Been lurking for over a year and finally decided to make the hour drive to the nearest Elise for sale that I could find. Went by Napa Ford, to drive their '06 GG Elise. I'm hooked, that thing was a blast, too bad it wasn't in great condition (usual lotus quirks i've read about, and alot of them plus the paint was neglected, not just driven). The driver position is perfect for me (I'm 5'5") and the pedal position made H&T really easy (I have size 7 feet
). Car feels like it could use more power; didn't feel as fast as some of the others i've been looking at (although it is quicker in a straight line than anything i've driven up to this point). Somehow the "bad" things about the car (ingress/egress, buzzy powerplant, loose bits, lack of useful trunk) are charming in this case
. The amount of feedback makes it fun to drive and you actually feel comfortable in it at speed (testdrove a Z and felt like I didn't have great control over it; it was easy to get loose, which is why i think it "felt" fast). I can see how the second cam is addicting too. I think i'm in love.
I still have to get into an Exige S before I buy, but I've definately caught the lotus bug