Wanted WTB: A nice Lotus Elise

I take my roof off all the time on my Exige (as you can see in my profile pic.) It is a bit of work. It's not as easy as taking off the top in the Elise, which I can do while sitting at a traffic light.

Also, the Elise roof fits in the trunk. The Exige... not so much.

 

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Elise softop fits in the trunk, and is very easy to remove, two handles are pulled and it rolls right up. I think Ive used it 4 times as an emergency when hard top is off and it was about to rain. Hardtop is like the exige it wont fit in car stays home. With a socket wrench and two bits there are 4 bolts and 4 panel screws.

If I take the elsie tot he track its always hardtop on in which case 2 or 3 rimes per year Id be putting it back on. maybe all the work with poadig the track car on trailer, wheels tires brakes tools in truck, plus takign care of most maintanance at home for various cars has made me lazy to do the elise hardtop.
Just been easier to leave it on, I think two years ago when last pulled it off went for a drive and within 5 mins it started raining(we get lots of sporadic rain in ct summers or it can be hot and humid), which made me laugh as that was my problem for the day, life should always be so easy and simple, one shoudl just appreciate those moments of simplicity..

Maybe this fall, when its not humid and hot or cold Ill pull it off of a few weeks. The car is also a little stiffer with the top bolted in and you can notice a slightly different handling, its excellent either way, just different.

Prob Im not a convertible guy, spend enough time in boats and motorcycles that the open air need is covered or just lazy.

Was thinking of something like an 05 sl for florida, good for highway, hardtop convertible so the option is easy, and roof down on fl night rolling along the coast is magic.

 

great to see all the love for elise here. i ve had my 06 since 13 and love it more each day. only car ive ever had that i leave completely stock. put about 3k mi/yr on it. few track days/ys. zero repairs and minimal maintenance. i used to think about replacing it with something more comfortable, usable, etc. maybe 458? but now realize elise is a forever car and just have to add other cars like 458 to it. it is so pure in everything it does and that is irreplaceable regardless the price. it is in a single phrase - the perfect sports car. never be another

 

When my situation settles, I'll be in the market for an Elise or a 4C. Leaning Elise though.

 

Fitting the Elise soft-top to an Exige requires a pretty straight forward and minimal amount of work. I used one on my '06 Exige frequently.

 

We also have a 2006 Elise….and we love it….every time I drive it I’m reminded how heavy my 360 feels in comparison. Can’t wait for the new Elmira to come out…manual transmission…yes please……

 

'I hope we wont be dissapointed by the emira. It loos to be more evora than elise, having driven an evora its more of a car car.

 

Looking on BAT
Elise prices are climbing fast.

 

Also keep an eye out on wirewheel.com, if you haven't been already. I've been keeping half an eye open for one as well, but realistically I have too much on my plate atm to be adding another car. Good luck.

 

The Emira looks interesting, bonus it can be had with a manual, but I was hoping the weight would be closer to 2000lbs than 3000lbs. Those days are indeed gone I think.

 

Agree… “add lightness”
We can start removing stuff.
When we raced in LotusCupUSA, every 10 lbs removed = 1 HP added


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That's how me and my PCA track day friends referred to personal weight loss - "pretty sure I gained around 2hp since last season", haha.

Was really hoping the Emira would come in around 2400 lbs stock, and with 300hp be like an Elise for the modern day, but looks like people will have to "add lightness" themselves.

 

Its possible the some derivation of the amg 4 cyl version may come in at 2800lbs and the motor can be mapped to near on 500hp.
Its also true that alonger wheelbase 2800lbs car drives nothing like a shorter car that weights 500lbs less.

the Emira looks like an exotic, is going to be more than fast enough for the road. Its not going to be a small light car, lightish maybe.Whether these features make it more appealign than a cayman Gts or Gt4 remains to be seen.

 

Elises were trading for $35k all day - for the last decade. Then prices spiked over the last 18 months to $50-$55k. Exiges even higher. But not surprising considering the prices of ALL rare manual cars.

 

Wow. Emira looking like a bargain


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Different animals, elige is sub 2000 lbs and swb, the emira is 1000lbs heavier and longer. Besides the badge the one does nto really compete with the other, and thats no knock on the emira.
4c prices seem to have spiked too, and thats not a manual. the only other contender is an alpine and we cant get those here.

If caterham buys the elise program, you know the kit is not going to be less than a 7, so over 70k completed.

the good thing about elsies, being relatively simple and hand made, theyre infintely rebuildable.

 

I'm not actively looking to sell, but I'd be open to offers if you're motivated. I'd also be very happy to keep it myself so you unfortunately won't get a deal. Really not that many on the market these days.

2006
Laser Blue over Biscuit
24k miles
No major modifications
Hard top and soft top
Have an extra set of wheels as well
Located in SLC

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I do like that color combination! I think we're putting this search on hold because my husband bought a 1991 GMC Syclone so he's distracted with that now. I had rides in an Exige and an aftermarket-supercharged Elise at a recent track day, though, and think they're wonderful cars!

 

With the lotus emira coming out, even though its a different car, I'm hoping there will be more Elise and Exige coming out on the market.

 

The emira is more like an evora, different customer in the lotus world..
out of 20 elige owners I know of 1 who sold his for an evora.
At a recent rack day 5 of us elige owners were discussing the followup car.
The most obvious choice is a cayman, but two elige owners converted from cayman and were quite damant its a very different less viceral experince.

Consensus was that a 3000lbs 400hp car(emira) with power steering is not a replacement for any elige. Nor is the emira a standout except for maybe price for the exotic looks. The question is whether you buy and emira over a cayman, not an emira as a replacement fr an elige.

However if/when lotus builds the emira s with the real 421 hp amg 4cyl engine(easily mapped to 500) and equippes such car with real performance goodies such as ap racing brakes non drilled rotors, ohlins shocks etc. If such a car looses enough frippery to get down to say 2800lbs or less and with 500hp, then yes it will start to seem like a lotus and would be an interesting option.

The other choice we discussed is a caterham elise, ie caterham buys the program from lotus as rumored. Then youre buying a roller and installing say a 310 hp honda civic type r motor in a 1700lbs elige(weight would be lost over current car in loosing air bags door beams etc)

Either of these cars emira s or caterham are going to cost 100-120k, so how many current owners would sell what they already have.

Fr sure some elises willa lways come on the market as peopel age out or soem just get tired of them. But without any drect replacement on the market I dont see the supply of used cars increasing.

As before the least expensive way in is to buy an oterwise sound car with a cracked clam that the insurance company in their ignrance wrote off, and replace the clam. Or I know of one flood damaged car which should be easy enough to fix.

A the elige become more "collectable" probably moded cars will sell at a discount, so if you like the mods then youre getting more for less money.

But a stock low mileage else these days seems to be a 50k car, thats a supply and demand thing in a market where there is no replacement.

Alfa 4cs are the same now, ie back to what they cost new..


Too bad we cant get the alpine in USA.

In my case id probably go for the caterham elise option. Or the caterham elise and a emira s over 1 porche Gt3.

 

I am definitely aware of your point with the exige/elise being more raw lotus race car than an evora or emira. Yet not everyone driving an Elise or Exige is going to the track or racing. Some people just want to drive the car for a quick Sunday drive in the local neighborhood or going to a local car show or meet. Those people will likely sell their cars in this market and used the funds towards the new car. I have personally found a few owners ready to do just that. So I suspect there will be a few cars on the market changing hands that is more the usual one or two listed on the usual websites.

 

Will be interesting to see if it’s more than audial. IMO the Elise is a unique Road drive experience, some tire of that and sell.

 

I'm only considering selling mine as there is an Exige on the market I am lusting over, lol.

The Emira looks nice, and a Brabus tune on the i4 AMG engine to get >500hp could be a lot of fun even if the i4 doesn't come with a manual, but canyon carving in an Elise or Exige is hard to give up once you get a taste unless you go up a few price brackets.

 

Never selling mine
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