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Lotus's Elise owns its own market sector. Quite rightly so, too. It's fast, agile, good looking, fun, and reasonably priced. Who of us, in the market for a sportscar, wouldn't be tempted? Rather few, to be honest, and that popularity brings us to the one thing the Elise is not: Exclusive. Stylish as it is, an Elise doesn't look so good on your drive when there are three others just like it in the same street. And as fast and well balanced as it is, it doesn't feel a cut above the rest on a track day when there are so many Elises doorhandling around that it feels like you've entered a single-make racing series.
So what choice is there for the driving enthusiast who fancies all the reasonably priced sportscar qualities that the Elise offers, but also desires to be different? Well, it turns out that even when avoiding the Elise-in-a-mask Opel Speedster, there are a few attractive options available, on paper at least. We gathered three together and thrashed them around a few tracks before punting them up and down a mountainside, to see if there really are any viable alternatives to the Elise waiting to reward the man who likes to be different.
We were looking for mid engined sportscars with a price tag under 70000 credits, at least 150bhp, and a rarity to make it gather a crowd in a pitlane where an Elise is never out of view. First contender is the Hommell Berlinette RS. With a pricetag of just over 47000 credits, the Hommell is by far the cheapest of our trio, and is the only one available for less than the price of an Elise 111R. But it doesn't make a particularly good first impression. The car manages to look at first ungainly from a distance thanks to its bulbous curves and odd proportions, and then appears unfinished when close up, with its sliding windows and oops-where-can-we-put-them headlights. The end result feels rather home-made. It does have some nice angles, but this is not a particularly pretty car.
The Hommell feels rather more polished from behind the wheel, though. At Test Course it is stable and responsive as it cruises around at a very impressive 150mph. Not bad for 175BHP. The Hommell has six gears, which at first feels like one too many, particularly as the ratios are very long. Second gear is good for 75mph, for instance. As it is the least powerful and heaviest car here, those long legs could prove a real handicap. They do, however, make for a relaxed and quiet cruiser. At Tsukuba, the gearing again feels far too tall. First gear is needed for the tighter corners, though the reward for the downshift is a particularly malleable on-throttle balance. Slight understeer can build up under power, but this can be neutralised with either a lift or full throttle. In fact, the RS is supremely responsive to throttle changes while cornering, and when you do push it a little too far and the weight in the rear of the car starts to take over, a gentle lift of the throttle will bring it back under control. Better still, the car's responses remain the same as the speeds build up, and even around Midfield, which can get the better of many cars, the Hommell sticks to the program. It's adjustable, relaxed, andloves opposite lock. Always progressive, never snappy.
Great fun on a circuit then. Pity about the gearing though. This car is crying out for a shorter stack, or perhaps more power. The brakes lock up too easily and this is not a fast car either, but it delivers a classy, polished ride that goes some way to making up for its odd gearing and styling woes.
Especially when it is 18000 credits cheaper than the ASL Garaiya. That's enough change to buy a nice hatchback. So what does the extra cash get you should you choose the ASL over the Hommell?
Well, the ASL's motor generates an extra 35bhp over the French car, though it shares the same 2.0L, 4 cylinder inline configuration, and it has 150kg less car to push around, so the ASL should be appreciably quicker. And then, while the unusual styling may not be to everyone's taste, it is certainly cohesive and balanced, and seems complete. It looks unique, but it also looks handsome, and it has no bad angles. It catches the eye for all the right reasons, and when finished in black it also possesses a measure of dark aggression. Sporty and different then, but pretty as well. And then the torque curve, which looks much flatter than one could reasonably expect when extracting 200bhp from 2 litres, catches the eye too. This car promises plenty. Unlike the Hommell, the ASL makes you excited about driving it before you've even entered the car.
Pull away and the gears immediately feel better than the Hommell. Shifts are quicker and the ratios are shorter, giving a far more sporty feel. Turn in to a corner and the car stays flat and feels precise, while carrying a hint of understeer. Meanwhile the engine feels muscular across its range, just as the torque curve suggested. How do they make 200bhp from 2 normally aspirated litres feel so beefy? Perhaps it's something to do with the 800kg kerb weight. Whatever, with a Tsukuba lap of 1:08.23 it is certainly quick enough to scare an Elise 111R driver around a tight circuit as well as in a straight line, where the 0-60mph time would be under 6 seconds if the shift to 3rd gear was not needed.
So far so good, then. Well, yes. Until, that is, you decide to be a bit of a hooligan. It is then that you realise that the handling is fast and safe to the point of frustration, at least at Tsukuba. Trail brake into a bend, lift off mid-corner, stamp on the throttle in 2nd gear, and the ASL's rear tyres remain resolute in their purchase of the road surface. Nothing short of a full cream Scandinavian Flick will persuade this car to swing its hips, and even then, you are allowed but the smallest window of opportunity to pin the throttle to the carpet and hang the tail out. Gas it a fraction too early or too late and you will find yourself rapidly understeering off the road. Get it just right, and the tail will swing around to help the car track around the corner, but it still doesn't give up the fight. If you relax the throttle even the slightest little bit at this point, or worse, give in to your natural tendency to apply even the smallest hint of corrective lock, the ASL lapses back into an understeery sulk, and the moment will be lost until the next corner. Such extreme provocation has no place on a public road, of course, and this leaves the Garaiya experience feeling a bit lacking in depth. That being said, though, at Midfield the ASL was rather more neutral and all the more fun for it.
I left the Tommy Kaira ZZ-S until last because I expected this little car to destroy the competition. It is the lightest car here and is more or less as powerful as the ASL, and it is the closest in spirit to the Elise. To see it lagging behind the ASL during the acceleration runs was a bit of a surprise then, especially when it then ran all the way to 166mph, which is exceptionally fast for 2 normally aspirated litres.
On the track, though, the ZZ-S continues to disappoint. Persistent understeer makes it feel like an age brfore you can apply the throttle in any corner, and it shows in the car's underachieving lap times. If you do manage to persuade it to swing its tail you will find it to be more adjustable than the ASL on opposite lock, but ultimately the perennial battle against understeer frustrated to the point of surrender, and I parked the car.
Once we had all the performance figures done, we took the trio to the Costa Di Amalfi to see how they translated on the road, and the Garaiya continued to win back friends in the mountains. In this environment the understeer is not prominent, and under hard acceleration the ASL will exit tighter corners on a twist of opposite lock before firing itself up the road in a way that leaves the other two far behind. It is exciting as well as fast, and on these twisty, narrow roads, the ASL makes a lot of sense.
The Hommell just cannot hope to keep up, though it remains an exhibitionist just as it was on the track. The RS makes hero slides feel natural, any time, any corner. Oversteer has rarely been this accessible and this easy. This car really is slow, however. Slow enough, in fact, to be embarrassed by hot hatches costing half as much and looking twice as good. But then, the car really is all about laid back fun, and the price is not too bad in this company. It's certainly a more appealing purchase than the more expensive ZZ-S, which remains reluctant to turn in. This made us reluctant to drive it, and so the Tommy spent most of its day parked up and watching the other two cars coming and going.
So which is a real world MR alternative to the ubiquitous Elise?
On the face of it, the Tommy Kaira ZZ-S would seem the logical choice. It is tremendously light, and costs about the same as the similarly powerful Elise 111R. It is not pretty - far from it, in fact, but it does manage to look minimalist. It looks light, compact, agile and focused and makes the Elise appear overly fussy in comparison. The Tommy is let down, though, by both the objective and subjective driving experience. It is neither as quick as the Lotus and ASL in a straight line nor around a race track, and it is utterly unsatisfying to drive. It loses here.
The ASL plays a different game. It's a bit heavier, looks a bit more grown up, and yet has a confident, adventurous style. It manages to look both unique and attractive, and that counts for a lot on a sportscar. It possesses the best drivetrain here, and the strongest engine, and it does not let all that go to waste. It trades performance punches with the 111R in a straight line and around a circuit, and on your favourite mountain pass it will have you grinning all the way. It is also exclusive where the Lotus is not, but 15000 credits is a big price to pay for exclusivity.
The Hommell is neither as fast nor as pretty as the ASL, but it appeals on two levels. One is price, at least in this company, and the other is opposite lock. This car will get you to work and back, but it is ultimately a toy. Unfortunately, only the driver will ever appreciate it for what it is. Worse still, there will be no witnesses to the driver's drifting heroics because all his mates will already be far up the road. It's the cheapest car here, but we have a nagging suspicion that an MX-5 or MR-2 would make it feel rather expensive. You could use the change you save over the ASL to turbocharge the Hommell. It then becomes as quick as the Garaiya, but it still does not look as good. In standard form, though, it cannot compete with the ASL, and it is certainly not a viable alternative to an Elise. If you are a fan of the Europa, though, then the Berlinette may well be worth a look, as it offers similar pace and similar dynamics, but with better composure at higher speeds.
Ultimately, and despite the price premium, if you want an Elise that does not look like an Elise, then the ASL Garaiya is the car for you. It wins this test. You would really have to value your exclusivity though, because the Elise really is a better car.
NOTE: All cars were bought new and had minimal mileage. All cars were standard apart from an oil change, and all tests were run on N2 tyres. Traction and stability controls were switched off. Manual transmission was used. All tests were performed using a Logitech Driving Force wheel. 0-60mph and 0-100mph figures are approximate. Power figures are quoted from Settings menu and were taken after oil change.
ASL Garaiya
Price: 65000 credits
Mass: 800kg
Engine: 2.0L 4 cylinder MR
Power: 211BHP
0-60mph: 6.5 seconds
0-100mph: 13.8 seconds
0-400m: 14.51 @ 102mph
0-1000m: 25.96 @ 130mph
Max speed: 154.3mph
Lap time, Tsukuba: 1:08.23
Lap time, Midfield: 1:27.75
Tommy Kaira ZZ-S
Price: 59500 credits
Mass: 690kg
Engine: 2.0L 4 cylinder MR
Power: 205BHP
0-60mph: 6.8 seconds
0-100mph: 14.1 seconds
0-400m: 15.05 @ 104mph
0-1000m: 26.23 @ 135mph
Max speed: 166.5mph
Lap time, Tsukuba: 1:09.43
Lap time, Midfield: 1:29.68
Hommell Berlinette RS
Price: 47360 credits
Mass: 950kg
Engine: 2.0L 4 cylinder MR
Power: 175BHP
0-60mph: 6.8 seconds
0-100mph: 17.2 seconds
0-400m: 15.15 @ 95mph
0-1000m: 27.39 @ 120mph
Max speed: 150.1mph
Lap time, Tsukuba: 1:11.39
Lap time, Midfield: 1:34.17
EDIT: Lotus Elise figures added.
Lotus Elise 111R: N2 tyres, 118 miles, oil change. NOTE: The Lotus was performance tested long before this comparison was run. Weight of test Elise unknown but standard.
Power: 202BHP
0-60mph: 5.6 seconds
0-100mph: 13.3 seconds
0-400m: 13.98 @ 102mph
0-1000m: 25.33 @ 131mph
Maz speed: 160.1mph
Lap time, Tsukuba: 1:07.2
Lap time, Midfield: 1:28.7
Outtakes and More Photos
Things didn't always go to plan... even the Hommell could not always disguise the driver's lack of talent. Notice also that we brought an Elise 111R along to the coast to keep things in perspective. It was fun, right up to the point where we stuffed it into a brick wall (pictured above en route to said incident)
So what choice is there for the driving enthusiast who fancies all the reasonably priced sportscar qualities that the Elise offers, but also desires to be different? Well, it turns out that even when avoiding the Elise-in-a-mask Opel Speedster, there are a few attractive options available, on paper at least. We gathered three together and thrashed them around a few tracks before punting them up and down a mountainside, to see if there really are any viable alternatives to the Elise waiting to reward the man who likes to be different.
MR Elise Alternatives Test
ASL Garaiya vs. Hommell Berlinette vs. Tommy Kaira ZZ-S
We were looking for mid engined sportscars with a price tag under 70000 credits, at least 150bhp, and a rarity to make it gather a crowd in a pitlane where an Elise is never out of view. First contender is the Hommell Berlinette RS. With a pricetag of just over 47000 credits, the Hommell is by far the cheapest of our trio, and is the only one available for less than the price of an Elise 111R. But it doesn't make a particularly good first impression. The car manages to look at first ungainly from a distance thanks to its bulbous curves and odd proportions, and then appears unfinished when close up, with its sliding windows and oops-where-can-we-put-them headlights. The end result feels rather home-made. It does have some nice angles, but this is not a particularly pretty car.
The Hommell feels rather more polished from behind the wheel, though. At Test Course it is stable and responsive as it cruises around at a very impressive 150mph. Not bad for 175BHP. The Hommell has six gears, which at first feels like one too many, particularly as the ratios are very long. Second gear is good for 75mph, for instance. As it is the least powerful and heaviest car here, those long legs could prove a real handicap. They do, however, make for a relaxed and quiet cruiser. At Tsukuba, the gearing again feels far too tall. First gear is needed for the tighter corners, though the reward for the downshift is a particularly malleable on-throttle balance. Slight understeer can build up under power, but this can be neutralised with either a lift or full throttle. In fact, the RS is supremely responsive to throttle changes while cornering, and when you do push it a little too far and the weight in the rear of the car starts to take over, a gentle lift of the throttle will bring it back under control. Better still, the car's responses remain the same as the speeds build up, and even around Midfield, which can get the better of many cars, the Hommell sticks to the program. It's adjustable, relaxed, andloves opposite lock. Always progressive, never snappy.
Great fun on a circuit then. Pity about the gearing though. This car is crying out for a shorter stack, or perhaps more power. The brakes lock up too easily and this is not a fast car either, but it delivers a classy, polished ride that goes some way to making up for its odd gearing and styling woes.
Especially when it is 18000 credits cheaper than the ASL Garaiya. That's enough change to buy a nice hatchback. So what does the extra cash get you should you choose the ASL over the Hommell?
Well, the ASL's motor generates an extra 35bhp over the French car, though it shares the same 2.0L, 4 cylinder inline configuration, and it has 150kg less car to push around, so the ASL should be appreciably quicker. And then, while the unusual styling may not be to everyone's taste, it is certainly cohesive and balanced, and seems complete. It looks unique, but it also looks handsome, and it has no bad angles. It catches the eye for all the right reasons, and when finished in black it also possesses a measure of dark aggression. Sporty and different then, but pretty as well. And then the torque curve, which looks much flatter than one could reasonably expect when extracting 200bhp from 2 litres, catches the eye too. This car promises plenty. Unlike the Hommell, the ASL makes you excited about driving it before you've even entered the car.
Pull away and the gears immediately feel better than the Hommell. Shifts are quicker and the ratios are shorter, giving a far more sporty feel. Turn in to a corner and the car stays flat and feels precise, while carrying a hint of understeer. Meanwhile the engine feels muscular across its range, just as the torque curve suggested. How do they make 200bhp from 2 normally aspirated litres feel so beefy? Perhaps it's something to do with the 800kg kerb weight. Whatever, with a Tsukuba lap of 1:08.23 it is certainly quick enough to scare an Elise 111R driver around a tight circuit as well as in a straight line, where the 0-60mph time would be under 6 seconds if the shift to 3rd gear was not needed.
So far so good, then. Well, yes. Until, that is, you decide to be a bit of a hooligan. It is then that you realise that the handling is fast and safe to the point of frustration, at least at Tsukuba. Trail brake into a bend, lift off mid-corner, stamp on the throttle in 2nd gear, and the ASL's rear tyres remain resolute in their purchase of the road surface. Nothing short of a full cream Scandinavian Flick will persuade this car to swing its hips, and even then, you are allowed but the smallest window of opportunity to pin the throttle to the carpet and hang the tail out. Gas it a fraction too early or too late and you will find yourself rapidly understeering off the road. Get it just right, and the tail will swing around to help the car track around the corner, but it still doesn't give up the fight. If you relax the throttle even the slightest little bit at this point, or worse, give in to your natural tendency to apply even the smallest hint of corrective lock, the ASL lapses back into an understeery sulk, and the moment will be lost until the next corner. Such extreme provocation has no place on a public road, of course, and this leaves the Garaiya experience feeling a bit lacking in depth. That being said, though, at Midfield the ASL was rather more neutral and all the more fun for it.
I left the Tommy Kaira ZZ-S until last because I expected this little car to destroy the competition. It is the lightest car here and is more or less as powerful as the ASL, and it is the closest in spirit to the Elise. To see it lagging behind the ASL during the acceleration runs was a bit of a surprise then, especially when it then ran all the way to 166mph, which is exceptionally fast for 2 normally aspirated litres.
On the track, though, the ZZ-S continues to disappoint. Persistent understeer makes it feel like an age brfore you can apply the throttle in any corner, and it shows in the car's underachieving lap times. If you do manage to persuade it to swing its tail you will find it to be more adjustable than the ASL on opposite lock, but ultimately the perennial battle against understeer frustrated to the point of surrender, and I parked the car.
On The Road
Once we had all the performance figures done, we took the trio to the Costa Di Amalfi to see how they translated on the road, and the Garaiya continued to win back friends in the mountains. In this environment the understeer is not prominent, and under hard acceleration the ASL will exit tighter corners on a twist of opposite lock before firing itself up the road in a way that leaves the other two far behind. It is exciting as well as fast, and on these twisty, narrow roads, the ASL makes a lot of sense.
The Hommell just cannot hope to keep up, though it remains an exhibitionist just as it was on the track. The RS makes hero slides feel natural, any time, any corner. Oversteer has rarely been this accessible and this easy. This car really is slow, however. Slow enough, in fact, to be embarrassed by hot hatches costing half as much and looking twice as good. But then, the car really is all about laid back fun, and the price is not too bad in this company. It's certainly a more appealing purchase than the more expensive ZZ-S, which remains reluctant to turn in. This made us reluctant to drive it, and so the Tommy spent most of its day parked up and watching the other two cars coming and going.
Conclusion
So which is a real world MR alternative to the ubiquitous Elise?
On the face of it, the Tommy Kaira ZZ-S would seem the logical choice. It is tremendously light, and costs about the same as the similarly powerful Elise 111R. It is not pretty - far from it, in fact, but it does manage to look minimalist. It looks light, compact, agile and focused and makes the Elise appear overly fussy in comparison. The Tommy is let down, though, by both the objective and subjective driving experience. It is neither as quick as the Lotus and ASL in a straight line nor around a race track, and it is utterly unsatisfying to drive. It loses here.
The ASL plays a different game. It's a bit heavier, looks a bit more grown up, and yet has a confident, adventurous style. It manages to look both unique and attractive, and that counts for a lot on a sportscar. It possesses the best drivetrain here, and the strongest engine, and it does not let all that go to waste. It trades performance punches with the 111R in a straight line and around a circuit, and on your favourite mountain pass it will have you grinning all the way. It is also exclusive where the Lotus is not, but 15000 credits is a big price to pay for exclusivity.
The Hommell is neither as fast nor as pretty as the ASL, but it appeals on two levels. One is price, at least in this company, and the other is opposite lock. This car will get you to work and back, but it is ultimately a toy. Unfortunately, only the driver will ever appreciate it for what it is. Worse still, there will be no witnesses to the driver's drifting heroics because all his mates will already be far up the road. It's the cheapest car here, but we have a nagging suspicion that an MX-5 or MR-2 would make it feel rather expensive. You could use the change you save over the ASL to turbocharge the Hommell. It then becomes as quick as the Garaiya, but it still does not look as good. In standard form, though, it cannot compete with the ASL, and it is certainly not a viable alternative to an Elise. If you are a fan of the Europa, though, then the Berlinette may well be worth a look, as it offers similar pace and similar dynamics, but with better composure at higher speeds.
Ultimately, and despite the price premium, if you want an Elise that does not look like an Elise, then the ASL Garaiya is the car for you. It wins this test. You would really have to value your exclusivity though, because the Elise really is a better car.
Facts and Figures
NOTE: All cars were bought new and had minimal mileage. All cars were standard apart from an oil change, and all tests were run on N2 tyres. Traction and stability controls were switched off. Manual transmission was used. All tests were performed using a Logitech Driving Force wheel. 0-60mph and 0-100mph figures are approximate. Power figures are quoted from Settings menu and were taken after oil change.
ASL Garaiya
Price: 65000 credits
Mass: 800kg
Engine: 2.0L 4 cylinder MR
Power: 211BHP
0-60mph: 6.5 seconds
0-100mph: 13.8 seconds
0-400m: 14.51 @ 102mph
0-1000m: 25.96 @ 130mph
Max speed: 154.3mph
Lap time, Tsukuba: 1:08.23
Lap time, Midfield: 1:27.75
Tommy Kaira ZZ-S
Price: 59500 credits
Mass: 690kg
Engine: 2.0L 4 cylinder MR
Power: 205BHP
0-60mph: 6.8 seconds
0-100mph: 14.1 seconds
0-400m: 15.05 @ 104mph
0-1000m: 26.23 @ 135mph
Max speed: 166.5mph
Lap time, Tsukuba: 1:09.43
Lap time, Midfield: 1:29.68
Hommell Berlinette RS
Price: 47360 credits
Mass: 950kg
Engine: 2.0L 4 cylinder MR
Power: 175BHP
0-60mph: 6.8 seconds
0-100mph: 17.2 seconds
0-400m: 15.15 @ 95mph
0-1000m: 27.39 @ 120mph
Max speed: 150.1mph
Lap time, Tsukuba: 1:11.39
Lap time, Midfield: 1:34.17
EDIT: Lotus Elise figures added.
Lotus Elise 111R: N2 tyres, 118 miles, oil change. NOTE: The Lotus was performance tested long before this comparison was run. Weight of test Elise unknown but standard.
Power: 202BHP
0-60mph: 5.6 seconds
0-100mph: 13.3 seconds
0-400m: 13.98 @ 102mph
0-1000m: 25.33 @ 131mph
Maz speed: 160.1mph
Lap time, Tsukuba: 1:07.2
Lap time, Midfield: 1:28.7
Outtakes and More Photos
Things didn't always go to plan... even the Hommell could not always disguise the driver's lack of talent. Notice also that we brought an Elise 111R along to the coast to keep things in perspective. It was fun, right up to the point where we stuffed it into a brick wall (pictured above en route to said incident)
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