Well since those pics were appreciated here's a few more....

Bonnet, radiator mesh & dash air vents.

We get rusty rotors, they get rusty hats.

Carbon fibre trim around switch gear. Ahhh ... there's the deadpedal

 

Loads Of Trouble Usually Serious!

 

I'm sorry, but that thing is friggin' ugly.

 

Who said I wanted them to? Look, the US does not have a department of refrigerators. Yet somehow the market offers us quality refrigerators. If there were no, NHTSB or DOT, the market would still offer cars to people who value safety above all else. Volvo sold cars with shoulder belts, safety glass, crush zones, ect, years before they were mandated.

When Government got involved in car design we got "safety devices" that decapitate children and small adults. Gee, thanks Joan Claybrook.

I just don't understand why the Government has to get between me and something that only represents a danger to me?

 

I'm not particularly fussed on Elise's myself but it was interesting to be able to check one out up close.

 

The US car reviewers bitch about the S2000's stark and functional interior. That Lotus makes our car's interiors look like Bentleys! I know we car nuts would appreciate the Elise but I bet in the greater scheme of the US market it wouldn't do so well. No power windows or locks, no interior carpet, no automatic tranny, blah, blah blah.

 

I'd have liked to have driven it. I think I'd be too tall for it though.

---------------------------------------------
"As a scientist, Throckmorton knew that if he were ever to break wind in the echo chamber he would never hear the end of it."

 

Looks is such a personal thing I like it mostly. The worst view is from the side IMHO. The new 'Exige' version I think looks better. I can't find a pic. Perhaps 'Knowledge' would help out please.It's generally accepted to be a fantastic handling buzz car.

I was crazy for one a couple of years ago. Haven't driven one but sat in one. Your basically sitting on a piece of pretty thin foam called a seat which is straight down on the floor and your legs are literally straight out in front of you. It is very minimalist. Lotus had a lot of problems weight paring in the design stage. It's production involved a constant battle between the designers and engineers. There's a lot about over here, usually occassional cars.You'd have to be pretty hardcore to want one as your only car.It's most loyal defenders complain about it being quirky and often ,sad to say, unreliable.

The good news is that the closest thing to it you can get is the S2000 and you can use that every day

 

Muz

If the top is off you don't really have any headroom issues. The issue is if the seat is bolted to close - it isn't moveable without unbolting it. That is where you could run into legroom issues.

 

Here's an Exige. Sorry it's so small:



I think that the 0-60 times are in the mid-upper 4's (or maybe I'm getting it mixed with the M250 version). This is a link to the Lotus Exige web page:
http://www.lotuscars.co.uk/template.cfm?na...arsmodels_exige