Rep Power: 366

in my one-week or 2 week business trips, there is no way i can fit what i need in the miata's trunk... yours seem to be more spacious...

until i drop the top - Disclaimer - that's not me!!!

 
Rep Power: 314

Yup,space get a minivan. Fun get a Lotus.

 
Rep Power: 0

That is true I was just talking about how it looks from the outside though lol. I never realized they where so small until I stood next to one and got in it (I'm 6'3 by the way) so maybe it's just because I'm tall lol

 
Rep Power: 359

Well, I've owned this car for 2 year now. Here's a few updates.

• I keep track of every tank of gas, and in the 10,500 miles I've driven the car, it's averaged 24.95 mpg.
• Only part that has failed was the front turn signal bulb. Instead of just replacing the bulb, I removed both housings, left and right, and re-sealed them. Then I put new bulbs in. No problems since.
• Last oil change from a garage was $212 due to expensive oil and all the labor of removing and attaching the diffuser.
• Now I do my own oil changes. I use Motul 8100 X-Cess oil and the K&N high performance filter, for about $75 in parts.
• Front tires are like new at 10,500. Rear tires were replaced at 10,000 miles with Yokohama Advan AD08's instead of the AD07's on the car (the AD08's provide more grip in all conditions for $150 less.)
• I put the car in storage for the winter tucked away in the corner of my parents' garage. It's depressing

Current modifications:

• Lotus Stage II exhaust
• Sector111 shifter reinforcer
• Sector111 trackmounts2 - front and rear engine mounts (throttle response more instant and shifting smoother)
• Sector111 transmission fluid change (shifting is much smoother)
• Sector111 oil catch cans (arrive today, will install over winter)
• Sector111 harness bar
• Schroth 4 pt. ASM harnesses
• JL Audio stealthbox w/ 10" sub
• Boston Acoustics GTA 502 amp
• Black and silver front and rear round Lotus badges

What the future holds:
I just ordered the Vision Function stage II supercharger kit.

Here's the dyno comparing stock to the VFII kit. Can't wait to make more than current peak torque at only 2000 rpm

 
Rep Power: 314

Nice to know your still having fun

Even I got rid of my 7thgen Got a bugeye Impreza RS now

 
Rep Power: 180

My dream car~
looks fantastic!
This is so not fair

 
Rep Power: 359

Thanks. I'm glad I still like it. 2 years with my TT and I was always wanting more. 2 years with the Lotus and I love it more.

I just want to keep upgrading, because I love to tinker... and who doesn't want a better power to weight ratio than a GT-R?!

Lol I can offer you a ride if you ever come down to the Philadelphia area.

 
Rep Power: 180

Haha, nice offer if I was wiling to drive that far.

I'm highly considering buying an Elise in the next few years if I can save up the money. I don't know why, but to me, the Elise just makes perfect sense. It's such an intelligent piece of engineering. And they look...awesome...

 
Rep Power: 359

I highly recommend it if you are the right buyer. If you value comfort or practicality at all, buy a German sports car.
This car is pretty hardcore. If you're going to drive it mainly on the street skip the sport pack - the suspension is just rough. I love it, but an Elise without it is much more comfy.

If the only thing you care about is the driving experience, this car is for you. Its wonderful to drive. However it lacks torque without a supercharger, and it really isn't easy to live with (despite us crazies all saying it isn't.)

Just drive one for more than 10 minutes so you know what you're getting in to.

 
Rep Power: 180

I can just look at an Elise for 15 seconds and I know it's the right car for me. It's probably the most "modest" off all exotic cars today.
Driving pleasure and style > Comfort any day.
I'm young so my back is still made of steel.

I just absolutely adore those cars and I'd love to own as a toy for the evenings and weekends. I'm not the kinda guy that would be racing it, so I could skip the higher end versions and go for the base Elise. I'd probably do a small amount of mods to get the styling closer to an Exige without losing all the comfort and practicality of the Elise.

I'm glad guys like you still hang around the civicforums, it gives the rest of us hope.
So uhhh... whan will you give me a loan?

 
Rep Power: 189

Man, props to you. That car is a work of art. I can only hope that my software engineering major will work out as well as computer engineering is for you. 3 more semesters!

 
Rep Power: 290

Tinker?
Widen the body and drop the viper engine in!
Hennessy GT!

Haha. I still love your car, glad it's not just sitting under the covers.

 
Rep Power: 359

Haha any money I had just went to the supercharger! I'm broke right now! And the money I'm saving up over the next few months will go to installing the supercharger

If you don't mind, look for an 08+ with the sport pack - that way you get the Exige seats like in my car. The Elise is nice if you drive it on the street more because it's easy to take on and off the soft top. The hard top doesn't fit in the car, and it's a 5-20 minute ordeal to get on/off. 5 minutes with a drill and the proper bits. Much longer with hand tools.

Good luck! If you do ever decide to get one, stop over to lotustalk.com and start there.

Thanks. It should. That being said, I give 100% every day, so I'm taken care of, and having a wife working full time as well makes it infinitely easier to do this so early on in my life.

Haha that would be nuts! If I was going to do serious body work I'd probably stick to just widening everything front and rear to provide more grip. On street tires I'm going to be struggling for grip a lot. I will most likely never do that, but I will probably powder coat the wheels black and get a black rear diffuser at some point.

It is covered right now, but I'll be driving it tonight one more time before I pump up the tires and leave it for the winter.

 
Rep Power: 366

I think there was an article in a recent grassroots magazine portraiting the how-to buy elises. They say that the prices could go higher from now on, since the model stopped being made for US, so better hurry

diskreet, for the future, would not be an option to use different engines? I guess the MR2 had some other options, and the elise seem to be similar? (mid-engine toyota engine), altho some of the options will be an older engine, so out of the options...

what you drive in winter?

 
Rep Power: 314

Current Rides: 2008 Lotus Elise | 2012 Subaru Impreza Sport Premium 5MT
DIY Push Button Starter without S2000 button
DIY Custom Trunk w/ access to spare tire
DIY LED Gauge Cluster Conversion

 
Rep Power: 359

There is no need form a different engine. Even though Honda K series is possible, this 1.8 can easily do 300 whp stock. Build they can easily do 400+whp. The problem is the transmission is only made for about 180 lb-ft so its weak. After I install the supercharger (290 whp) I'm worried for the clutch, which I will upgrade, and the transmission. Engine will be fine even with 10 psi.

My daily is a '12 impreza hatch, manual of course

 
Rep Power: 366

LOL! can't believe i missed that!

 
Rep Power: 180

1 step ahead of ya!
I've already got an account over on lotustalk simply so I could learn more about teh cars before i buy one

 
Rep Power: 0

the worlds most impractical car