100k miles!

[Crash]

I rolled over 100k miles on the drive into work the other day. I wonder if I am the first in the Fed Elise to do so.

I have noticed a few things about my car while putting 6 sets of street tires, 3 pairs of rotors and 5 sets of brake pads down on the SoCal roads in only 3 years. One of them is consumables are exactly that and another is that its very hard to put a price on the perma-grin driving my Lotus gives me. The engine still screams the same way it did the day I picked up that sweet ray of sunshine and I still scream the same way I did back then when I sail through turns that only God and a hell of an engineering team at Lotus let me come out alive of on the other side. It's hard to describe the feeling driving my Lotus gives me. When I'm down it picks me up, when I'm cranky it makes me laugh, when life is ugly its beauty shines at me as I walk up to the driver's door, the owner's door, MY door, when I'm cocky it scares the piss out of me... when I'm sick it brings me chicken soup. I love my Lotus.

I was thinking about Detroits big 3, how I feel about my car and why the 3 don't inspire the same feeling with anything they have to offer. Somewhere in past decades Detroit forgot what it was making. The accountants took over and the passion for driving drained out of those companies and was replaced by merely an effort to maximize margin. You can see this in the product they roll out and expect to compete with foreign alternatives. Lotus did it the right way. They took their passion for driving, turned it into a product and then won the Queen's award for enterprise by finding the margin they need to make a profit. Detroit has done it in reverse order and has sadly failed to inspire passion in anything except the UAW representatives. They want me and millions of Americans to buy their cars? I want them to make a car I love to drive and won't start to lay down just as I finally pay it off.

Its a good time to remind companies that are built upon the quality of their product and the talent of inspired engineers of how some have lost their way. Colin Chapman understood the way. His company still understands the way as evidenced by Colin's initials on the badge of my Elise and its very happy owner. I think Lotus should make a commercial about my car and I and then go about reminding Detroit of what they should have been doing for the last twenty or thirty years.

I love my Lotus. I just changed the oil in it last night, again, and I'm happily putting my toe into the next 100 thousand miles.

[TheViper]

Well spoken, and good luck for the next 100k
Michael

[Scrumpot]

OUTSTANDING!!

[Andrikos]

Awesome!
Congrats!!!

[Flash G]

Congrats! ,



.

[xeeeejme]

Get a picture of the odometer at 200,000.

[mikester]

Originally Posted by Crash

I rolled over 100k miles on the drive into work the other day. I wonder if I am the first in the Fed Elise to do so.

I have noticed a few things about my car while putting 6 sets of street tires, 3 pairs of rotors and 5 sets of brake pads down on the SoCal roads in only 3 years. One of them is consumables are exactly that and another is that its very hard to put a price on the perma-grin driving my Lotus gives me. The engine still screams the same way it did the day I picked up that sweet ray of sunshine and I still scream the same way I did back then when I sail through turns that only God and a hell of an engineering team at Lotus let me come out alive of on the other side. It's hard to describe the feeling driving my Lotus gives me. When I'm down it picks me up, when I'm cranky it makes me laugh, when life is ugly its beauty shines at me as I walk up to the driver's door, the owner's door, MY door, when I'm cocky it scares the piss out of me... when I'm sick it brings me chicken soup. I love my Lotus.

I was thinking about Detroits big 3, how I feel about my car and why the 3 don't inspire the same feeling with anything they have to offer. Somewhere in past decades Detroit forgot what it was making. The accountants took over and the passion for driving drained out of those companies and was replaced by merely an effort to maximize margin. You can see this in the product they roll out and expect to compete with foreign alternatives. Lotus did it the right way. They took their passion for driving, turned it into a product and then won the Queen's award for enterprise by finding the margin they need to make a profit. Detroit has done it in reverse order and has sadly failed to inspire passion in anything except the UAW representatives. They want me and millions of Americans to buy their cars? I want them to make a car I love to drive and won't start to lay down just as I finally pay it off.

Its a good time to remind companies that are built upon the quality of their product and the talent of inspired engineers of how some have lost their way. Colin Chapman understood the way. His company still understands the way as evidenced by Colin's initials on the badge of my Elise and its very happy owner. I think Lotus should make a commercial about my car and I and then go about reminding Detroit of what they should have been doing for the last twenty or thirty years.

I love my Lotus. I just changed the oil in it last night, again, and I'm happily putting my toe into the next 100 thousand miles.

Crash (Steve, right?), it's been a long time !

Maybe that's because you're out there driving, unlike those (like me ) who spend too much time typing ! I see you have "only" 300 posts - good for you, you have your priorities straight

You've inspired me, my car's in the shop right now but when I get it back, I'll try to enjoy it more and type less.

Cheers (and congratulations !), Mike

[V-RAPTOR]

100K that's awesome

[...m...]

...awesome!..

...congratulations, and here's to your next hundred thousand living with your car the way it was meant to be driven...

[Nikki]

Amen Crash! As Colin Chapman remarked about bean counters, "Accountants are the scorers of industry; they have nothing to do with playing the game."

[Murix]

That is pretty awesome. That is more miles per year than I put on two cars!

[Nikki]

This reminds me of when I bought a new 1971 Triumph GT-6 and brought it back to the dealer for the free 1,000 mile service a week later. But, that was 38 years ago. Now I'm 58 and have SLOWED WAY DOWN. AAH, to be young!

[TheViper]

Did you have any significant mechanical issues?

[Lotusmotion]

[Bavarian Motorist]

Originally Posted by Nikki

This reminds me of when I bought a new 1971 Triumph GT-6 and brought it back to the dealer for the free 1,000 mile service a week later. But, that was 38 years ago. Now I'm 58 and have SLOWED WAY DOWN. AAH, to be young!

I did that on my Lotus in 2 1/2 days !

[Crash]

Originally Posted by TheViper

Did you have any significant mechanical issues?

Nothing significant no. A couple of things were replaced under warranty early on. I have replaced a couple of minor things like headlight bulbs on my own. I change the oil religiously and it's been a pleasure to own.

[TheViper]

That's very encouraging, thanks.
Michael

Originally Posted by Crash

Nothing significant no. A couple of things were replaced under warranty early on. I have replaced a couple of minor things like headlight bulbs on my own. I change the oil religiously and it's been a pleasure to own.

[SweetDaddyD]

Wooooo Hooooooo!
You are awesome! The first of heard of to hit the 100K club. Sounds like you bought it new and put all of them on it too. Quite frankly I'm a little jealous, that you have been enjoying your car more than me. I was hoping someone would announce it when they hit 100K. I've known or heard of at least cars for sale or being traded in with 70K+ miles on them so hopefully more out there like it soon. I'd rather see a car well used with 100K on it than an 05 with 2K miles on it. Means it's being used for what it's for.

I'm fairly certain I'll see 100K on mine here eventually. I road trip it sometimes and don't try to keep the miles off it at all. I'm only in the 40's on mine though, so less than halfway there.

You deserve some kind of prize!
(hmmmm- maybe I can make some kind of T-shirt design for the 100K club and give one out to any original owner that hits it? ... like I need another project I haven't got to. lol... the least I can do is a simple decal for anyone that wants one)

Send me an e-mail to the address below with you name and address, car color, model and T-shirt size in case I get around to it.

[Bavarian Motorist]

Just goes to show how reliable the car is (when kept stock...LOL) Congrats.

[Terculees]

You, good sir, are my hero. And I thought I was high-milage at 17K!! I don't commute in mine to work after the last Elise was totalled, but I do get my groceries in it and don't even dare to look at my Passat on a weekend.

You remind me of a guy in the bay area that daily-drove an 89 Ferrari Testarossa. Last he was seen, the car ran great, and had 200K on the odometer!!! May your Elise live long and prosper.