Official Lotus delaers in OC?

I "broke" the frame for this link.
http://www.lotuscars.com/dealers/Calif.htm

Here's the LotUS start page
http://www.lotuscars.com/

Elise hardtop is harder to get in and out of than a Lezzie Nun.

 

Mark Starr over at Hunting Ridge always seems to have a car or two around... He charges a tad over and shipping from NY to OC is a few bucks, but if you want a car now...

http://www.huntingridgemotors.com/index.php

 

Jordan,

Try speaking with Chad Hawkins (Sales Manager) over at Lotus of South Bay (Hermosa Beach), not exactly close to you but closer than Symbolic. Lotus of SB is the only LA county dealer. From what I heard it will be the largest dealer in SoCal. OC and Ventura county is the other two. Lotus SB seem to have Elises in stock and on the showroom floor. They also have a car that you can test drive as well. If you do plan on test driving, be sure to cruise Redondo/Hermosa Beach route, hardtop off, feel the ocean breeze hehe...

Here is Chad's direct line to his office 310-939-1851, hes a great guy BTW...

Have fun!

Bhane
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A friend of mine is selling his fully loaded, black on black, used one (appx 1200 miles - properly broken in - lotus can tell!). If you're interested I'll put you in touch.

 

HEY BHANE THAT'S MY CARROT IN THE PIX!!!

 

Newport European(formerly Newport Autosport) appear to be a dealer. Kill two birds with one stone there

http://www.newporteuropean.com/

 

Newport Euro has a great Lotus technician named Don. Used to work on racing teams including F1!

As for buying, it seems like Newport Euro is selling for higher prices than other dealerships. I know their wait listers still have to pay $2500 over MSRP which is ridiculous in today's market. After giving them a try, there's South Bay or Silver Star. South Bay was selling at MSRP last I heard, but adding a bunch of dealer installed accessories. No clue about Silver Star. Symbolic has good folks there and the transaction was very smooth.

If you need some specific advice, don't hesitate to let me know or check out www.elisetalk.com

- J

 

hehe... Yup it sure is... wish I took more pics of the rear lights during take off... orange Elise looks sweet cruising at night

 

Seems like plenty on ebay. If you're looking to save some $$ that'd be a good way to go.

 

Jordan,
Newport European is a Authorized Dealer. The Harbor Blvd. Store is where they have the cars. I actully just drove by them 1/2 hr. ago they do have a few Elise.

 

yes, but then there's shipping, dealing with smog testing, VIN verifications, dealing with DMV, etc. i'm not trying to push my buddy's car but it is in S. Cal already, has gone through all that stuff, and is for sale under MSRP.

 

One of the guys who used to bring his gray one to CC was looking to sell his at cost. Seeing as he hasn't been there in a few months, he probably already found a buyer....

Jay

 

I heard Symbolic are selling what they have at MSRP. Looks like the initial rush to buy these cars is slowing, with many of the early ones now back on the used market. I think people are finding the Elise harder to live with than they anticipated.

 

Jordan,

If you haven't read it already, there's an interesting review at Automobile mag at http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews/convertibles/0503_lotus_elise/index.html

150 mile crusing range with spirited driving. 200 mile when driving like a grandma. Sounds like it'd be a bit tough for a primary car....

Of course, still fun as hell though!

 

I think the market for flipping these cars dried up much more quickly than anticipated.

 

They are great to bomb around in but not too practical. I think that has played into the novelty wearing off somewhat.

 

There's always the option of a used Boxster too.

 

Lotus has a 2004 Exige here at the NY Auto Show.

http://www.autoblog.com/entry/1234000403037300/

It's an Elise with a fixed roof, a few go-fast parts and a *tad* more horsepower...

 

Jordan,

You should aslo check out the Honda S2000 (around $32,000) and the 2000 MY BMW M coupe/roadster ( around $25,000; the 2000 MY's have the S54 M3 engine in them with 315 hp! Yah!). Both are great cars and offer fantastic performance with everyday usability which the Elise really lacks.

 

It's a shame that Lotus lacks the resources to give the Exige the power it really deserves. Toyota was supposed to develop a sporty V6 engine and Lotus was to use it in the Exige, but that project fell through. Lotus is thinking of offering a supercharged 1.8L engine with around 250hp, but doesn't know if they can afford to warranty such an engine. Perhaps they are doing durability testing.

Took a ride in the ForceFed 270hp Elise that will be on the cover of a few major mags soon, and it's really something. But durability of the engine will always be questionable.

- J