[Sojourn]

If the Elise is truly is going to be sold in '04, do you think there will be a display at the Detriot Auto Show this winter? I LOVE the look of the car, but fear that is't .... small... too small. I mean 0-60 in 4.x and handling like my Formual Ford 1600 is all good, but smaller than a miata ?

MUST SEE IN PERSON !

 

[LarryB]

Might be Detroit could be L.A. for the first showing in the States. Would expect it to doing the rounds in that time frame. As far as size goes, it's bigger looking then most of the pics make it out to be. Interior is a bit tight but not bad. The real test is when you can poke around in one and drive it. The Euro version going around the dealers should give you a pretty good idea in the meantime.

 

[BrianK]

like anything, you'll get used to it. Small cars don't seem small after you tool around in them for a while... everything else just seems big.

for comparison:

(from www.dpcars.net)

 

[Sojourn]

Than i guess i better plan on showing up !

PS Thanks for dpcars.net... lots of nice pics and videos.

 

[zvezdah1]

I'm thinking as US shows go it'll be LA, that's where the US car was first announced late 01. It's also a few weeks before Detroit I think.

Chris

 

[BrokenR1]

Think it'll show in the states first or in Europe? I'm thinking about going to the Frankfurt autoshow in Germany next month.

 

[Randy Chase]

I'm thinking as US shows go it'll be LA, that's where the US car was first announced late 01. It's also a few weeks before Detroit I think.

Chris

I can't remember where, but I had heard also that the car was to be revealed at the LA auto show.

In 2004, the LA and Detroit are at different times? I hated when they were the same and half the cars were not in LA because they chose to show them at Detroit.

 

[BrianK]

I can't remember where, but I had heard also that the car was to be revealed at the LA auto show.

In 2004, the LA and Detroit are at different times? I hated when they were the same and half the cars were not in LA because they chose to show them at Detroit.

Aren't they always that way? It seems that most new car announcements are made at Detriot, so there's not much new at the L.A. show, which doesn't make a whole lot of sense being that L.A. has got to be the largest area of automobile consumption in the country.

I remeber at this year's show, the RX8 didn't show up until half way through the week because Mazda (Ford) wanted to make the official unveiling in Detroit.

 

[sandsmuseum]

shows to intro Elise S3 (world car)

According to my source, Lotus will make the major launch at LA in Jan 2004.

The European car gets launched at Frankfurt in October 2003 and Tokyo in November 2003.

Lotus has worried about continuing sales of the lesser powered car in Europe while introducing the more powerful car in the USA. Is Lotus introducing a world car? It should be easy to tell when examining the specification of the Frankfurt and Tokyo cars. If they have more power, electric windows, and air conditioning, then they are probably the cars we will be getting in LA.

Michael