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New Lotus is a bit tasty hey...

matt j said:
I bet all the safety gubbins alone weighs more than a Mk1 Elise
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Long term Lotus owner here and you may have a point. :)

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cutting42 said:
I really like it. I have been debating scratching the 911 itch next year but this has made me pause and register my interest at my (not so) local Lotus dealer.
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Plenty of time for a lovely 911 when you're old and your arthritic bones need more cosseting. In the meantime, get a series 1 Elise (I've had 911 and 996 Turbo - both great cars) but the Liz is just too much fun that you don't need a track to fully exploit it.
 
SteveS1 said:
Plenty of time for a lovely 911 when you're old and your arthritic bones need more cosseting. In the meantime, get a series 1 Elise (I've had 911 and 996 Turbo - both great cars) but the Liz is just too much fun that you don't need a track to fully exploit it.
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Long term Lotus chap here too, but I'd have said you definitely do need a track to fully exploit the things - no ?

They're far from laden with creature comforts, and what they do best is outbrake, outhandle (is that a word?) and outgrip their lardier teutonic would-be sportscar type brethren. The 111 (as we Lotus snobs call any of the Elise/exige/VX models) is one of the very few cars that feel happier driven at 8-10 tenths than below. I'd say they're a car for which you really do need that freedom to let the things loose properly, and make up for the sacrifices you have to endure elsewhere in the ownership regime :)
 
-alan- said:
Long term Lotus chap here too, but I'd have said you definitely do need a track to fully exploit the things - no ?
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Perhaps, my clumsy way of saying that you need a track for the porkers before they become as much fun. The Elise is a hoot when making rapid progress within speed limits on UK roads. My 996 needed a track to even wake up, the Liz doesn't.
 
eternumviti said:
I've driven them too, on and off, over many years. I once had the joy of unintentionally making one do a 360 degree pirouette as I pulled out of a junction onto an A road. It was a bit embarrassing, but as I ended up facing the same direction that I had been intending to face in the first place, I just nodded and carried on.
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What about your crime against trigonometry? <PEDANT> I think that makes it 180 degrees </PEDANT> :)
 
Weight? An Elise weighs so much more than the Peugeot 106 1.3 Rallye I had back in the mid 90s. You’d think 600kg was possible for a one-trick pony ;)
 
SteveS1 said:
Plenty of time for a lovely 911 when you're old and your arthritic bones need more cosseting.
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Oh but how I wish it were so Steve, but alas, this arthritic old fart struggled to get out of his 911. So I reluctantly trousered the considerable increase in its value the other day. Good fun whilst it lasted, but sitting in the car, pretending to be occupied with important things until any audience to my ensuing struggles to wriggle out had disappeared, took the shine off a fair old bit.
 
Suffolk Tony said:
Oh but how I wish it were so Steve, but alas, this arthritic old fart struggled to get out of his 911. So I reluctantly trousered the considerable increase in its value the other day. Good fun whilst it lasted, but sitting in the car, pretending to be occupied with important things until any audience to my ensuing struggles to wriggle out had disappeared, took the shine off a fair old bit.
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Ah! Matron is ready to assist you back into a nice comfy 4x4 (provided it's not too tall) and if you misbehave again, she is under orders to aspirate whatever bit hurts most with the bluntest needle she can find.
 
Suffolk Tony said:
Oh but how I wish it were so Steve, but alas, this arthritic old fart struggled to get out of his 911. So I reluctantly trousered the considerable increase in its value the other day. Good fun whilst it lasted, but sitting in the car, pretending to be occupied with important things until any audience to my ensuing struggles to wriggle out had disappeared, took the shine off a fair old bit.
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Yes I agree: a Lotus for your 30s. Family car for your 40s. And if you are very lucky a 911 for your 50s. If you keep trim and reasonably fit into your 60s you might get bonus years... and not look like a fat old fart trying too hard to hang on.
 
Suffolk Tony said:
Oh but how I wish it were so Steve, but alas, this arthritic old fart struggled to get out of his 911. So I reluctantly trousered the considerable increase in its value the other day. Good fun whilst it lasted, but sitting in the car, pretending to be occupied with important things until any audience to my ensuing struggles to wriggle out had disappeared, took the shine off a fair old bit.
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One of the good bits with Porsches is that they have really good seats. I have a bad hip, but personally I have more of a problem with those SUV's you have to climb in and out of.
 
SteveS1 said:
Ah! Matron is ready to assist you back into a nice comfy 4x4 (provided it's not too tall) and if you misbehave again, she is under orders to aspirate whatever bit hurts most with the bluntest needle she can find.
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4X4 gone...BMW 540i Touring now occupying that bit of the drive.
 
SteveS1 said:
Just face it, you get bored and need to find reasons to change before the screen wash needs topping up. :)
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Damn. You know me so well! Only changed so I can wash the roof without getting the stepladder out.
 
SteveS1 said:
Perhaps, my clumsy way of saying that you need a track for the porkers before they become as much fun. The Elise is a hoot when making rapid progress within speed limits on UK roads. My 996 needed a track to even wake up, the Liz doesn't.
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Try a tricked up Cayman. They do the Jekyll & Hyde thing really well. Strip the engine soundproofing too.
 
It starts at 60 grand and the Cayman starts at 45. I don't see it as much as a threat to Porsche. Even you go for the Cayman S it starts 5 grand cheaper than the Lotus.

I see this car as a limited run collector's item, being the last petrol engine car they make and finally one with a nice interior.

But at 1400kg, the Lotus philosophy is all but gone. Thats more than double the Elise S1.
 
And a 30 year old 911 could be worth more than you paid for it. How much are 30 year old Lotus worth ?
 
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