Elise 111S

0-60: 4.4
1/4 mi: 12.6
Top Speed: 177
Price: $55K (as imported by Sun Int.)

 

Is that carbon fiber body??

 

Make sure it's really love and not just infatuation!

 

It's made out of all sorts of stuff Suzuka, you name it.

Good call Cedric, man how I'd love to drive one...

 

The body is fibre glass.

 

Actually, a great deal of the Elise is made of composite materials. While carbon-fiber is used, mostly it's composite and aluminum, plastic, titanium, etc., the car only weighs 1,629lbs.

Hell yeah!

Andrew

 

So you're finally getting the Elise in the States then? It's a beautiful thing to behold IMHO. A great track car and there's probably not a better handling car anywhere.... period. They had a lot of trouble initially with the very lightweight chassis which is held together with... Glue!! As for a practical everyday car, I dunno, perhaps the very committed or the very young! If you can imagine sitting on a very thin piece of latex foam which is right down on the floor, your legs sticking right out in front of you, you've got some idea of the level of comfort you're going to get.

The fibre glass body panels are works of art requiring highly skilled hand building.They did a T.V. series over here 'A Car Is Born' which followed the design team at Lotus from the original concept to selling the first one to a middle aged driving instructer. There were some very interesting horn locking sessions between the design team and the engineers over the inevitable design alterations.

It's a very very basic car and I warn you they are not noted for being trouble free. I think I'd love one for a second car!

 

You're exactly right again Cedric. As pertaining to comfort, I drive 2.1 miles to work everyday, so the commute will not kill me . I love the exclusivity of the S2000, but it's becoming less and less exclusive, and to me, leather, radio, A/C...I don't need them, so I guess I would fall in your "very committed" category. Sun International imports the Elise, gives it a messaged ITR Type-R 1.8 putting 190+HP and 140+Torque to the ground, then hands over the keys for $55K. Sounds good to me, now, where to find an extra $55K...lol.

Andrew

 

Well of you're determined to do it Andrew, this guy turned up at one of our meets last year. Having seen the car in the metal that's the only colour I'd take it in!

 

Wow, you saw one Cedric? Did you set in it..huh..didja' didja' didja'..huh..c'mon, tell me, didja' like it...huh...omg I'm losing it.

*Calming down.

OK, that's the new Type 72, that dude must be loaded, it's quite expensive I think. Anyway, what were your impressions?

*Dyin' to know...

Oh yeah, that blue is to die for.