[MikeinAlexandria]

Thanks for all the great info here. Very helpful. The thing I have learned about the Elise so far, be very careful when backing up, especially if you are going to parallel park it. And for getting out, I use the grippy part of the seat to lift myself out, no grabbing the windshield, door, dash, etc. Have to remind my friends of that all the time.

I too considered a Z4 (either the current one or the new folding hard top verison) but the cost of a used Elise was much less than a new Z4, and the car handles and looks far better. Amazingly enough, it has been easy to care for so far. Mine is kept in my garage, and covered as well.

Lastly on the battery. Most cars I have owned have needed to be plugged in over the winter or if I wasn't driving them for several weeks at a time. As mentioned earlier in this thread, the alarm system on a Lotus draws a little power constantly. The same goes for my Aprilia Atlantic scooter, though it has a much smaller battery and will be dead after about a week or two when it is cold out.