldn't sell out, but it is irritating that a genuine sports car is slower than a rappy hot-hatch.

[John_W]

... it is irritating that a genuine sports car is slower than a rappy hot-hatch.

... until the first corner.

[Paul.P]

John's hit the point exactly !, many hot hatches have similar performance figures nowadays, but not one that ive seen can corner anywhere neer as hard, normally they end up all over the place & whilst there nerves settle you just nip past, giving them the Lotus wave !

[Dean]

Hot Hatches are getting fast'er and can even corner well now.
This week i had 2 burn up's in my Elan SE(PM exhaust+BBR chip)
1st with a Clio 182 and only 1 car lenth in it up to 100mph.
2nd with a 3 door Sierra Cosworth (which is what i was going too buy instead of my Elan) and i went passed him with no trouble.
I'm only 22 and have driven the so called "Hot Hatches" but nothink is like the Elan's alround drive.
All the car's now have traction contral to help them get off the line, where's the fun in that it tell's you what power you can use.

If you think it's depressing think how Cosworth man must fell.

[Nige]

Elan V hot hatches, it's not in the figures it's in the fun, even the newest Elans are 10 years old now. When asked how well the Elan corners I usually reply that the car has more bottle than I have!

[John_W]

Elan V hot hatches, it's not in the figures it's in the fun, even the newest Elans are 10 years old now. When asked how well the Elan corners I usually reply that he car has more bottle than I have!

Nige has it. It's about the fun. I don't feel depressed when I drive the Elan, it puts a smile on my face.

It's a soft top, which is always a good way to drive (I have a theory about the world being a better place if everybody drove a soft top intead of coccooning themselves in tin boxes against the big bad dangerous world), its performance (especially with an Everest) is fast enough to safely pass anything you want, its handling is safe and predictable (so long as you don't lift off mid-corner), and it's remarkably cheap to run. Also it's easy to tell it's a sports car, whereas a eurobox is a eurobox is a eurobox.

Sure, a TVR would be great fun too, but very different. You'd have to own a petrol pump and be a lot more careful what you do with your right foot.

John

[Dean]

I could go on for day's way the Elan is better than a "Hot Hatch", the only thing about a "Hot Hatch" is it's fast the the Elan is a sportscar that just happen's to be fast. You dont need to drive fast to have fun just put the roof down.
and it's like John said it cheap to run i use mine for work, town driving and get 26-28MPG

Just ask you're self this,

Elan 0-60 6.5secs would you have one?
Eurobox 0-60 6.5secs would you have one?

Elan 0-60 8.5secs would you have one?
Eurobox 0-60 8.5 secs would you have one?

[TheBard]

Having just gone from a Golf GTi to an Elan, I agree with the above, it is all in the experience...

Sure in the GTi I could cruise along at 100mph+ with a tune still audible on the stereo, and not feel like I was doing more than 50. However it was just too easy to do without noticing, and didn't feel like anything special. Just another tinbox cruising down the interstate...

but in the Elan, I feel part of the car. It doesn't just involve the sense, it grabs them by the sensitive elements and swings them around. I can be doing a licence safe 70mph+, and have a grin the GTI never created!!!

The only down side is I don't think I could ever go back!

Ian

[chris.t]

Elan V hot hatches, it's not in the figures it's in the fun, even the newest Elans are 10 years old now. When asked how well the Elan corners I usually reply that the car has more bottle than I have!

When we all went to Lepe the other day, i think we all take it for granted but when i saw the cars in the pub carpark all lined up i would defy anyone who wasn't in the know to say that anyone of those cars looked 13/14 years old. They all looked like they had come straight from the factory. Doesn't take much to imagine what a megane thingy will look like in that time. Slightly off topic but worth mentioning i think

[PAUL30]

elan and hothatches,not even in the same ball park. the elan is a design classic.its a little like myself,not looking its age!

[schurch]

I agree with all of the above (obviously - otherwise I'd have a hothatch!). The styleing is better, the handling is better, the driving experience is better. But I still find it annoying that a sportscar isn't faster than a eurobox. Mind you, given that you can get euroboxes with more horsepower and better performance than the old ferraris I used to have up as pictures on my walls, I shouldn't be surprised. And I'd still take the ferrari there too.