Bought a Lotus Elise
Brought home an '07 Lotus Elise w/25k miles on Saturday :) Although my M3 is great at pretty much everything and a blast to drive in its own right, I missed the open top and light, direct, nimble feel of the S2000, so given this would be a 2nd, fun-drives-only car I decided to go even more hardcore as I wanted something really different from the M3.
The driving experience is like nothing else - it really feels like a kart on the road, with all the good and bad that comes with that. The bad is it's incredibly challenging to get in and out (esp. with top on), it rattles so much it's actually funny, the Sport Pack ride is brittle over small bumps (but actually remarkably compliant over large ones), you feel vulnerable in traffic since it's so low and small (this is my first brightly-colored car, which I wanted so I could be seen more easily), and certain parts of it are quite delicate. I couldn't recommend it for daily use, although I did drive it to work today and had a blast. Accessing the trunk for instance involves inserting a key into the flat engine lid to unlock, lifting the lid (but not too high or it'll break things), inserting the prop rod(!), and hoisting whatever you have over the rear of the car into the tiny storage area. The good is the steering is incredibly communicative and lively, it's delightfully nimble and light on its feet (1,950lbs), it sticks HARD (60-treadwear tires stock, 1.06g), and the little 190hp 1.8L Toyota engine actually feels quite torquey and angry with so little weight to punt around (mid-13s 1/4 mile). It takes what I like about the S2000 and cranks it up a few notches, in that when you're driving hard, the feedback and directness of the controls, head-of-an-arrow view, and manic engine sound (actually permits overrevs to 8,500rpm for 1.5sec, it's in the owner's manual) are so intense that you become convinced you're in a race car. No offense meant to S2000 owners here, but it makes an S2000, Cayman, or 911 (non-GT) feel sloppy, insulated, and unnecessarily large and heavy. Add in the fact that consumables are cheap, it's powered by a Toyota 4-cyl, and it hasn't depreciated in 10 years, and it has just enough to appease my rational side. Barely. The last photo is of the door hinge - it's a massive, surely expensive aluminum extrusion that perfectly exemplifies Lotus's investment into a strong, light structure. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.s2k...7408a53531.jpg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.s2k...a02e89c4b0.jpg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.s2k...81ac252fa6.jpg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.s2k...76f0b55dd4.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.s2k...2abff417b9.jpg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.s2k...29bfd6dadc.jpg |
Yeah that's really, really cool. Nice buy OP.
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Congrats! Awesome car and I can't imagine how much fun it is for occasional driving. :thumbup: |
I find myself looking into these more often! Congrats on the purchase. Now, if the right krypton green one would pop up...........
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Welcome to Lotus!
I plan to own another Lotus, just not sure which one yet. I keep going back to the Elan M100, but Elise or Evora would do the trick too. With Lotus, you really see and feel the engineering they put into the car. You know they designed the aero and suspension on the GT-R, along with the engine and suspension on the Corvette... I believe the whole magna-ride suspension is designed by Lotus... |
Definitely a cool car, good luck with it!
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I was lucky enough to drive an '05 Elise for a few weeks all over some mountain roads. Your review is spot on to what I remember. After borrowing the Lotus, it reignited my desire for the S2000 which was more in my price range. After buying the S, I had wished I had never driven that Lotus...lol. It made the S2000 feel heavy and overly refined.
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Originally Posted by WVCR-V
(Post 24502039)
After borrowing the Lotus, it reignited my desire for the S2000 which was more in my price range. After buying the S, I had wished I had never driven that Lotus...lol. It made the S2000 feel heavy and overly refined.
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Thanks, y'all. Thought I'd add some of the amusing quirks I've found and read about so far:
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I looked at a 2008 Lotus Evora GTS but decided against it when I found out the price to replace a clutch. Seen people saying anywhere from 22 to 30+ hours with prices running $7,000- $9,000.
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