“It handled like it was on rails,” the proverbial old-timer at the bar always insists, tipsy with nostalgia. It doesn’t matter if he’s referring to a Mercedes or a TR6: His classic sports car handled better than whatever appliance he’s stuck driving today.
Unfortunately for fond memories, they’re often dead wrong. A new Hyundai Accent can run circles around most …
You could modify old cars with period correct parts as with Konis, better springs, fatter sway bars, wider wheels/tires, etc. but they're still no match against new technology at the limit. But so what - its way more fun to drive an older slower car fast than to drive a newer faster car slow. Most owners don't push their new high performance cars to the limit and I'll bet my brother's modified Lotus Europa can pull higher g's than most of them.
I can't speak for a Seven or an Elan, but I do have a '68 Spitfire Mk 3. I have a two-car garage. One side is my '96 NA Miata. The other side is my Spitfire. The Spitfire has been an ongoing project since 2002 (yes, 2002). People say to me "I bet you can't wait until it's done so you can drive it." But in reality, I think I'm enjoying the journey more than I will the end result. The Miata has spoiled me, and the sports cars I grew up with will never compare. So, the Spitfire is what it is. It's a fun project that I work on at my own pace. And in the end, it's simply a hobby that I enjoy using my skills to work on. But I'll drive the Miata forever.
Sooo...
I have a 1966 Morgan, and a 2009 Lotus Elise. Let me tell ya, the Lotus does feel like its on rails, even more than my Cooper Formula car!
The Morgan is an elbows out assualt on the all the senses. I really would not want to "update" the Morgan at all. It really has charm. I drive both cars like the way they are supposed to be.
Now, allow me to paint the picture with a colorful true story: I was following my wife home one afternoon from a sportscar club meeting on a very fun, twisty road. She was hustling the Lotus up the road, and I was following. Not really paying attention...just following, like I said...Well, let me tell ya, I almost stuck the Morgan into a guard rail. What felt like a sprited drive in the Lotus was maybe an 8/10s experience in the Morgan.
I would have to choose one over the other. Both are a treat to drive and own.
Leo
Leo a few stories for you:
The first 20 yrs ago following friends who were driving MGB and Spitfires around twisty lake road we were glued to their rear bumpers, in my wife's Geo Prism (Corolla). At our lunch stop we were laughing about it.
An SCCA friend scratchs his head about my love of my vintage motocross bike; we both agree it bottoms out constantly, the forks are weedy, in a 15 minute session the brakes only work well on the first and last lap because you stop using them on lap two and they cool down enough to work on the last three corners and that you exceed the bikes limits constantly............which is why I love it.
Finally telling a friend who makes his living building race cars and coaching about how well the Datsun is going and the poor modern Vette drivers I was lapping at the last track day. To he which he replied "you do drive it really well but even if you are the best Pro driver in the world you shouldn't be passing modern cars, they are so much better"
Modern cars, especially sports cars are now so amazing, this why we fall into the trap of thinking the lack sole, the real problem is we are driving them at 50%
Tom
Tom1200 wrote: Modern cars, especially sports cars are now so amazing, this why we fall into the trap of thinking the lack sole, the real problem is we are driving them at 50%
Bingo, you can actually drive a stock old MG or what have you on cheap all season tires at 9/10ths on public roads and not attract much attention. Whereas you'd be going twice the speed limit in a modern sports car for it to start threatening to kill you in the same ways.
Even my 99 Prizm with OE grade shocks has too much grip to be as entertaining as it could be. Its a shockingly neutral car (by FWD Toyota standards) but you rarely get a chance to feel it. I sometimes regret putting 195/60/14 Altimax HPs on it, it was more fun, and still capable of going around a corner fast enough to scare some backseat passengers, with the dried out stock size generic all seasons it came with.
Raced a Super 7 in SCCA back in the day, plus owned a street S7, several Elans, and a 26R. The Elan is a car. The Super 7 is a toy. You can take the Elan home to meet Mom. The Super 7 is the fun, kinky mistress that you keep hidden.
In reply to PeteLoBianco :Wasn't it the LoBianco Trucking Lotus 7? Remember it from Lime Rock Park back in the '70s.
In reply to gfastr :
You are correct! Fun times. Fun track.
I'd rather have a Lotus 11.........just me
In reply to PeteLoBianco :
Hi Pete...
With the mention of MGBs, I'll tell my story again. In 86 I had a brand new CRX SI. Very quick car at the time. I could go through the twistie's faster in the MGB than I could the SI, cause the limits of the MG were familiar to me, and the fwd SI, although the limits were faster, I couldn't "feel" them coming on. I either didn't push it hard, or went beyond. I still like the old school stuff, for fun.
You can have a look at the SCCA runoffs to see that new cars do not run rings around old cars of similar specification.
There are 40 year old cars near the top in every class,
In reply to bearmtnmartin (Forum Supporter) :
I agree that race lap times of the old cars are very competitive with the new machines, relative to SCCA production class. The difference seems to be in preparation: The vintage race car engines are often heavily modified (sometimes twice the stock horsepower) and the newer car engines are much closer to original specification, maybe 20-30% more power. In example, an 1800cc E-Production BMC pushrod racing engine might make 160-180 BHP, while the modern) 1800cc DOHC Spec Miata has about that much power in standard form. Engine and suspension technology has improved dramatically so the new cars don't require as many changes. The old production race cars, while probably not as safe, often have advantages in power to weight ratio provided they have similar engine displacement, not because the engines are more powerful but because they are usually lighter. Less inertia load in the corners, quicker braking, good acceleration. The newer cars usually have higher top speeds because of 5 and 6 speed gearboxes, IRS, coil overs, 4 wheel disc brakes, etc. to help level the playing field.
I must be one of the few people whom have a lotus elan s2 and a Mazda Miata NA and drive them both alernately, Despite the similar appearance they aren't alike , one is a refinded sports car and the other a refined race car , I'll leave it to others to guess which is which 
Much as I love the Elan, I'd still take one not in this test - the Europa (twin cam, of course) over either of them!
Started with an LS6 corvette, frightening, 280z, great fun, Alfa spider, disappointing, many GTis, all good, throw in a new mini, talk about reliable and fun to drive... but to the point, my 70 elan S4 which I have had for almost 20 years is my love. Handles great, easy to fit lumber in from Home Depot on the weekends, very competitive in auto cross, it's the driver that holds it back. Also have a 91 Miata with a big Garrett turbo, lowered suspension.. a beast. Totally different from the elan. The only drawback to the elan is the large pickups on the highway that I can only see the top of their wheels. At 1500 lbs, I probably weigh less than that wheel assembly. The crazy thing is how cheap they are to buy and self maintain. They are the undiscovered gem of classic cars.
In reply to wspohn :
indeed
PeteLoBianco said:Raced a Super 7 in SCCA back in the day, plus owned a street S7, several Elans, and a 26R. The Elan is a car. The Super 7 is a toy. You can take the Elan home to meet Mom. The Super 7 is the fun, kinky mistress that you keep hidden.
Why would I hide my fun kinky mistress? 
bearmtnmartin (Forum Supporter) said:You can have a look at the SCCA runoffs to see that new cars do not run rings around old cars of similar specification.
There are 40 year old cars near the top in every class,
The thing is... the new cars are far less developed than the old ones. The old ones are at the ragged edge of modification. The newer cars run under limited prep rules to ensure they don't run away.
I would struggle to choose between them. Both are compelling for somewhat different reasons. I've always had a fascination with the 7 though so it's likely I would go that way.
My bias is showing. I love the Lotus Super 7 I even got the shop manual anticipating that would be my next car.
When the Elan came out it couldn't beat the XKE so blah!!!!!
Back in the 70's, my brother and I got into Elans. The first was a rare 69 Elan Coupe with the rare Black Lotus badge (memoriam of Jim Clark's Death) until he drove it under a Ford LTD. Luckily he escaped injury. Then he acquired a 68 S4 with power windows and the iconic visible window frames like the unit Mrs Peel drove on The Avengers! ( dating myself, yes!) The best car was mine. A 65 S2 with pull-up windows and dual side draft Webers that was a screamer. It was a very different car from the 68. The fiberglass shell was stronger, the full wood dash was better than the laminated 68 dash that was completely cracked like most. It was much simpler and tighter. It is the one car, I wish I still had and I had plenty of British cars. The one thing I don't miss about them were the Rotoflex 'doughnuts'! They were very springy and if you didn't know how to release the clutch, you would have a very funky takeoff! Now I know there are CV shafts that are a direct replacement. The was a metal clip on badge made back then which said" Lotus: If you don't know what it is, you certainly won't know how to drive it!" Miss those cars!!
This is like comparing apples and oranges. The only real outcome is to buy both cars.
In reply to msterbeau :
In the context of my comment, I'd definitely keep her hidden from my mom (or my wife). My buddies, not so much :) Got another S7 since my above comments, and still the same thoughts.
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