A&Q about Lotus
Q:
I was taken for a spiritid drive today in an Elise......It is easily going to be my next weekend car!!!! I was soooo impressed words can't describe it. I come from driving a Boxster,which is a great handling car,w/ mild speed and great braking so I am not wowwed easily. The moment the owner took me out in it I could tell the car wasn't for the weak hearted. The handling was crisp,the speed there but not too much like a Viper,the braking was great!!!!!! Man it was awesome,the moment I stepped out of that car I instantly decided I'm buying that as my weekend car instead of a 360 Modena. I think I will stop buy the local Lotus deal tommorow and see what they have in stock to get more of an idea of what I want. Granted I won't be able to buy it soon,but hey who knows I think I could put off buying a house for year...
Can someone explain to me the difference between the Elise and Exige?
Can anyone give me an idea of what insurance is like?
I pay $4k a year for me(19 year old) on a 99' Boxster.
A:
WOW 4k A YEAR!!!?!?! The Elise will be killer.
The exige, in short, is a hard top Elise with spoilers for better downforce at high speeds.
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Elise should cost less to insure.
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Originally Posted by Dietrich
The exige, in short, is a hard top Elise with spoilers for better downforce at high speeds.
Bingo! That's what I should look into since my Boxster is a convertible!
By the way is basic maintainence,oil change and so on D.I.Y. for weekend mechanic?
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If you're talking about 07 models, the Exige is the one with a supercharger and no rear view. Not that you'd need one with 28 extra hp.
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Originally Posted by blinkwatt
By the way is basic maintainence,oil change and so on D.I.Y. for weekend mechanic?
Yep, it's all fairly simple for a mid engined car. The 1k service needs to be done by a dealer so they can read the ECU, but after that it's not tough. There is the extra service task of checking torque on the suspension bolts; the rear toe links have been known to loosen on some cars with some bad consequences. It's also best to check suspension bolt torques before a track day. Other than that, it's a pretty normal car when it comes to maintenance.
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Originally Posted by transio
Elise should cost less to insure.
FWIW with Allstate the Elise was $300/yr more than the Boxster. It's rated P22 which is more expensive to repair.
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Originally Posted by JnC
FWIW with Allstate the Elise was $300/yr more than the Boxster. It's rated P22 which is more expensive to repair.
By the way how do these cars hold up in accidents?
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Originally Posted by blinkwatt
By the way how do these cars hold up in accidents?
They don't. Accidents are very expensive. The front and rear clams are one large piece of fiberglass. Rather fragile. If the chassis is damaged, it will result in a totaled car as it's unrepairable.
In terms of safety, the Elise is one of the safer sports cars on the road IMHO. I've seen Elises that have been hit from all over. The crash box and chassis/door beams provide very good protection.
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Originally Posted by JnC
They don't. Accidents are very expensive. The front and rear clams are one large piece of fiberglass. Rather fragile. If the chassis is damaged, it will result in a totaled car as it's unrepairable.
In terms of safety, the Elise is one of the safer sports cars on the road IMHO. I've seen Elises that have been hit from all over. The crash box and chassis/door beams provide very good protection.
Agree with this. My front clam replacement was $23k and there was no damage to the suspension or the chassis.
Safety-wise, the car held up very well in a front-quarter impact. It's a really tough structure. The bonded and riveted parts are stronger than traditional welds.
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The more and more I hear about these cars,I'M GETTING ONE!!!!It's just a matter of time.....
I'm now in the starting process,I will be heading the local Lotus dealer to see what kind of options are available.
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Originally Posted by blinkwatt
The more and more I hear about these cars,I'M GETTING ONE!!!!It's just a matter of time.....
A testicle is required for down payment.
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If you were considering a Ferrari as your next car and are now looking at the Elise, then perhaps you'll have some extra cash. You might want to think about an aftermarket forced induction kit. There are a few TC/SC kits that add the one thing that many people think is missing from the car - real power/torque.
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Originally Posted by Shiftlock
If you were considering a Ferrari as your next car and are now looking at the Elise, then perhaps you'll have some extra cash. You might want to think about an aftermarket forced induction kit.
I'd recommend learning to drive it first before modding it. The power delivery of some kits can upset the balance of the car in the corners.
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Originally Posted by JnC
I'd recommend learning to drive it first before modding it. The power delivery of some kits can upset the balance of the car in the corners.
I was fine with speed from the factory. Its not like I'm looking to mod it in the first few years I have it. I would probably attend a few autocross to know the boundaries of the car before I push them.
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Originally Posted by blinkwatt
Bingo! That's what I should look into since my Boxster is a convertible!
The Exige can be converted to a soft-top, it's just not something that they offer from the factory. You need to order a couple of parts and drill some holes but it's a DIY process. However bear in mind the Exige is more expensive and has worse rear visibility (moreso for the Exige S in both cases, but it's got that extra power to make up for it).
By the way how do these cars hold up in accidents?
In addition to the other comments, note that the car has no bumpers. Not "small" bumpers, or "flimsy" bumpers -- none at all. They have a DOT exemption that runs out at the end of the year. Cars built after December will include bumpers of some sort, with much speculation as to what they will look like and whether the lines on the car will be screwed up.
What this mostly means to you as an owner is that for current cars, you must never parallel-park them. The slightest tap from another car parking "by feel" will crack the clam and require $thousands for repairs. Bear in mind that the car is so low that an SUV might not even be able to see it in their mirrors. We had someone here who had their car backed into in the dealership driveway by a salesman.
A harder bump in front will damage the crash structure and result in $tensofthousandsandweeks in repairs because the part is bonded to the frame and replacement is a lot of work. There's a few stories here of low-speed minor collisions (a raccoon, a closed gate, etc) resulting in this sort of trouble. However the frame itself should survive, which is good because the way it's manufactured means that it can't be repaired
Of course then you go out for a drive and it's all worth it.
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Originally Posted by dododge
In addition to the other comments, note that the car has no bumpers. Not "small" bumpers, or "flimsy" bumpers -- none at all. They have a DOT exemption that runs out at the end of the year. Cars built after December will include bumpers of some sort, with much speculation as to what they will look like and whether the lines on the car will be screwed up.
The thing is the car sits so low to the ground that 2.5mph bumpers won't make any difference. Any of the SUV's or trucks that make up 70% of the vehicles out there is going to do damage higher than where bumpers would be.
From what we've been told, the lines won't change. A few lbs of foam will reinforce the forward portion of the front clam. Porschesque bumperettes will be added on either side of the rear plate.
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Originally Posted by blinkwatt
I was fine with speed from the factory. Its not like I'm looking to mod it in the first few years I have it. I would probably attend a few autocross to know the boundaries of the car before I push them.
You sound like a very reasonable young man.
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Originally Posted by dododge
We had someone here who had their car backed into in the dealership driveway by a salesman.
Tag, I'm it. 3 MPH. Honda Accord. Clam AND crash structure replaced. Those damn Honda Accord SUVs are so high off the ground!
xtn
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In all honesty, if I had the option of a ferrari or Lotus, I'd likely take the Ferrari. Your parents must be VERY well off if you are 19 and considering a 360 Modena. I'm 20 years old and work my arse off for all I have. I'm considering an Elise after winter time when they are 'reasonably' priced around 32-35k. I used to have a 350Z and whooped up on boxers btw...haha I'm just not a big fan of them for some reason, especially the styling.