We share a bit more than a chassis, I went and checked one out at the dealership and everything looked very familiar including the same yokohoma LTS specific tires. They are built by Lotus, the key difference is the carbon fibre body, and of course the batteries/motor - which is why they are so much more expensive.... other than that - they are a Lotus through and through. The showroom sales staff did not seem too thrilled that I pulled up and parked in their parking lot and the customers all came out to see my car
In my experience in LA , Tesla owners tend not to notice that an Elise is passing by. I work right down the street from Mahalo.com (Mr. Musks new startup search engine company) in Santa Monica and there are usually 2-3 Teslas parked out front and driving around the area.