Do you remember your 1st time (driving a Lotus) ?

[Badger02]

Hi,

Forgive me, for I am about to reminisce. I bought my 1st ever Lotus (a 2008 Elise S) in March 2021, and came across this whats app message I sent to some car mates after my 1st ever drive in it, which made me smile. Hope you enjoy it, also had similar experiences, and if considering buying an Elise, hope you find this useful (I've since put a new modern stereo in, and had the seats refoamed).

Sorry it's so long, I believe I may have been somewhat buzzing when I originally wrote it.

"So, Elise is back home now.

130 miles in mostly rain, with hardtop installed.

Mix of A roads, B roads and motorways.

2008 S model with touring pack (extra insulations and speakers and 134 bhp Toyota engine)

Standard exhaust I think

Summary:

Bloody amazing

You will have to lift me of my death bed and threaten to put needles in my my eyes before I sell it.

On more than one occasion, I came out with the grunting noise the suits you sirs from the fast show made.

At one point I opened the driver's window and yelled "this is effing amazing" whilst driving along.

The not so good:

1. Rain gets into sill if you open a door in the rain.

2. Seats are not that comfy.

3. Stereo has no bluetooth.

4. Getting in and out needs more practice !

5. Wiper and indicator stalks are nicked from a Vauxhall I think and look cheap, should be aluminium.

The good:

6. Wiper does it job.

7. No leaks through roof.

8. Heater is efficient.

9. Driving position.

10. No play or lag in acceleration, press right foot and it flies.

11. No play at all in steering, you turn the wheel and it absolutely goes where you want it to.

12. Brakes are progressive and smooth.

13. Clutch is quite light.

14. No power steering, but as car is so light, easy to drive, even in town.

15. Engine and exhaust noise not obtrusive.

16. Stereo does Ok.

17. Instrument panel is simple and shows everything you need.

18. Handy little cubby holes.

19. Surprising amount of storage space behind seats to the bulkhead.

20. You feel cosseted in the cabin, almost like the care is moulded around you.

21. Good visibility.

22. The doors and electric windows shut with a satisfying clunk.

23. It's not a Porsche.

24. Power comes in around 3000rpm, you don't need to wring the arse out if it to get to the power.

25. Stick it in 4th, and its just sublime.

I am not an expert in sports cars, though have driven and Audi R8 and Ferrari California, yes they look great, yes the have far more power, but in the real world, this elise just makes sense.

The other cars cost a fortune as well, the Alfa 4C is much more, and not as good to drive according to reviews.

Highly recommended and values are likely to increase.

If you're after a proper sports car, that keeps you warm, dry, smiling from ear to ear, and looks like this, get an awesome LOTUS ELISE.

Enough said, i'm of to practice getting out of the thing.

The End"

 

[CDM2018]

4 years ago to day almost I had gone to Snows near Southampton to test drive my Evora 

horrendous day some storm was bashing the country when I finally reached the dealership after 4 hours of most scary driving the sun came out for 15 mins and no rain and was able to take the car for short test drive 

purchased it straight away but didn’t get delivery for 4 weeks later 

[Elisemadray]

35 minutes ago, CDM2018 said:

4 years ago to day almost I had gone to Snows near Southampton to test drive my Evora 

horrendous day some storm was bashing the country when I finally reached the dealership after 4 hours of most scary driving the sun came out for 15 mins and no rain and was able to take the car for short test drive 

purchased it straight away but didn’t get delivery for 4 weeks later 

It was meant to BE  

[Luke Seagrave]

Hi Badger02,

                       I loved reading your memories of your first day buying the elise. It's almost a year to the day when I drove my Lotus Elise (2006) 111R away from the dealership. (I had paid for it in December 2020, but due to my work schedule I was unable to drive it away until four weeks later. (You can imagine how frustrating that was) but technically my first drive in one was a few weeks previous for the test drive. Central Lotus dealership were amazing at letting me decide which Lotus I liked. They let me test drive most of the cars. So I test drove the Elise first and my initial thoughts were along the following:-

1. Jesus this is awkward to get in and out of. A 6ft 2 fatty like me doesn't do graceful when getting in and out of am Elise.

2. Sparse interior, nowhere for my coffee cup

3. Felt rattly inside.

4. lots of sound creeping in whenever I drove.

However for me, the driving experience is unrivalled. The power felt instant and direct.

It's a car that you wear round you. Like Iron man's costume.

The driving put a smile on my face, and even though it is quick, I've possibly not even managed to take it anywhere near its full potential. For me, I enjoy the drive and love all of its quirks. 

Best of all, the runs and events that I have done with mloc have been so wonderful with like minded people, all of which have been so helpful with their knowledge and patience when I've been driving slower than most of them.

I hope I keep my elise for many more years. As even a year later I still have the cheeky schoolboy grin when I sit in the elise and turn the ignition key..

 

[docdunc]

Great thread Badger02🙂

I wrote the following in November 2020, after my first day with my Elise:

My thoughts on my first Lotus:

The good:
1) The steering (on the move)
2) The fantastic click clack gear changes
3) The best sounding 4 pot I’ve ever had
4) The buzz of driving a “mechanical car” again ( as opposed to mainstream electric,drive by wire clones)

The bad:
1) The steering at parking speeds
2) Looking like an idiot trying to get out of it 😁
3) winter approaches,so less drive time🙁

January 2022

Still get a buzz every time I drive it. Got used to the steering at parking speeds now, but still mess up when getting out of it sometimes😁

Definitely looking forward to going on another run with MLOC when the weather improves 👍👍

[Badger02]

Hi, thanks for both replies.

Great to hear your memories as well.

For various reasons, I've not been able to drive my S2 Elise for about 3 months now (though I am lucky to also own an S1 Elise which I have), but every week or so, I got into my garage, sit in my S2 and switch the engine on.

I sit there (this is sad), smelling the car, touching the interior materials, listening to the engine, knowing that someday soon I'll be able to take it out once again.

BTW, I have posted another thread in the Events section, doing a drive out to Skeggie this coming Sunday if you are interested.

Cheers, Jase

[Luke Seagrave]

1 hour ago, Badger02 said:

Hi, thanks for both replies.

Great to hear your memories as well.

For various reasons, I've not been able to drive my S2 Elise for about 3 months now (though I am lucky to also own an S1 Elise which I have), but every week or so, I got into my garage, sit in my S2 and switch the engine on.

I sit there (this is sad), smelling the car, touching the interior materials, listening to the engine, knowing that someday soon I'll be able to take it out once again.

BTW, I have posted another thread in the Events section, doing a drive out to Skeggie this coming Sunday if you are interested.

Cheers, Jase

Hi Jase,

               I saw that you were having a run out to Skegness. It's just unfortunate timing for me. Hope you have a wonderful blast out. 

Thanks,

Luke

[PJT]

Another long one.......

 

2012 was my first drive in a Lotus.

I'd had Honda S2000's for about 10 years and the last one was T-boned by a confused elderly driver, so the insurance money was idling in my account when...............

My wife had noticed (swooned over) the Evora and suggested that we drive up to Leeds one day to have a look.  I agreed with little interest in the car, but was very casually mulling over the idea of an Elise 111R to replace the S2000.

We were bored one Saturday was the truth of it.

We arrived unannounced at JCT600 Bentley/Lotus franchise to a very enthusiastic and helpful Dan Irwin (salesman there) who seemed more than happy, encouraging even, to get me behind the wheel of a 2010 dark grey NA Evora.  My wife refused to drive it, ironically.

Out on the road, the biggest shock was the reaction it got from passers by.  One youth in the passenger seat of a Corsa was hanging out the window, gapping and pointing as if I was in a Lamborghini.  The next shock was the fantastic brakes.  It felt quick, but not shockingly so.  I loved it.

On return to the showroom, and looking at the car in the flesh (photos didn't portray it), my overriding thought was, I can't.  A car that looked like that was too much, it belonged outside a stately home, not my humble house.

I half-heartedly told Dan I was thinking about a 111R, to which he responded, they had none, only 3 supercharged models over my budget..... but why didn't I "try one, they were much the same, just with a bit more performance".  I honestly think he just wanted to be driving the cars himself!  The one selected  was dark grey with scarlet seats.

He drove me out to the Ferrari dealer in Leeds and we swapped over.  Bang!!!!  As soon as I sat in, before I'd even moved, it felt so right.  It was like wearing clothes, not sitting in a car. Then I moved two metres and it felt so natural, so much an extension of my body.  Every road I drove down felt like a race rack, regardless of the speed I was driving.  I loved the Evora, but I was in love with the Elise.

I walked away without leaving a deposit, I didn't want an SC, but left with a burning desire to feel that again.

Months later, we were in Leeds again.  I had to be sure, so Dan took me out again in an isotope green one, that had had some mods.  I told Dan, it didn't feel as special.  That one was too bright green, but he said there was a very special black one (SC) coming in, the nicest he'd ever seen and showed me some pictures on the web.  The sales manager there asked for a 10% deposit (I think he was testing to see if I was a time-waster or not) so I said fine without seeing the car in the flesh (unheard of for me, but there was no other way to buy an Elise- they were almost always sold before seen, so I was told).

Car came in, another Leeds trip to approve it and finalise the sale.  Then a long wait as for some reason, the pte reg plate couldn't be removed.  The previous owner finally agreed to letting me temporarily use it.  Some time later, pick up, then a long drive home on the A1 beside trucks thinking "Yikes, this is different!!"  Took a small detour on to an A road to "finally feel" the car that I'd bought and been hardly 'driving' for 90 minutes.  Went to overtake three cars in a gap before an oncoming truck thinking, shit, this is going to be tight, and it was done in a third of the distance I'd expected.

 

[Badger02]

love it, do you still have the same Elise ?

[PJT]

The intention was to have my juvenile fun for a couple of years then get the missus her Evora.  Kept it for 7 years.  Offered to replace it with anything she wanted, knowing a 1980’s 911 was her real dream drive (in yellow with a whale tail) but she said she wasn’t interested and encouraged me to swap the Elise for a V6 Exige, which I’ve had for nearly two years and she’s been in twice!

[DeanB]

Great story Pete 😊

[Dr H]

2006. 

Passenger rides in numerous 340Rs (x3) and then I bought one a few weeks later,

My first ever drive behind the wheel was a 2.5 hour trip in my new (to me) 340R to get it home. It was a bit of a eye opener 😲 in at the deep end and all that!

[Mutley00]

2001 - 'Lennie' Lotus. He shook, rattled, but went like stink and round corners like he was on rails. Love at first sight!

[Eric]

It was back in 2006 when I had test drives in three Lotuses on the same day - an Elise (with NA 2ZZ), an Exige (again with NA 2ZZ), and then an Exige S (supercharged 2ZZ).  The first two were a bit, hmmm, is that it?  But the Exige S just blew me away completely and guess what, I signed up on the day to buy an immaculate three month old ex-Lotus Exige S that was right there in front of me in the showroom.  Who could resist?

Not the easiest car to live with, sure, but wow, that supercharger scream was totally addictive 👍.

Took it to one of the first Lotus open days in 2007 as part of an MLOC convoy, and, as usual, we were one of the last to leave.  Good times!

 

[seamus]

My first Lotus was in 1975 when I bought a bright orange Elan. I had previously owned a couple of MG Midgets, an Austin Healey 100/6 and an E type Jag but the Elan was a total revelation with its sublime handling and intoxicating sounds from the twin cam engine with that unmistakable burble from the twin choke webers. Nothing else could stick with it on a winding road back then.

47 years later and I am now on my 8th different Lotus and now have a 2-Eleven which is a fantastic car that leaves me buzzing every time I take her out.