bubbastook

Over the year or so that I've been a member of this forum, I've seen countless threads written by prospective S2000 buyers where the buyer in question would, without a doubt, be disappointed by owning an S2000. They seem torn between heart and mind; attracted by the idea---the recklessness of it all---but somehow cognizant that they will be let down, after all, there isn't a butt warmer....So they think aloud (or, I guess, in print) and bounce this notion, this dirty secret desire, off perfect strangers in hopes of an answer or some direction or even some sympathy. I try to contribute to those threads. I try to dissuade those without the passion I have for our car.

So I sit in a rare moment of idleness pondering the Elise. I hate this little car. Hate it. But I find myself thinking about it more and more. I'm drawn to it's purpose and repulsed by literally everything else. I know in my heart that I'll be disappointed but I just can't stifle the urge to have one. It's everything I love about the S2000 minus everything I love about the S2000. And the irony, the bitter, bitter irony of it all is that all the adjectives I commonly use to describe my S2000 (unrefined, true, raw, pure, etc) ALL apply to the Elise and take these attributes to a ridiculous extreme that I find grotesquely alluring.

My now my S2000 is strangely practical. It's safe. It's reliable. It's, ugh, de-pend-able. (I'm cringing). I've known this all along but it hadn't really crystalized for me until recently and it's giving me an ulcer.

On that note I've got to go back to work.
At least the Z8 is far too expensive to even consider...

ninethreeeleven

not for nothing but your a pretty good writer, I suck at writing so it might not mean much... but good stuff

victory423

"grotesquely alluring"? do u work for hallmark? lol

OC S2K

protokultur

Cool! Can I buy your Elise after you've grown sick of it?

tidalwdave

The rawness of the Elise is exactly why I want one. The S2K just isn't raw. It's a nice car, but I'd love to autocross the Elise and just drive it around town.

I got the S2K in the beginning because it was the most raw car in the US. Well, not anymore. Hopefully I can sell my 02 without too much of a hit and hopefully the insurance on the Elise won't be much more. If both of those issues fall into place, I'll have my Elise by this time next year. I'm pretty far down on the wait list, but that's fine with me. That gives the car time to get here and see who things shake out with it with the early owners.

I've never wanted a car so much! I've never had to wait so long either. I've been waiting for the car to come to the US for over a year already.

CG

[QUOTE]Originally posted by bubbastook
I hate this little car.

Elistan

I'm rather in the same situation - all the reasons I purchased the S2000 apply to the Elise, but amplified. Yet there are some unique drawbacks to the US Elise that are holding me back. I don't care how fun a car is to drive, if it's not reliable it's not driven and no fun can be had. I have very little confidence in Lotus and the Toyota engine. So I'll wait for the second year's cars to come out and make my decision then.

(If it had the Honda K20 engine, I'd probably be on the list already. )

SavesTheDay

The best quote I have heard about the Elise:
"nannies have been jailed for lesser shaking" . I hope the car is all you want it to be and more!

RiceBurnerTX

I think CG hit it on the head and I think it's the same reason a lot of us are "attracted" to the Elise. While I think it looks goofy, the raw sports car idea is just so exciting. If I had money for a track car, that's the one I'd get I think.....well, definently in that price range anyways