Which Mid-Engined Sports Car? | Porsche Cayman vs Lotus Elise

[@SebSeb224]

Hey, loved your balanced chat about the pros and cons of each car. as you say they are both drivers cars, each has a slightly different bias, including a flat six vs four cylinder - which you can't ignore. You may be amused to know, after three years of owning a 997 gt3 i have moved to an elise 240, and am absolutely loving it. this latter one i will never be selling. really loved your dialogue. thanks, Seb

[@joshlaurence9718]

Hi Max , thanks for having me in your channel again . Appreciate the effort and time that you put into it all for our viewing pleasure ! Some good comments on here … for me a spyder would be the ultimate Porsche right now … roof down , flat 6 howl , perfect. But don’t have the bank balance to afford one and to be frank don’t want that sort of money in a car . The Elise is such a special little car that’s so cheap to run and maintain, plus zero depreciation on it . For now and for what I use it for it’s hard to beat . Catch you all soon :)

[@netcrashYT]

see a GTS (981 or GTS 4) - you'll approximate the Spyder on the road and you get to open and close the roof while driving, which means more driving it (and you don't want to compare the costs of a fender bender on a spyder vs a GTS!)

[@massimilianozeni1848]

Nice video guys. Josh could you kindly let us know more about the difference between the s2000 (I have heard you said you owned 2!), this Elise and the Porsche you owned? I own an s2000 and I would like to know about steering feel vs the Porsche (I know the Elise easily wins on this) and handling in particular (vs Elise and Porsche). Shifter in the s2000 is pretty good and I'm considering Ohlins as the only mod to get the best out of the s2000 chassis. Thx

[@joshlaurence9718]

They are all very different cars but equally as good . I loved my S2k’s . Super cheap to run , really reliable and awesome when driven hard . Compared to the Elise the S2k’s steering feel and and handling aren’t as good . I’d say the steering feel on the Porsche and S2k are their poor points . On my S2k I had the ohlins R&T , a set of Rayland ap racing 4 pots on the front , good pads on the back and sticky tyres . Was absolutely awesome fun . I also done the 44mm Uk back box mod and decat . Overall though the Elise is the better out right sports car . The Porsche is usable all year round , and the S2k a sort of middle ground between the 2 . Hope that helps :)

[@massimilianozeni1848]

@@joshlaurence9718 it does indeed. Thanks!🙏

[@grossmeister1181]

@@joshlaurence9718 Haha, good description, I would sign that. The only thing I'll add: once you've driven a Lotus, all other cars are boring...

[@tomingrassiaimages8776]

I was driving home from a Porsche driving event today and I saw this car in a gorgeous matte green/gray. Beautiful.

[@joshlaurence9718]

The design and shape of the Elise is up there with the best … such a well proportioned car , like the cayman

[@uweheinrich6784]

You look happy Max. That's what matters. I still know you will have a smile on your face the next time you insert the key into your Cayman. Thanks for another great video....

[@MAXREVS]

Hi Uwe, trust me, it’s not all happiness that’s been flowing through my head. Lockdown has taken a toll on me… it’s moments like this that I remember life is about enjoying time with honest and humble people, and just being yourself, and accepted for who you are, while enjoying life & cars to the Max!!

[@Fzr005]

Great video! I really like when people can talk about daily living with sportscars esp. ones like this where you dont need to be a millionaire to own one!

[@alag9106]

Well done, great easy banter and fun comparison. Sweet little car for sure

[@bharatpatel7682]

Great honest video on two great different driver’s cars. Thanks

[@BlackBeanChicken]

Hey nice job...I think you need a followup video with a current MX-5 instead.

[@drew699]

Superb review by two authentic car enthusiasts. I agree that the Boxster is a more daily useable car - it’s more liveable but it feels to me like a GT cruiser - it ain’t no scalpel, it’s a big lump in relative terms to the Elise. The Elise is a scalpel - built for a blast - a purer distilled fix that the 987 just can’t match on a Sunday drive. The 987 will give you lots of what you need, but every time you see an Elise driving the other way, your heart will tell you that you’re missing out & compromising for practical reasons by buying the Porsche. Other factors you didn’t touch on is money - the Elise is super cheap to run from petrol to tyres & depreciation, the Porsche ain’t cheap - from memory, brake discs are £800 per axle & replacements are needed at a rate of replacement at probably twice the rate of the Elise. 0-60 Performance is better in the Elise as is MPG. I’ll have a 220 Elise any day as a daily & only ever miss a 987 on a long trip, where the GT vibe of the Porsche 1.3 tons wins hands down. So in summary, for the ultimate high a Caterham is where it’s at, but a quick Elise is close, unless you’re driving to the south of France, but how often do you do that! Enjoy.

[@MAXREVS]

Thanks for sharing such informative insight!

[@joshlaurence9718]

Completely agree with you . We did touch on the costs off cam and as you say the lotus is probably 1/3rd to run compared to the Porsche . My cayman needed , 4 tyres, big service , warranty renewed from Porsche … that little lot would have been around 3.5k . Another factor in selling when I did . I honestly don’t feel I’ve down graded from the cayman to the lotus . Cracking car :)

[@w3155ach]

Nice to see the comparo! Everytime I look at your 987, it looks more and more elegant. Enjoy in good health.

[@MAXREVS]

Thanks!

[@steverumney7613]

Glad you like & are wearing the Custom Porsche/Boss Polo shirt 😀 My neighbour has the Lotus 👍 I'm sticking with the cayman though 😍

[@gaza2322]

I agree with all of the comments in this video. The Cayman is the best all-round car, the quality, the ride, reliability etc. The Cayman is the car that has to be recommended! However, speaking as an Elise owner myself, on the right day, on the right road and when the mood suites, there is nothing like an Elise - NOTHING!

[@hyweltthomas]

Horses for courses, I drive my Elise every day and I adore it - totally reliable and brilliant fun. However I rarely do long journeys, and if I did, it would be the Cayman or the GR86. The Elise, though, is in a different class.

[@chriskgrigg]

Nice video Max - really enjoyed this one. Keep it up , love the energy, openness and honesty. 👍

[@MAXREVS]

Thanks for recognising that. Right from the first day, I knew this wasn’t going to be a mainstream KZbin channel… rather the focus is as you have called out.

[@timjacobsracing5867]

Some weird opinions in the video. You’d be surprised how it compares to a gt4. Several tracks a cup 250 is faster than a gt4. On ‘faster’ tracks like Spa the GT4 obv wins because of the extra hp. For the brakes, change the pads to Carbon Lorraine RC6. They are mindblowingly good on the stock discs. Also change the coilovers on the stock suspension, specially on the 220. It’s way too soft. Best upgrade is getting the nitron ntr40 1-way in a fast road for you I’d say. Transforms the car and makes it 2-3 seconds faster on track without losing the ability to function on the road. If you need some Lotus tweaking info, hit me up! The biggest issue I have, even with RS porsches, is that they’re too soft. Steering is just numb. Porsche created cars for 95 percent that never ever takes it on a track and buys it for the badge. Don’t get me wrong, Cayman gt4 RS would be top on my list but the steering will never get on the same level as the exige/elise. As a driverscar, they’re just better. Made for one purpose only: driving.

[@giovannigallo8429]

Had earlier S1 Elise fantastic car. I think with a Cayman you add luxury and a little practicality. I own an S2000 too, awesome car!

[@joshlaurence9718]

I’ll be a S2k fan for life :)

[@TheAlc63]

Totally agree with you Max. I had a S1 Elise for 7 years and it’s a very focused car. Now have MX5 ND, that is a great and much more usable than the Elise but still compromised. I’m heading to a 987 some days, because it’s the best all rounder you can get.

[@paullondon5332]

I have an Elise S1 160 and I daily drive it - even in the winter at -6 this year every trip is an event!

[@1530swimmer]

That was enjoyable to watch, though would an Elise be more comparable to a Boxster? Either way the Cayman wins here for me. Build quality can be a bit sketchy with the Lotus - not that Porsches are without their faults of course! 😄

[@joshlaurence9718]

That’s why I wanted the last Elise produced … they are actually very well screwed together ! I was pleasantly surprised myself !

[@MarquisRex]

“Feels like a muscle car” lmao

[@John_watches-cars]

Great video, would go Cayman all day long.

[@MAXREVS]

👍🏼I picked the 981 GT4 over the upcoming Emira

[@daysofgrace2934]

My friend used to have an Elise back in the noughties. We used to drive from Brum up to the Peak District used to drive the Cat and the Fiddle and the Snake Pass, happy days. It had the proper stripped race car feel, bare painted body-work interior, very capable cars...I think also as you age, you get a bit softer, we were in our mid to late twenties. I wouldn't mind an Evora targa at some point...

[@MAXREVS]

Ah but if you did that same route now in an Evora… don’t forget about the average speed cameras en route.

[@daysofgrace2934]

@@MAXREVS I'm not sure they ever switched them on due to a big technical oversight, apparently the locals know about this. It was correct as far as last summer. Google for the full low down, seemed like a total waste of taxpayers money...

[@MAXREVS]

@@daysofgrace2934 Shocking!!

[@daysofgrace2934]

@@MAXREVS Keeps the car/biker tourists away, so you can have good fast laps, as I did last July:)

[@daysofgrace2934]

Also the A5004 to Whalley Bridge is very good road not as famous as the Cat & The Fiddle but some would even say better, and no speed cameras. In summer on weekdays from about 7pm clear blast up there and the snake pass. The snake pass is high up so can get a bit cool...As always take it at your own pace, the turns can make it technical, the snake pass has very few blind turns otherwise you can see all the way along. We leave the kids with in-laws:) and the wife and I go out for an evening drive...

[@420BudNuggets]

2 guys in a lotus with this song playing is hilarious 😂

[@Sideways_Singh]

This is not a real comparison, these 2 cars dont compete, the lotus elise on public canyon roads is on a whole different level then any cayman gt4rs included. It just way smaller and lighter, the cayman is if u need the extra room and u do lots of road trips, but strictly on back roads lotus elise and miata and air cooled 911 are unbeatable

[@steveallen3335]

Lovely car, great colour. I think we can forgive you for selling the Cayman! 😉

[@MAXREVS]

Hahaha, the Cayman in all it’s forms is part of who I am. Can totally understand why people opt for the Boxster and Spyder.

[@joshlaurence9718]

For me going from the cayman to the Elise was a great move both in terms of what I want out of the car and also cost of ownership

[@parvinkukar1259]

The cayman is my daily driver, the lotus is not for me, as it shakes your bones. Great vid, would be good to get more mid engine cars on your channel other than the cayman

[@MAXREVS]

Oh for sure, would love to make this a mid-engined sports car channel… if you find the owners please send them to me 😁

[@parvinkukar1259]

@@MAXREVS my net work of friends do not drive these kind of cars. But still up for you doing a vid on my cayman, now that I have I owned it for 18 months and use it as my daily driver. I’m not your normal Porsche owner, I’ve bird poo on my car, and it’s been there for days and I leave it parked in streets and shopping car parks. I do not clean at every opportunity but I do love driving it

[@MAXREVS]

😁Let’s try and get something done👍🏼

[@joshlaurence9718]

Not sure what lotus you’ve been in but my Elise is so smooth and compliant, as max can vouch for , it’s as comfortable as Max’s 987 on the road .

[@parvinkukar1259]

@@joshlaurence9718 it was a long time ago when I was in a lotus, and at that time I was in a lexus as my daily driver so I guess the difference then is huge and now in my cayman I’ve got used to a harder suspension.

[@04dram04]

lightness over power = more fun

[@graemerolfe1573]

I have an Elise S2 and a Carrera 2S the characteristic are so different, the Porsche is very dailyable but the Elise is more of a occasion

[@randomhawks3232]

Max, the Spyder will give you the best of both worlds. Open top driving brings in the nature and sound of the car….it’s special (..especially the 718 Spyder).

[@grossmeister1181]

Can't compare it really, the Lotus is so much driver focused...

[@BertBouwknegt]

Nice Video Max. It reminds me of driving the S2000 and the NSX. On a long trip the S2000 is so lively that it would make me very exhausted, but with the NSX i can drive for hours. Except for the tired arms because it has no power steering (the early ones) I think its the same with te Elise. The best would be to have them both. Elise and Cayman. But i can't afford that.

[@MAXREVS]

😁Your recollection seems accurate. The Cayman is almost a grand tourer sports car compared to the Elise… which sounds crazy I know!

[@Docinaplane]

Yes, the NSX is a touring car. I have a '96. Added the full airflow system and supercharged it. That gives it plenty of pop when you want it. I think the steering adjusts to the speed in this model.

[@markday5797]

Cayman every time.

[@richfixescars]

I think you need to try a Cayman Convertible Max! Could it be the best of both worlds?

[@MAXREVS]

😁

[@patthonsirilim5739]

you mean the boxster

[@MadelnMachines]

I'm wondering if a supercharged / turbo MX-5 NC or ND with coilovers would be much closer to the raw analog excitement of a lotus than a 987 or 981 Boxster? It should definitely feel less refined and also smaller and lighter.

[@MAXREVS]

Or just go for the Lotus if you want raw

[@porschemarvellousdream1994]

Cayman the best forever, I love 987 S

[@seancain7305]

Was the white Ferrari driver one of the The Car Guys ?

[@MAXREVS]

No idea sorry, we didn’t get a chance to see the plates or the driver.

[@atairsoft]

You should get Evora instead of Elise as Elise is much smaller car. Cayman's truth competitor is Evora.

[@daveblock4061]

If you want a Sports Car why compromise with the Porsche? You 'wear' an Elise and it is well documented the Electronically assisted steering from the German car is dull and numb on-center where the Elise is surgically precise. You have at least one other daily driver regardless so why the Porsche?.

[@tomingrassiaimages8776]

Max, you do realize that you are killing us out here with anticipation with what your next car will since the blue machine is being offered for sale..right? You are evil:).

[@MAXREVS]

Hi Tom! Not being a professional KZbinr, I need to make the time to make an update video. Nothing is a done deal yet. I’ve gone from huge excitement to getting a new car (deposit down), to huge “what am I doing my 987 is amazing and honest, get my deposit back”. I don’t want to draw the audience into my indecisions… unless you REALLY want me to!!

[@tomingrassiaimages8776]

@@MAXREVS Of course we want you to (as long as it doesn't add stress to the situation). You Tube algorithms love drama!

[@AnthonyWilliams-vh1ds]

Did you say this was £33k?… Prices going mental now… I want depreciation free motoring now though…. Think they are going to go mental money soon? :-/