You are welcome Mike, you wus.
It was worth the trip - They offered to let me sit in it, but I was so distracted that I couldn't even take decent photos of the car - I am glad I declined the generous offer.
As for the driving experience, all 5 Lotus guys said the same thing:
"Yeah, it's bigger, and it's a tad bit slower than a stock Elise, but you will be shocked at how much it drives like an Elise/Exige."
There is no doubt that the engine is stout - seriously. The Lotus guys just ranted and raved about how much they liked it. They didn't mention anything beefier being added in the way of a SC - and frankly, I don't know how they would fit it in there. The black one had the sportier close ratio tranny, and the red one had the stock tranny. Both are the same in 1st and 2nd, but the black one has closer gears and more UMPH in any gear upward as a result. 0-60 times are the same.
They were loving the creature comforts as well - zero issues for them when driving across country even when the temp sensor went up beyond 45C
Ara, you are truly right. This car is engaging, even when not in motion.