should we get a elise?

That's like buying a T-Rex, the atom is not even what I would call a "car" anymore. It is a blast to drive, it's like a bike with 4 wheels, but the Elise is much more. I do my groceries with my Elise(you'd be surprised how big the trunk is), I got to movies, to events, etc with my Elise, I can drive it even when the weather is not perfect, I don't have to wear a helmet, if the temperature outside is not to my liking I can change that and if I crash I actually have some protection(despite what most people think the elise is really safe, due to the extremely stiff chassis, even tho it takes damage very bad even if you just get hit at 4mph....). All of that while having a blast. People who complain about the lack of torque obviously never drove one like it should be driven, the car is very fast, like I said until 120-130mph, I have the same pace as friends in Gallardos and Modenas...and you have to remember where this car shines above all is not on straight lines...

I would say this, if you want to buy a bike, but you dont want to get a bike liscence or can't ride one, get an ariel atom, or a t-rex, you will have a blast with it, but IMO a bike is the better choice when your up to that level. Otherwise, I would suggest the Elise.

-Sebastien

 

Jerry, it's ironic that you say that "this little 2-seater is about the closest thing there is to nirvana on four wheels." In the Top Gear video, an ecstatic Jeremy Clarkson shouts that the Atom is driving Nirvana!

Sebastien, I'd agree that the T-Rex is no longer a car. But the Ariel Atom, however, is much closer to a powerful Formula car. I've done a number of Jim Russell and Skip Barber days in either Van Diemens or Formula Dodges, and I start to drool at the thought of a more powerful, street-legal alternative.

 

Jerry didn't say that, Road and Track did, as he clearly states. The Ariel Atom was not around at the time of that writing either.

 

Ah, I see.

Still, I prefer the car that IS driving nirvana next to the one that is nearest it.

 

Actually this has been reported several times and is a serious safety issue, imo. But apparently Lotus has come up with a sturdier shifter mechanism on the later cars.

It's amazing how many quality/reliability issues like this there still are on the Elise, considering it was in production for many years before it was brought to the US.

Lotus might have the best suspension engineers on the planet but they could definitely use some engineering/manufacturing assistance on every other part of these cars!

 

I'd like to point out that Lotus has helped Ariel with the suspension on the Atom.

 

I did consider the Atom. My wife loves the concept. However, after seeing the Topgear episode a few times, I got worried that the suspension would be so stiff that the car will only perform well on a track.

I had a vision, driving through the Catskills Mountains in the Elise, that several of the off-camber and bumpy curves would land me at the bottom of the mountain.

 

I do enjoy all these threads about the Elise. I had the chance to drive one here locally. This is only MY opinion, and no doubt, worth what your paying for it, here goes:
The car felt solid, but light. Like driving a celica. It had a quiet exhaust and very little torque. The clutch was like a toy- easy. That was around town. he allowed me to get it out on a ramp and get into the throttle a bit. I did have a chance to get the cams up on lobe. Holy Crap. Mr. Hyde came out. Neat little car. I'd own one in a second, for my wife to drive, (I'd love watching her getin and out in a skirt). Seriously, it's a simple little car to drive; at least compared to a 500hp twin turbo 348!

 

Definitely the Atom looks like a blast. But I drive the Elise everyday.

 

Like I said, there two different cars by far...so you cant really argue on this. Someone could get in and talk about bikes being even faster and etc etc. As for quality issues, wich I came to know that yes it happened to a few people, but on the earlier cars, like any first year cars, most of the time there is some small problems. Other than that, the car is of very good build quality, even deep down beneath the body(ive removed the clamshells before, really nice). It's pretty much logic anyways, toyota(actually yamaha) engine and transmission, lotus chassis and suspension, bodywork from england..only the small portion of the car left isnt built by the bests..The car also has a lot of hot details people usually never notice, next time anyone here sees an Elise, look at the door hinges....sexiest door hinges in the world, period. I'm not trying to say the Elise is the best thing out there, but for the money, it is very VERY hard to beat OVERALL. Just go for a drive with an Elise owner, then notice what people will ask the driver all the time after taking a good look at it..."how much is it?like 250k?" You get the performance, the handling, the reliabilty and the looks(if you have touring package, interior looks pretty good). And for people who like to beat the **** out of there car everyday, its one of the best alternative, just because of the powerplant. Everyday I drive the **** out of the car, not caring, because as "low quality" as it might seem to have a mass produced toyota engine in there, it also means it is VERY reliable.

-Sebastien

 

I've had my Elise for and year. It was optioned with the Touring Package and the Sport Package. It was an early delivery (362). My shifter hasn't broken, but it is on my mind. I keep vice grips in the car just in case. My speakers melted, but that I blame on Blaupunkt and not Lotus. The car has had a Stage II exhaust since delivery. Compared to the stock exhaust, we are talking worlds apart. The Stage II sounds like a race car. Stock sounds like a busted MG.

I've done a few track days, and one with the Shelby Club. One of the Shelby guys with a GT500 asked if it felt underpowered coming out of turns and such. I explained the cam thing and took him for a ride. He wasn't ready to trade in his Mustang, but he certainly didn't find it underpowered. And actually, his comments were along the lines of "Holy **** that little car is quick." And this was in Aspen at Woody Creek. I long to drive this car at sea level.