2005 Lotus Elise

[hattaresguy]

Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Not a Celica! A real bonded frame Lotus, just uses a Toyota engine.

Not a good daily but an excellent track car. Known to be problematic, but not at all like the Lotii that created that reputation...


A used 3 series BMW would be a better car for the long run.



Unless you get an M3 they are slower.

Lotus lack HP but they turn and brake with some very fast cars at the track.

 

[terminaldegree]

I rented one for 24 hours, and it still haunts my dreams.

Yes, it's hard to get in and out, too low to the ground, stiff, has horrible lighting, squeaks, the shift throws are long, the stereo is pointless, and it's tiny.

However, (and pardon the yelling) I've NEVER HAD MORE FUN DRIVING OR RIDING IN ANYTHING WITH A MOTOR than driving that rental-beaten Elise. The rorty, snorty exhaust...the razor sharp handling...ample acceleration and braking...it has such a manual/analog feel...and it's achingly beautiful.

Once I have the means, (and live somewhere with decent driving roads...not here!)I WILL own one. Of course, I'll try the S2000, Boxster, and other comparably priced sports cars, too. Nothing drives like this. Nothing.

 

[hattaresguy]

Of course if you want a more minimalist driving experience...

 

[terminaldegree]

Indeed, but it's hideous. The Elise is not.

 

[Olas]

2nd hand Ariel Atoms are coming down to that price range, and handle as well as or better than both the Elise AND Caterfield already mentioned

 

[terminaldegree]

Are Atoms even road legal in the US?

 

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted By: Olas
2nd hand Ariel Atoms are coming down to that price range, and handle as well as or better than both the Elise AND Caterfield already mentioned

Yes, quite true, and it is the 'crown prince' of minimalist, 4 wheeled performance, but they are even MORE hideous looking than the worst looking Super 7.

 

[javacontour]

Why did they replace/cover so much of the BRG?

Originally Posted By: dailydriver
Originally Posted By: Olas
2nd hand Ariel Atoms are coming down to that price range, and handle as well as or better than both the Elise AND Caterfield already mentioned

Yes, quite true, and it is the 'crown prince' of minimalist, 4 wheeled performance, but they are even MORE hideous looking than the worst looking Super 7.

 

[Olas]

It wasnt coved, it just wasn't painted. Paint weighs a lot,, you know, and a racer needs to be as light as possible.

Besides, the silhouette is so recogniseable that it could be any colour..

 

[wings&wheels]

Quirks aside, for me once I drove one, I had to own one. A later track drive just fueled the need.

They are a relatively easy car to own for what they are; limited production, hand built niche car. They are miles ahead of anything Lotus built as far as daily use goes (recognizing the later Esprit is a fairly decent car in this respect), but I would not call the Elise a true daily driver .

My Elise has really driven my appreciation for the S2000 I had before it. Most of the thrills of the Lotus w/ Honda reliability. Would I swap back? No, but the S2k is a milestone of fun and utility.

The drivetrain is relatively bulletproof but the rest of the car has quirks: HVAC relays, control lighting, odd coolant leaks from a "U" hose needed to adapt the Celica drivetrain, etc. My favorite was when the shifter got a bit sloppy and I had to replace a few loose blind rivets on the shifter support....at 4K miles. But you expect this w/ a Lotus. Noting really critical, but it does help to be handy.

Agree w/ previous poster that the Blaupunkt Acapulco is just bad...simple head unit swap makes a world of a difference.

The upside of a hand built car is it can be easily "unbuilt"... I wanted the leather wrapped interior of the later Elise so big box showed up from Lotus Trim Shop and it was a complete plug-n-play afternoon project.

I keep mine mostly stock (or factory mods), but there is a good aftermarket.

Whatever your friend does, get a good PPI by someone very familiar w/ the cars and pay attention to any signs of significant accident damage. Others may disagree, but I would walk away from any history of chassis damage.

Want to buy mine

(now has new OE tires and 10.5k miles) '05 Elise