or are there other cheap fast cars out there. i say cheap but for 40K fora light fast car.....that sounds good. any one on here have one....and one in South Fl. have one? i just want to know...if not we will look at something else...thanks -dave
Love the idea of the Elise. Light weight, superb handling, etc. Too bad they can't seem to deliver decent build quality. You can check the Elise boards to see what the loyal Lotus fans put up with. On the bright side, so many owners are bailing out of their Elises, you can get a great deal on a lightly used one (or even a brand new one since they're now piling up on dealer lots...). Lousy quality notwithstanding, they're a hoot to drive!
40k for a go kart with bodywork? For same price you can get used 308 or 328 with money left over for a real go kart.
Arial Atoms are just getting legalized in the US also EVOs are even less expensive and with a simple suspension change are easily faster then an elise around a track.
yeah even better, an atom which is basically a motorcycle with 4 wheels. There is ZERO protection from rain, pebbles, bugs, no windshield or doors, you need to wear a helmet to drive one. At least a 18 wheeler can see a biker, not sure if they can see an atom or elise that rides about 3 foot off the ground. Awesome track vehicles though.
I wouldn't hesitate to buy the elise. I drove one. I didn't feel it was poor quality at all. It will whip the snot out of 308 or 328, absolutely no comparison. Just go ahead and buy one.
I'm looking for a closed car and I just can't seem to pull the trigger on a Lotus Exige. I can get one at MSRP, but I am not sure if I'd be happy with it. I mean, I love the looks, love the performance, love the exclusivity, etc. -- but I wonder if that same $ would be better spent on a Cayman S or a Z4 M Coupe. The Porsche and the BMW will be worlds more comfortable and just as fast. Easier for me to service too. But I fear that they're not "wild" enough and may prove a little boring and common. For a weekend car -- do you think I'd tire more quickly of a fast but somewhat common sports car (BMW / Porsche) or from a wild and impractical Exige that may have it's share of minor annoying build quality issues?
For 40K you can get... a 05 Vette a Trans-Am with 600hp worth of mods a Z coupe a G35 a Boxter alot of things... I'm looking for a new car too, I just dont know if I want Drag speed or a big SUV, Either way they'll be gass guzzlers
I'd wait about 4 months. Dealer inventories are starting to build up now. Just look at the 05 Gallardo prices and see what happens when you build to many cars- no matter how incredible they are.
evos are cheap and handle good enough (.96) plus they are so easy to make powerful, and handle even better. but the best part, you can get into an evo without wishing you were an amputee. and i think you can survive a crash in an evo. or get an ariel atom if you're going for it, go big
I bought an elise about a month ago & love it. It's incredibly fun to drive. The best thing I can say about it is, since I have bought it, my Testarossa hasn't been getting out much.....
You can compare other cars in terms of performance (Evo, Vette, STi, Porsche), but IMHO none are even remotely as exotic as the Elise which is very much in the relm of Ferrari or Lamborghini in terms of being "special." Great bang for the buck and apparently the aftermarket products are starting to trickle in, turbo --> oh my!! The trade off with the Elise is it isn't a daily driver. Sure it could be used as one, but it's not really the right tool for the job. So yes, there are quality issues, but for a weekend toy I think those can be lived with. Also the car is tiny, which of course is what makes it work so well, but damn is that thing small.
I LOVE That car! Get it! I ran a car show and a few people brought their Elises. One man let me sit in it, and I'm not kidding when I say this; he actually had to show me and tell me how to get into and out of the car. And i'm only 5'7". But despite its not being a very comfortable car, I can easily see myself in one in a few years.
To me the elise is really not that difficult to get in and out of. ONce your used to it, its ok. Im 6ft tall and have really no problems and even with the softtop on have clearence. Great car and remember its a handmade vehicle. Special in its own right.
I think in terms of quick/maneuvering driving, the Elise, particularly with the Sport Pack, will WTS of just about everything else on the road. I drove one & passengered with a Lotus North America driver, and it was phenomenal. I didn't buy one, and got another 328 instead, for a very simple reason: the entry/exit is just ridiculous, even if you learn how to do the squeeze most efficiently. Even more so for a woman passenger, and forget one in a skirt or dress! The old joke about Loti is that since Colin Chapman was 5'6" tall, Lotus builds cars for that size person. The Elise continues to evidence this. The Esprit replacement should be coming along soon, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Supposed to be Lotus-light and Lambo-muscular: should be a pistol of a car: http://www.autoblog.com/entry/1130358613635661/ http://www.sandsmuseum.com/cars/elise/information/press/magazine/magazine2004/autocar020304/autocardesignlab.html
I use my Elise as a daily driver & have no problems. Entry exit is not a big deal - even for my friend with the skirt.
The Elise is hard to sum up in quantifiable terms like horsepower, 0-60 times etc. Its real essence is in how it feels. My two sessions in Elise were somewhat brief, but you instantly can tell how really special the car is. That said, Elise isn't for everyone. It's tight inside, tricky to get in and out of, sparely furnished, and not a burly V8 type of performer. Before making a decision, you really have to try one. You'll know pretty quickly whether or not it's for you. Here's my review on it: http://www.autiv.com/articles/drive_test_lotus_elise_1.htm Dave
The Elise if by far the best buy for the money. If you can put up with the harsh ride and extremely responsive handling, you will never be disapointed. Sure it is a small car to get in, but I had friends up to 6'9 and 250lbs get in, the trick is in knowing HOW to get in, as headroom is pretty decent for a car that size. Other than that, you can't be disapointed with the car, it is extremely quick up to around 120-130mph(magazine figures of 0-60 in 4.4 seconds with sports package), then it climbs the speedo slowly(its the only thing I dont like about the elise, but thats what you get with 190hp), handling is perfect, mpg is awesome(30mpg on good driving, 20mpg when driving like a maniac...who said real sports cars had to be gas guzzlers ), looks like a million buck with the hardtop on(looks good with the soft top or no top too, but nothing like with the hardtop). Even though the car has toyota powerplant and it makes it cheap to repair, if you break anything that has to do with something else, especially the body, its going to cost you as much as if you broke the same piece on a ferrari, and expect a long wait for the parts, other than that, the car is cheap to run, its fast and its fun. My Elise is my daily driver and its an amazing car, unless you dont like the harsness of the car, you will love it, that is the main reason people want to get rid of them, they buy it because of the look and the brand, but hate the harsh ride. The only problem I had with my car so far is having an suv back into me because she didnt see me, car is small, you have to drive like you are on a bike. And last week the shifter stick broke, but I have never heard or seen on the elise forums of someone else to whom it happened... All I can say is go for a test drive, if you have the money ready, you will do like me and sign the papers right after the test drive If your buying in South Florida I suggest you go to The Collection in Coral Gables, they have a wide selection of elises in stock. Talk to Scott Rodriguez. -Sebastien
I drove the Elise and found that it could use more power, or at least more torque. I eneded up ordering a new US-spec Ariel Atom instead. It will be less than 1300 pounds, and have 245 bhp and 215 ft/lbs of torque. It should be a blast!
I think R&T summed it up pretty good : Lets get one thing clear right away: The Lotus Elise isnt for everyone. Its not for those who need an everyday commuter car, nor is it for you poor devils with hereditary back problems or bigger-than-average frames. And its definitely not for people who consider driving a chore, equating it with doing the dishes or walking the dog. But for everyone else, this little 2-seater is about the closest thing there is to nirvana on four wheels. Full article here : http://www.roadandtrack.com/article.asp?article_id=1949§ion_id=31&page_number=7
