Bye Bye Elise.

[Jonathan E]

I'm sorry to hear that you didn't suit an Elise.

Over the years on different forums I've lost count of how many times I've stated to people looking at buying their first Lotus and in particular an Elise, that they need to keep their eyes open, about just what the Elise Experience is all about.

Every single one of the faults that you list are well known, exceptionally well documented faults that you will incur during your ownership. So, lets look at each in turn

 

 

 

"After just 6 months I have decided to say goodbye to my 06 Elise 111R. I thought I'd share my thoughts on my experience with the car".

 

6 months, hell, Ive got food in my cupboards Ive owned longer, and 6 winter months????

 

 

 

 

PROS

 

"Without doubt it is the best car I have ever driven and likely to be the best I will ever drive. On the dry days when I've had the roof off and a bit of road stretches out in front that is just asking to be properly driven I swear it feels like the closest thing to flying without actually flying. It is is sensory overload turned up to 11. Just incredible!!!

 

..and it's pretty good on fuel too"

 

Okay this is good and somewhere near to what we need to hear on our little Lotus forum!

 

 

 

CONS

 

"Unfortunately my garage is full of kids stuff, kitchen appliances, and a cross trainer so Ive had to keep it outside all winter. I considered getting a decent cover but I was told so many negative things about using them - don't put it on if the car is dirty as you'll scratch it, watch out for trapped moisture causing the paint to bubble etc."

 

Is this really the fault of your Elise, the family have invaded your "man" space and need to be told to get their stuff out, when doing this use words such as "de-clutter", they like that word Kirsty thingmebob uses it a lot. I am without man space and my Elise sits happily under its cover when not in use. My other half calls it a "blanky" but its a cover, it protects the car well.

 

"The roof leaks, I'm sick of having to wipe the water off the sill pretty much every time I drive it after rain. It's not much but enough".

 

I'm surprised by this with a 111r, it even has the little rubber drip catchers? So, I suspect the windows are not adjusted correctly, easy fix to do yourself but you could also kick your dealers ass into sorting it out? Failing all this I suggest the S1 owners trusty friend also known as a chamois pad, these are a simple piece of sponge covered in the skin of an old goat, they soak little spills up in seconds and can be stored in several places around the vehicle interior.

 

 

"The carpet under the drivers seat is constantly damp, the car often smells damp, most times when there is a frost the windscreen freezes up on the inside as well as outside. Despite having aircon, for half of my 45 minute commute the side windows are misted up. The dealer that sold it to me checked the underside for leaks and said it was fine."

 

Hmmm, this is one of my specialist subjects, I don't have many, but here I can help. The tub is leaking, loads do, some don't, and some owners don't even know that they do, this afflicts S1's, S2's, Elise's, Exige's, and I suspect any other Lotus built on the same platform. Your biggest mistake here was to take it to the dealer, they will have no idea how to fix this problem, you could have searched on here, and fixed the problem quicker than your trip to the dealer and back.

 

"MIL light came on a few weeks back and just about managed to get home. Despite it being the covered Toyota engine, water still managed to get in and my spark plugs were soaked after some snow. The dealer from whom I bought it fixed it under the warranty but pretty much suggested it was my fault for leaving the car in the snow uncovered. This is the same dealer who told me that they are fine to keep outside".

 

Again, not really the Elise's fault, more a dealer issue wouldn't you say. Contrary to popular belief the Toyota engine is not bomb proof, and I suspect that any car with any kind of engine could suffer the same issue given a situation where its sat in snow for a period of time?. What exactly did this dealer claim he fixed under said warranty? I find it hard to see what would actually get damaged in this situation, I suspect the car has gone into get home mode due to a mis-fire or some such? he would then clean and dry any wet bits reset the mil and Bobs your Uncle.

 

"Within a week of having the car, my offside indicator fell out, this happened 3 times in all(not good at 90 quid for a replacement). Everytime I drove it, I was constantly worried about it happening and scratching the front clam. Ended up doing the bungee modification. I eventually found out (on this forum) about an official lotus service bulletin that detailed a fix. Neither the Authorised Lotus repairer that I bought the car from or my local Lotus dealer had any idea about it this fix. And Lotus it seems were more than happy to send out the same poorly designed, overpriced unit each time."

 

Okay, anyone who has encountered the flying indicator at speed will tell you it scares the shit out of you. I admit this is a poor design and the Lotus fix is far from acceptable. Again though there are several simple ways of sorting this issue, two of which have already been suggested.

 

"The locks and door handles would freeze up on frosty days. I'd splash a bit of teppid water on the lock and it'd be ok, by the time I'd return the empty jug back to the house it'd freeze up again".

 

The British weather is an arse and I would therefore suggest you take this up with the God of your choice. My personal preference for weather related issues is Zeus, he is the Greek God of weather and the sky. Often when caught in a sudden unforeseen downpour I will turn my eyes to the heavens and ask for Zeus's help, I find saying something like : "For f%&ks sake Zeus, with all your powers why the f%&k have you turned this torrential rain against me and my little Lotus, we were doing nothing to bother you on our run out today and now this,you total wan£er" this doesn't appear to stop the rain from soaking me but it does make me feel a whole lot better about the situation. Again not the Elise's fault really is it?

 

"The brakes would lock on if parked up for a few days."

Now this is an Elise specific problem, as Martin has suggested above, leave the handbrake off and leave in gear, if you think the 111r is bad with its servo'ed system you'd love the non servo models!

 

 

"I felt that I couldn't arm the alarm for a few days for fear of draining the battery."

 

A few days it should be fine, any more than this and I'd suggest a conditioner, not the biggest problem in the world?

 

"The digital fuel gauge is terrible."

 

Is it!!! in what way, I know they vary a bit from one car to the next, but I would say they are better than most analogue versions. I seem to remember the yota one working a slightly different way to the K series cars, shurlock rather than stack? but never really had a problem with any of them.

 

"The windscreen wiper is terrible."

 

Again a simple fix to a poor design has been suggested above, and if you think the one on the 111r is bad then I hate to think what your opinion of the original S1 version would be

 

"The lights are terrible."

 

Yep they're not the best, but can be improved by using better quality bulbs, or even hid conversion.

 

"The heater is terrible. The controls are poorly designed as its hard to see exactly where the flow setting is set".

 

Ah yes, I remember the 111r heater, made of a combination of Chocolate and Cheesium, shocking design on non a/c cars, even worse on cars with a/c, again a favourite subject of the forums. Units melting, resistor packs submerged in rain water. As far as Lotus design goes they are right up there as one of the worst examples. In fact the original S1 version knocks them into a cocked hat. As for seeing where the flow setting is, well, its pretty small in the cabin and I've found an outstretched hand helps immeasurably when determining the flow of air?

 

"The tyres are expensive to say the least."

 

Of course this depends greatly on what your buying and where from. Main dealer Lotus approved cost ££££'s but can be sourced far cheaper?

 

The standard brakes could have a bit more feel.

 

What do you mean by feel, my biggest gripe with the yota cars brakes are that the servo takes away peddle feel, perhaps your too used to over sevo'ed vehicles and want more assistance??

 

"extremely headache inducingly loud with the roof on."

 

I'm really struggling with this one, its a convertible, and to be fair, it was never ever designed to have a roof. The roof on the 111r with its extra padding is brilliant. In fact I had the use of a Boxster for a few months just after getting my 111r and I'd say the roof on the Elise was better. I'd agree the porker roof was probably better engineered, but on a noise level there was very little in it. and besides all that its an Elise, get the roof off!

 

"Everytime I washed the car I'd notice there was a screw missing, a mudflap hanging off, or a new stone chip."

 

Stone chips are inevitable its a low car and as such will suffer from Britain's crumbling roads. As for screws missing and mudflaps hanging off I can't really say. We have a 11 plate fiesta titanium and last week I noticed a number plate screw missing and also a piece of the interior had come adrift....I'm not going to take it back to the dealer or suggest every Fiesta is the same, its just one of those things I'll have to get a screwdriver to and fix

 

"I got sick of being selective about where to park it. Now I'm average build and height and to get out with the roof on requires having to open the door a fair way. I would be constantly worried that I wouldn't be able to get back in if cars parked too close on both sides. I was always having to try to park on the end spaces, bloody annoying."

 

No matter where you park or how far away you are from any other vehicle you will always return to your Elise to find a 4x4 or Transit van parked next to it. This is know in Lotus circles as the "Law of Sods" as to not being able to get in or out I don't know your personal situation but my Nan(Now sadly departed) got in and out of my S1 with a hardtop at the age of 82, so can only wonder at your problem?

 

"Seeing to pull out at junctions with a car next to you is a pain due to the low height as the view is blocked."

 

The car is designed to be low, this contributes to the sensory overload that you enjoyed so much and is something you learn to work around given time.

 

"The radio is terrible, when attempting to listen to the football results on radio 5 everytime I pressed the brake peddle it caused interference. Discovered that it happens with all MW stations. The iPod menu navigation is terrible, takes far too long to search through. For some reason it would always set my iPod to repeat mode."

 

This is a huge bone of contention in the Elise world, personally I think as do a lot of others that its sacrilege to even have a radio installed, others on the other hand enjoy "wicked tunes in da motor" and add all sorts of hi fi equipment. If you have a radio the reception will be patchy due to the physics of aluminium having poor grounding abilities, MW is particularly good at highlighting this issue. If Lotus had made the chassis out of steel (a much better conductor) then the 0-60 would be around 28 minutes, although I agree you would then be able to hear the scores of the footy team you love. Personally I prefer the chassis they went with.

 

"Driving the car in anything other than dry conditions demands a heightened sense of alertness than for most cars. Because you get so much feel through the steering you can feel where the grip is less due to ice or rain. Usually a good thing but sometimes it gets too much, there were times when I'd feel drained and be sweating buckets when driving in poor conditions, whereas in my Impreza, to drive quickly is a doddle by comparison. (perhaps you get used to it) After a long, hard day at work 1 time out of 3 I just wasn't in the mood for the Elise."

 

Yes this! You see, you have to drive an Elise, it doesn't have wizardry to cocoon you from the roads dangers. My abilities as a driver run out way before those of the car. Hell, I can drive a Scooby or an Evo fast, I can even drive my friends RS6 really really fast, you plant your right foot into the sumptuous dry carpet and weeeeeeeee! it goes like sh!t off a shovel, it will go around corners like its on rails and you are a fast driver, but thats not what the Elise is about, to drive an Elise fast take skill and concentration, it requires you to keep in mind at all times that you are the one controlling the car and that patch of mud or diesel spill around the next corner could send you backwards into a hedge, you need to respect that, and thats another thing that makes it so special.

 

CONCLUSION

 

"I'm sure that many of you have encountered much of the above. I know it is horses for courses. For me if the car was just an occasional Sunday drive that I could garage, I could forgive some of these issues. I purchased the car to drive as much as possible and for me it's not the everyday car that many a salesperson/enthusiast/the odd forum said that it would be. It pains me that a car thats cost me the money I paid is often as good as useless to me."

 

I can't help but feel this is not the cars fault but due more to your research before buying the car. As I said earlier, every one of the shortcomings you mention are covered many times on the forums, I'm yet to meet a Lotus enthusiast that won't admit to the fact that owning such a car means that you have to be prepared to put up with certain sacrifices.

 

 

"I really wish that I'd have read something like this somewhere on a forum before I decided to buy one. It may have made me thing again."

 

See above, re: your research tactics

 

"It is the best car I have ever driven but in many ways the worst I ever owned. It's let me down more in 5 months than any of my other cars have put together in over 20 years of driving."

 

I'm genuinely sorry to hear this, although I can't help but feel that the dealer you have used has certainly failed you on more than one occasion. Can you tell me which dealer it was please?

 

"Still. I have no regrets about any of it. At least I know now after years of dreaming about owning one."

Fantastic! great attitude to finding out something didn't suit you

 

"It's a bit like that stunning girl (or guy just to keep it p.c.) that you've been after for a while and finally get your chance, you find that she is incredible between the sheets but in the morning you find out that she is barking made and tries to kill you".

 

Christ its been so long I'm not sure if I can remember what to say here Although if she was "Barking made" as you suggest I would suggest she was a bit of a dog

 

"Anyway she's going on Saturday, to be traded in for something far more boring but one that can be driven everyday. Goodbye lotus, and goodbye forum. Thanks for everything and I really do mean it."

 

No need to disappear because your Lotus has gone although its a shame you didn't keep it for just a little longer, whats it getting chopped for?

None of the above is intended to offend you, just trying to offer some balance for anyone who's first post is " Looking for my first Lotus"

All the best

[Meister]

Jonathan - Thanks for taking time out to add your comments, if nothing else you made me laugh a couple of times with your responses!!

Mark

[jonnyfox]

Certainly was entertaining, unlike the original post which I stopped reading after a few paragraphs.

[Hammered]

I'm pleased its not only me that thinks the original post was a complete waste of energy !!

 

The only thing worth debating here is " Izzimad "

Defo !!

[chrislane]

I think its easy to get defensive of this kind of post but to be honest i agree with a lot of what the original poster said. The difference is that i went into elise ownership with my eyes open (due to extensive research on here and seloc) and the vast majority of these faults just add to the character of the car for me - even when i was using it as my daily drive.

[Numbnutz]

Jonathon, thanks for taking the time to add some replies. When I first read this I thought the same as your responses, but didn't take the time to reply or defend the Elise/Exige, and thought it sad that someone didn't take to an Elise.

 

I'm sure we have had all had bug-bears with elise ownership, and the same for other cars (my Astra drives me mad and I keep vowing to get rid) but for me, I never thought of the Elise as a daily, and initially I just bought a mondeo as a daily, that was abandon'd in spring, summer and autumn, unless I wanted to take the mountain bikes, GF and Dog out, or buying DIY or going on tip runs. But hell, I used the Elise a lot, and would make excuses to go out or stay out in it.

 

I also had to decide over M/bike or Elise on warm days, too, so the bike lives in the garage in the summer, and at my dads in winter, as the elise is in the garage over winter. You really should make claim to your man space!

 

Anyway, not everyone takes to an Elise, in just the same way as not every guy feels comfortable in a pink shirt or telling his bird that he L - L - Likes hey (ut oh - I can't say it) - but each to their own. At least you have tried it - perhaps not keeping it over summer is your biggest mistake!

 

Ok - major things for me are rougher than normal ride (especially if a bit hungover), a little under powered for its looks (rover engined one) compared to S3's and Evo's after 70 (cough), and also not having ABS.

 

Well my GF's A3 Conv rides nice, my Astra SR150 CDTI is firmer, and quicker and the Elise firmer still, but oh so much more fun to drive. I solved the Rover engine issue with a Honda CTR transplant, and yes, I still miss the ABS, but don't use it in winter (Dec-Feb).

 

But the fun, the looks, the buzz of driving it all makes up for some niggles. So for anyone reading this and wondering it its the car for you, well if the slightest thing annoys the hell out of you, its probabaly not, if its to be a 100% daily with no access to a second car, there may be times you wish that you had something bigger or a second car. If you enjoy driving, going topless, doing the odd track day, and want a car you will never forget, and not want to get out of, then I suggest that you take one out and let the bug bite.

 

I just can't wait for the weather to improve, so I can go out in it, meet more **LOCers and have some more fun ......

 

One of the things that stick in my mind tho is that when work was getting everyone low, the Elise kept me happy and wanting to go to work and back - and that meant a lot!

 

BTW - the Astra has had more spent on it for fixes than any other car or bike I have owned, and I've only had it 18 months. What is listed above are problems we can have, usually not all of them, and usually don't put people off.

 

P.s. I lived with a girl like that for quite a few years .... Live for the now - exciting fun times fill your life with memories.

[jonnyfox]

I think its easy to get defensive of this kind of post but to be honest i agree with a lot of what the original poster said. The difference is that i went into elise ownership with my eyes open (due to extensive research on here and seloc) and the vast majority of these faults just add to the character of the car for me - even when i was using it as my daily drive.

 

 

I'm not being defensive, he's preaching to the converted IMO Chris.

[Izzimad]

There 111r has gone and not missing it at the moment - snow this morning and rain and flooded roads yesterday. Once spring arrives I'm pretty sure I will be wishing it was back. Oh well.

 

Thanks to everyone that posted a reply, a special mention should go to Jonathon, who made me laugh and with whom I agree with on most of his points (I do feel that some of the issues are down to the design, e.g. Push button handles, indicator clip, lights, sticking brakes due to gap between pad and disc).

 

I have learnt over the last few months what a fantastic bunch of people Lotus drivers are if this forum is anything to go by. Also, got to say that every time I was in the 111r and saw another Lotus there was always an exchange of waves. Fantastic.

 

I thought that using my Impreza as a winter running and the Lotus when I could would be the perfect combination. I guess it all comes down to my reluctance in having that kind of money tied up in a Lotus and now knowing its unique foyables and quirks. It really is a case of horse for courses.. My Subaru is no spring chicken either and I was concerned that when something did go wrong it would be serious and therefore expensive. It all comes down to personal circumstance and to be honest I did know about many of the potential issues, I just wasnt expecting to see all of them in such a short space of time. The Elise demands time, money, patience, and commitment that I either can't give or justify.

 

I now own a brand new Audi TT. Its pretty quick, handled reasonably well, has a decent boot, it's comfortable, the whole family fits in it, its good on fuel, but I'd prefer a bit more feedback and feel hrough the steering. It's not as exciting as the Elise in the right conditions but better than the Impreza on the fun in my opinion I was after a relatively cheap, resonably quick new sports coupe with 4 seats and more importantly for me - 3 years trouble free motoring for all year round. I really struggled to find an alternative (any suggestions are more than welcome) that I could afford, so settled for the Audi. If I could have afforded a brand new Evora I'd have got that instead! On initial findings sor far, the TT ticks all the boxes. I couldn't care less that loads of people have one, in fact I quite enjoy not getting the attention that I got in the Elise being the shy and retiring type.

 

In response to Jonathons question about the dealer. The Elise was bought from Allon White Sports Cars, Cranfield. I agree with Jonathon as I feel that they could have done a lot more, I gave them plenty of opportunity to do so. For me, alarm bells rang for me at the beginning when on one of my visits, this time squeaking/rattling suspension (oh, thats one I forgot to mention in my post) I asked if they could fit a screw that was missing from the sill cover. They didn't have a screw that fitted and I was horrified when they produced a drill and a rivet that was at a guess 3 times the diameter. No way was I going to let them start drilling away at my new car. The mechanic eventually found a screw small enough (which turned out to be too big). My 8 year old daughter could have done a better job of putting it in. It was in at an angle and was poking out enough to mark the paintwork on the door opposite. I eventually order the correct part from Lotus along with a few othe missing scrivets. I discovered that the replacement screw was now to small. I know this is trivial but it I saw this as an indication of what level of professionalism I could expect from them.

 

I spoke to them about all of the issues mentioned in my previous post as I thought they should be checked/fixed under the warranty, all too often they responded with "they all do that". Yes, they did resolve the wet plugs MIL lightt issue (dry sockets, new plugs, had to wait over a week for that). They did pay for a replacement indicator after quite a falling out (pardon the pun) with them - see my post on this forum "Newbie indicator woes". They did look at the suspension noise, gave it the all clear after applying some lubrication, never did fix it though. The way they dealt with me started to make me think that I was becoming neurotic about the car. In retrospect I should have stuck to my guns more and pushed for a proper response.

 

One thing that really stands out about them is that when I referred them to MLOC or SELOC regarding some of my issues they were extremely disparaging about forums and made comments like "you don't want to believe every thing you read on the Internet". I'm sure most of you will disagree with their opinion and share my thoughts that these forums are a much needed resource for any Lotus owner. Also, considering that they were an authorised Lotus repairer I found half their staff completely uninterested and without any enthusiasm for the Elise. I once spoke to them about induction and exhaust upgrades and they did an excellent job of putting me off the idea, stating that I could run into problems passing an MOT, amongst other reasons. It was genuine Lotus parts that I was asking about and was surprised at their response considering there's quite a bit on their site about their tuning and upgrade expertise.

 

In summary, I certainly wouldn't buy another car from them again and wouldn't recommend them to anyone looking to buy an Elise from them. (Still, they don't need to worry about anything I'm saying here as they don't take any notice of forums!)

 

Anyway, I hope I haven't put anyone off buying an Elise. THEY ARE AMAZING CARS TO DRIVE!!! Just make sure you garage one or buy a decent outdoor cover. Hipefully you will have better luck than me.

 

Still no regrets.

 

[MrSimba]

 

"Driving the car in anything other than dry conditions demands a heightened sense of alertness than for most cars. Because you get so much feel through the steering you can feel where the grip is less due to ice or rain. Usually a good thing but sometimes it gets too much, there were times when I'd feel drained and be sweating buckets when driving in poor conditions, whereas in my Impreza, to drive quickly is a doddle by comparison. (perhaps you get used to it) After a long, hard day at work 1 time out of 3 I just wasn't in the mood for the Elise."

 

Yes this! You see, you have to drive an Elise, it doesn't have wizardry to cocoon you from the roads dangers. My abilities as a driver run out way before those of the car. Hell, I can drive a Scooby or an Evo fast, I can even drive my friends RS6 really really fast, you plant your right foot into the sumptuous dry carpet and weeeeeeeee! it goes like sh!t off a shovel, it will go around corners like its on rails and you are a fast driver, but thats not what the Elise is about, to drive an Elise fast take skill and concentration, it requires you to keep in mind at all times that you are the one controlling the car and that patch of mud or diesel spill around the next corner could send you backwards into a hedge, you need to respect that, and thats another thing that makes it so special.

 

 

This.

 

I love the way the Elise chassis rewards you when you get it 'right; but you know it will bite you hard if you get it even slightly wrong...

 

A few years ago had a 996 Turbo which was very very fast and very very dull... think I did 2000 miles in one year before I sold it!

 

You'd have got more 'involvement' if you took the train!

[Izzimad]

Certainly was entertaining, unlike the original post which I stopped reading after a few paragraphs.

I'm pleased its not only me that thinks the original post was a complete waste of energy !!

 

The only thing worth debating here is " Izzimad "

Defo !!

.

 

I suppose I was always going to upset a few of you with my honesty. Predictable tw@tish comments!!

 

Jonnyfox said he stopped reading it and then I guess he must have read it in a round about way, having been 'entertained' by Jonathon E's excellence.

 

Hammered (presumably he was 'hammered' on something he made out of potato juice when he wrote that) decided to waste even more time by by posting this well thought out and eloquent response.

 

Thanks to everyone else that responded with something intelligent and witty. All the best to you and your Lotus ownership!!!

[IAN G]

I went for a drive in mine today , not been out the garage for a month and i have to say ....... I f#%*ing love it

[jonnyfox]

Come again, why are my comments twatish and predictable?

 

Or are you actually calling me a twat?

 

Spelling edit.

[Wild]

"The locks and door handles would freeze up on frosty days. I'd splash a bit of teppid water on the lock and it'd be ok, by the time I'd return the empty jug back to the house it'd freeze up again".

 

The British weather is an arse and I would therefore suggest you take this up with the God of your choice. My personal preference for weather related issues is Zeus, he is the Greek God of weather and the sky. Often when caught in a sudden unforeseen downpour I will turn my eyes to the heavens and ask for Zeus's help, I find saying something like : "For f%&ks sake Zeus, with all your powers why the f%&k have you turned this torrential rain against me and my little Lotus, we were doing nothing to bother you on our run out today and now this,you total wan£er" this doesn't appear to stop the rain from soaking me but it does make me feel a whole lot better about the situation. Again not the Elise's fault really is it?

 

 

 

Or if you're an aetheist, lithium grease applied liberally to the internals and graphite powder in the locks does the trick - no problems at all this winter. The Elise isn't unique in this respect, my Fiat Coupe did the same thing, as you've found out water on the locks can make it worse.

[Robo Elise]

I went for a drive in mine today , not been out the garage for a month and i have to say ....... I f#%*ing love it

 

Funny enough I felt the same after not driving mine for a couple of weeks!!:-) Had more problems with mainstream cars than my Elise:-)

 

[DanP]

Izzimad,

 

You've had your Elise about the same amount of time I have had mine. I also found it stressful driving in poor weather conditions, until I followed the advice of the seloc guys, and took a car limits course.

 

On the course I found out it was my tense grip of the steering wheel that was making the lotus jittery - too much input. Andy told me to put the car into a serious oversteer, that was going to have spun the car, and then let go of the steering wheel. The car pretty much corrected the slide by itself, without fishtailing, making me look like a driving god. He also told me to try steering round a high speed bend just using my index finger. Again, the car behaved itself perfectly well without me gripping the steering wheel for dear life. He then started teaching what happens when you slam the breaks on in a corner. Really not what you expect and very confidence inspiring.

 

I'm still a crap driver, but at least I'm not a stressed out crap driver now, and enjoy the drive a whole lot more now, whilst still having respect for the car and what might happen if it goes wrong.

 

Sorry lotus ownership didn't work out for you. I'd advise anyone else new to lotus ownership to go on a car limits course so that they get to enjoy the car to the full.

 

Cheers

 

Dan