It's not that bad. I've driven a few and it's all about technique. Once in I am close to the roof panel, really close (like I can't decide to change my hair style ever close), but driving it you could care less...

I'm a big guy, so if I can do it, most people can.

 

I'm 6'3" and its fine. I have more legroom than my 996 (oddly) and find the pedals to be positioned perfectly.

 

How much weight? The OEM cupholder is aluminum as weights practically nothing. A couple 3 ounces.

 

http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f221...rthread-25131/

http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f221...-thread-60032/

Somewhere on there, there is a checklist of things to look at when you buy the car. I'll look for it in my free time. I just to remember the right keywords to search on. The check list is fantastic.

I would caution anyone against using the car as a DD. I did at one point and learned a valuable (costly) lesson. I love the car, but I do not DD it. Feel free to swing by and check the car out (PM me to coordinate) I'll have it (an Exige you have taken pictures of) at the first RTC in March.

This car is very expensive to fix if it gets hit. You will be floored at how easy the car is to total. I was, and I no longer DD the car.

The cars are just fabulous on the track. They are so well balanced that it is very easy for a reasonable driver to keep up with a C4S with an equally qualified driver in the other car. They get about 30mpg on the highway. I get about 12 on the track. 10 if I am having a good day. Ask around and you'll find this is a very good number for the track.

There is a lot that you can do to improve the performance. I recommend a S/C kit. There are several out there, many of which have been on the road for a few years. If a turbo is what you want, the Forced Fed kit is the way to go. it is not cheap. I have driven it and here is a link to that.

http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f160...y-comes-36839/

I hope you buy one. I'd offer that if you are the type of person that needs a straight line acceleration fix, this car will leave you wanting. The Forced Fed kit will fix that. If you want an amazing track performer, this car will knock it out of the park!

Cheers,

Trevor

 

That second link is very helpful. Thanks for the info. I definitely need to schedule a test drive and see if at least my camera bag fits in the storage area.

James

 

If you haven't driven one by the time we meet at RTC (March), feel free to ask me.

If you bring your camera bag, you can do a test fit as well. If you do buy, I highly, highly recommend getting the trunk organizer from Sector111.com (a place to buy tasty bits for the lotus). I'll have one in my car so you can see it. I can also show you why I bought one.

Cheers,

Trevor

 

OK so the coolest thing just happened. I was on my way over to the school to pick up the girl scout cookies for our troop. I passed this house about a mile from mine in the neighborhood and what do I see tucked into the back of the garage? An 07 metallic orange Elise. The guy had his truck out washing it so I just caught a glimpse of it as I drove by.
After I got the 100 or so cases of GS cookies home, I ran back over there and introduced myself. Talked with him for about 20 minutes about the car and what options he had on it. Took a look at the storage space in the trunk, and he let me sit in it. You weren't kidding. It's tricky getting into it. Feels great sitting inside though. He even offered to drive it after only knowing me for 10 minutes!
I gave him my card and he said we'll hook up later for a test drive. Hard to believe an owner was living so close and I've hardly seen him driving it around.
He also pointed me to ELCC.org as he's a member.

 

I'm a member too.

We meet every month. Kind of an older crowd, but the club has picked up the pace in the last couple of years. It's worth doing.

 

James,

Hit me up any time you see my car, you can take it for a spin.

As RB mentioned earlier, I daily drive mine and I love it. I wouldn't recommend it as an only car, but only for what are the obvious reasons: it only takes 1 passenger and has limited cargo space.

I have the Sport Pack on mine, on some roads you notice the bumps a lot more. I hear it's not as bad without the Sport Pack. I tend to be a lot more careful about choosing parking spots. My car came with the sportier wheels and A048 R-compound tires. I've gotten over 10k on them so far, but they're not famed for lasting that long. They also shouldn't be used in very cold temps as they could crack. I actually got good wet performance out of them when they had more tread, I'm probably switching to Toyo R1R soon.

I originally thought I'd just use it on weekends, but once I got it I found it very hard not to drive it and started using it every day.

The cargo space is actually more than you expect. I can get a shopping cart load of groceries in the back. Using the passenger seat I bought a surround sound system for my house, bookshelves, computer case, random other stuff. Still, you'd be better of with a different car for that sort of thing, but it's nice to know it can when in a spot.

My wife is less interested in driving in it. The kids love it.

 

Thanks again everyone for the responses. I think once I get to drive one of them, I might be sold. I got all excited just sitting in the one last night and looking it over. We'll still have our MDX for adverse weather, and hauling duty. Plus my wife will have her MK car as well. That'll either be a sedan or possibly a Vue, eventually leading to the pink Caddy.......

 

Good luck in getting one amazing car worth every penny. Don't turbo charge the car but supercharge it and make the same power. You will love it!! If it's an Elise your after there are very small changes over the years mainly fit and finish bits. The Exige well there are more obvious and important changes. Talk to Rene/Tim at Parkplace and they'll help you out.

 

Ya I think I'll end up looking at the Elise. I like the idea of among the top off when I want to.

 

Having owned both an Elise and an Exige I can tell you, that there are no regrets with the Exige. The top comes off the same way that the Elise top comes off. You can also install the soft top with no problem.

If you decide that you want performance, there is more down force (100lbs vs 8 lbs) in the Exige than the Elise. Roughly 8% of the US Lotus cars produced between 2005 and now, are Exiges. In 2006, the first year the Exige was produced, there were 271 Exiges made. So far, that has been the year that the most Exiges were sold in the US.

If I were to pick an Elise over an Exige, the only benefit the Elise has over the Exige is rear ward visibility. The 2006 Exige is difficult to see out the back. The 2007 and newer, it is impossible to see out the back, unless you are able to see through intercoolers.

2006 Exige has 190 hp
2007 Exige has 220 hp
2008 Exige has 220 or 240 hp
2009 Exige has up to 260hp

The S240 and the S260 have a more aggressive "mohawk" type of roof.

 

My car makes more power than majority of the superchargers out on the market and its set at only 8psi... Once I learn how to properly drive the car and eventually up the boost a bit more when the motor is work on.