I know we have a few owners in the area, that's why I'm posting here vs. the English car forum. I'm thinking of picking one of these up as my next car. This would be my daily driver. Do you DD your cars? This could be a soon as this year depending on the economy and my wifes job.
I've been looking at the Lotus website for the differences between the Elise and Exige. From what I can tell, it's mostly about engine output and aerodynamics. I also see options such as the track pack, touring pack, hardtop, etc.... I love t modify my cars, so if I ended up with an Elise, would it be possible to mod it to SC or Exige levels?
Is there anything I should look for when looking for one? Any Lotus specific forums I can visit that you're a member of also?
Finally anyone going to be at upcoming meets so I can take a closer look? I think there's a small storage space behind the motor. I don't need to haul much, but would like to get my roll away camera case in there if needed.

Thanks,
James

 

www.lotustalk.com

 

good luck in your search james! i think these are great looking rides and i've always been very interested in them too! i'm sure you'd have a ton of fun in it and the guys here can probably teach you a ton about them!

keep us updated on your progress! =)

 

Its a great car, but not for the faint of heart. It rattles and shakes a lot, but you feel very in tune with the road. Over the past year and a half there have been several SC options that have hit the market. Most of them are from reputable shops and quite reliable for the Elise. I would head over to lotustalk and do some searching. Speedneed aka Pete has a supercharger on his green lotus. If you are into Turbo charging then you will be spending a bit more money as there is only one company that readily markets turbocharger kits.

Also shoot mjf (michael) a pm. He daily drives his elise and loves to do it. As for storage there is a small compartment by the motor that also houses the battery. You can fit some stuff in there. There is also some storage behind the driver and passenger seats. I will be at Bruce's island paradise next weekend but if nothing is going on Sunday I will bring her out.

PS. They don't come with cup holders unless you bring your wife along for the ride

 

Go & drive one. They are not the easiest car to get in & out of. Most girls will NEVER get in it with a skirt on. They also come with "R" compound tires, & they are no so great in the wet & cold.

As said, they are loud, & not the most conformable. It's really a 3rd or 4th car. Or your 20 something, & don't care of comfort yet.

However, it is one of the best balanced cars ever made!! They are just unreal on a track!!!! Do I want one, YUP!

 

Thanks for all of the info. This will be a 3rd car for us. My wife will have her MK car that's provided for her, we'll have our MDX for hauling kids and gear, plus this car, or another 2 seater that I'm looking for. Right now, I'm leaning towards a lotus.

 

You can always replace the tires which will improve the wetness driving and its performance in the cold, but to go off what he said make sure you know what tires the car you purchased has on them to begin with so that you can be a bit more vigilent in tracking your tread wear.

Getting in an out is a chore at times. People my size can get out pretty easy once you have the technique down. I like to go in with on leg, usually my right, then just slide the rest of my body into the seat. Getting out is just the reverse. I believe in my heart that I make it look quite sexy

For the skirt comment thats an easy fix. Just have the girl take it off before she gets out and there will be no problem at all

 

One big difference between the Elise and Exige from a DD perspective is the latter's lack of a rear window. Given my hyper state of paranoia about trolling revenue collectors, that isn't something I could live with on a daily basis, but YMMV. Both cars are a lot of fun and worth trying out if you prefer a more visceral driving experience.

-John

 

The actually do come with 1 cupholder. A slide out unit from underneath the center of the dash. Eliseguy: I have a 05 Elise in front of my desk at my shop and it has a cupholder. ??? All Elise & Exige models that have come through our shop have cup holders. What turbo kit are you running? We have not had any luck with the kits for our customers.

 

There is an aftermarket cupholder that can be picked up but that adds unneeded weight

The turbokit I am running is from perrin performance. One of the guys there used to own the car and prior to selling it installed the existing turbo set up. There was a shop in VA or MD that pieced together a really nice kit and of course forcedfed down in Cali offers 3 different kits.

 

How do you Lotus owners over 6' get inside?

 

Go topless or kinda like a described in my earlier post. On the lotus forum there are a few guys that are 6'5 and a few around 6'3 that love the car.

 

RB,
You going to be at the RTC meet this weekend? If so, I'd like to take a look at your car.

The ForceFed kits look pretty nice. Does not say how much engine management is though.

 

The engine management is expensive and can be finicky. I think its easier to tune on the 05's vs. the 06+. My turbo kit is running Hydra EMS. Jeff Reed down in Portland is a super tuner and has worked on the hydra and probably can sort out the EMS that forcefed sells. I can't recall the brand and name of it for some reason.

I won't be there this weekend. I will be up at Bruce's place on the island. We will be back sometime on Sunday so if people want to plan a little meet and greet or if Jody wants to set up a brownbag breakfast meet and greet I will be there.

 

^^i'd love to plan something for this sunday, but i won't be available since my family is coming over to visit. but i'll plan something in a few weeks if that works. =)

i'll be at RTC this saturday though. =)