HeelnToe

Is it just my area, or are these things becoming extremely common?

This is the third Elise (it IS an Elise, right?) I've seen this week. Number of RX-8's I've seen: zero.

Rhawb

Yeah, they're becoming quite common. We have three around here - an orange one, a green one and a dark one (didn't see the color, it was sunset and I was far away). I see about 3 8's to one Elise though, so the 8 is still more common around here.

therm8

Can't wait for the used ones to hit the market in a couple years. Hopefully they up production a little bit, so I can get one cheap :D

zoom44

there's 3 in New Hope? must be the wine people...

Ike

Wine people, in Pennsylvania??? I have yet to see one on the road, but we still have yet to get a string of nice weather in Wisconsin so maybe I'll start seeing em soon. I did see a Westfield Megabusa this week though :D

Ajax

i've seen 5 in the last 2 weeks.. not that i mind, they're gorgeous cars and the owners (i've talked to 3 of 5 of them) have been really cool.

I can't imagine why a fast, light weight, excellent handling, excellent looking, reasonably priced car would be common :b C6's are pretty common around here too.

My only complaint is that the only colors I see are red and yellow. there are some awesome elise colors out there! Why does everyone get red or yellow?! Prolly a dealership thing, but jeez.

missinmahseven

In the last six months I've seen 3 of 'em (all different colors!), and the same number of 360 modenas. One 308 prancing horse, and one 80's Testarossa (ugh). One bright-yellow Esprit V-8. That one was being eyed intently by two motorbike cops, which I was eyeing in turn :D You could *see* the desire in their eyes for that Esprit to gun it.

As far as 8s go, I see at least one a day, normally more like 3 or 4.

About even with 350Zs, and that's about double the Crossfires (i see one of those maybe once every 2 weeks, if that.. no one wants the poor thing :p )

Ike

It's just a whole new world of cars when you have to take things like practicality into consideration. With the weather around here even people that can afford them rarely buy cars like that. If I didn't have to worry about snow I'd probably be driving an S2K. I suppose I still could be if I had just kept my Maxima, DSM, or Audi as a winter car but paying insurance on two cars and maintaining two cars when one will do the trick just doesn't make sense to me even if I can afford it.

Ajax

that's kinda funny that you say that. the first owner i talked to was on the street. I asked him how he liked his elise and he said it drives great but it's not practical at all. That was the first thing out of his mouth.

missinmahseven

meh... that's what 200 dollar beater cars are for.. when I lived in North Dakota (brr) I still had my miata.. she slept in the garage for a good chunk of the year, so cold that I was afraid the vinyl top would snap like sheet glass!

My other whip? A 1984 Escort, complete with thoroughly oxidized paint, a habit of drinking a quart of oil a month (!), a barely functioning AM radio, no ashtray (I smoke) but the hole in the floorpan made up for it... :D

The entire dash illumination would go out at random, but a good solid whack right on top of the instrument panel hood would bring it back on, in true Millenium Falcon fashin :D

Bonus: Didn't have to worry about door dings, never washed it in 3 years, it was the classic Winter Beater.

Not Bonus: Even with liability only, the Escort was pricier to insure than the Miata with full cover. Go figger that one out..

Ike

I just can't see doing that when I can have a blast driving my car year round instead of 6-9 months out of the year driving a fun car and the rest of the year driving a pile.

missinmahseven

In my case I was perfectly fine with it. I lived on-base, the drive to work was perhaps 10 minutes. Not even enough to properly warm up any car, really.

After I left there, I realized (by listening to the incessant lifter clatter) that those 3 years of 10-minute drives had done harm to the miata, harm that took 2 cans of SeaFoam to get rid of. But it all came out.. right out the tailpipe.

I try to compromise as little as possible in my choice of primary car. Two-seater preferred, with a rotary. If that's not doable, then I'll take whatever I can with two seats, but this time, the 8 was out, so I got a sensible, practical car.. I must be a heretical witch or something.. I should turn in my Itty Bitty Roadster Club card in. :D

Bluntly put, I'd rather drive a Triumph TR6 than an Accord. Daily.

The elise is *right* up my alley, but *just* outta my reach fiscally. Oh well.

Ike

I guess if I just had a 10 minute drive I might be able to deal with it. But I had many days this past winter where I was putting 150+ miles on a day in the snow and I think one day like that and that Escort would have been driven off a cliff...
In the WRX I get giddy when I have to drive in the snow :p

HeelnToe

Yea, I know, but half the fun of a Lotus is the Mystique, of it being special. When I heard about it, I kinda though it'd be seen about as much as an NSX when that first came out (very, very rarely). But geez, the things are multiplying while I type!

I know enthusiasts have been waiting for it, but I doubt anyone else knows what it is... so I can't see it selling on snob appeal (which is the priority around here). I guess it's something to be different from the zillions of S2000 and Z3/4 owners.

Still not sure I like the looks in person... not BAD, just kinda looks like a toy, a kit car.

And didn't I read it has a Toyota engine?

GotBass

Its spring time, the rich weekenders are out enjoying their cars. They will return to their BMW X5s soon enough.

missinmahseven

It takes a nutjob to love a car like the Elise as a daily. I'd try. :D

As for the toyota lump, well, the thing's got 180 horses to move 1900 pounds.. oy. Makes me giddy just thinking about it. :D

I wonder if anyone in this forum has a wankel-powered caterham 7. I've been thinking about that for a while.. (or a 2 liter vtec 4 yo)

Ike

I think I'd still have to take a Megabusa, 0-60 in the mid 3s, 10k redline, go kart handling. And if you turbocharge it 400+whp isn't out of the question

PoorCollegeKid

Only around 2000 Elises are sold in the US per year, IIRC. Around 20,000 Elises have been sold since the cars 1996 introduction, so it is very rare when compared to a car like the RX8 or 350Z that sell more than that annually.

dwill9578

one parks next to me everyday and drives 30-40 mins up from Boston, nice silver. I couldn't believe how small the front tires are????

dwill9578

when it's too cold or dare I say it's snowing, same guys got a nice 6 speed Volve S60R. Not a bad couple rides at all.

RotrDoc

[QUOTE]

Missnmahseven: No need to apologize for your temporary loss. Sounds like your hearts still in the right place. I wish you a return soon to driving what your want.

Too bad that the 8 was out for you. In my case, I had to have back seats, so the 8 cabin configuration was ideal.

--My other car is a Miata 2001 SE--

missinmahseven

[QUOTE=RotrDoc]Um,... I drive an 8.. a shinka. :D

It's not exactly what I want, but it's bloody nice fersure, I allready went past the mad crush stage to outright love. :D

missinmahseven

Is that anything like a Radical SR3? That pup has a busa lump with a turbo, 12k redline, 300+ hp in a carbon fiber chassis.. something insane like 1400 pounds. I hear they are becoming very liked in the upper classes in SCCA.

300... 1400... too bad they're not street legal here (I think they *are* legal in the UK? Holy smokes..)

Elara

And since they were just introduced to the US last year, I can't imagine there are even 2000 running around yet. I'm amazed at the sightings listed on here (though New Hope is an unusual place, and has more than it's fair share of expensive cars). I've seen exactly 2 on the road- once last September on the Tail of the Dragon, and once two weeks ago on the other side of the highway here in Richmond.

Murray16

Just drive up to Canada and the Elise will be very very rare. We're still waiting on them to be approved by our government. Its unfortunate thats its been taking so long but Lotus is pretty keen on selling it in Canada.