5 owners is a good bit, but one issue that plagues these cars is also what makes them special - it is how unlike a normal car they really are. As a fellow Mini owner (R55 JCW), Mini owners tend to think of their cars as go-karts for the street - those people haven't driven an Elise/Exige. Either you will love an Elise, or you will hate it, and there's just no way of predicting which it'll be until you drive one yourself. Because they are few and far between, people will buy one, find they were expecting something far more refined, comfortable, and/or roomy, and then sell it. With values holding steady, you basically just lose your registration costs, if that, so I wouldn't say that's uncommon. That can also explain the low miles. OR it is a particularly lemon-y car, and you'll have to figure out which it is.

There's a few things that stand out about that car though. Given the harnesses (that aren't routed correctly unless you are on the big and tall side), the half cage, and extinguisher, it definitely looks like it has been tracked. Tracked cars tend to be well-cared for, but that is not a guarantee. The exhaust isn't routed through the diffuser correctly, so something is either bent or not installed right. Sticker on the ECU implies a tune, so make sure the readiness codes aren't disabled if you are in an area that does OBD checks. Pretty much all the carpets except for a few pieces are missing. Image #4 especially looks like the side sill and the hinge cover (the panel between the door and the front clam) are two different shades.

 

5 owners is a good bit, but one issue that plagues these cars is also what makes them special - it is how unlike a normal car they really are. As a fellow Mini owner (R55 JCW), Mini owners tend to think of their cars as go-karts for the street - those people haven't driven an Elise/Exige. Either you will love an Elise, or you will hate it, and there's just no way of predicting which it'll be until you drive one yourself. Because they are few and far between, people will buy one, find they were expecting something far more refined, comfortable, and/or roomy, and then sell it. With values holding steady, you basically just lose your registration costs, if that, so I wouldn't say that's uncommon. That can also explain the low miles. OR it is a particularly lemon-y car, and you'll have to figure out which it is.

There's a few things that stand out about that car though. Given the harnesses (that aren't routed correctly unless you are on the big and tall side), the half cage, and extinguisher, it definitely looks like it has been tracked. Tracked cars tend to be well-cared for, but that is not a guarantee. The exhaust isn't routed through the diffuser correctly, so something is either bent or not installed right. Sticker on the ECU implies a tune, so make sure the readiness codes aren't disabled if you are in an area that does OBD checks. Pretty much all the carpets except for a few pieces are missing. Image #4 especially looks like the side sill and the hinge cover (the panel between the door and the front clam) are two different shades.

This is all so great and helpful! I'll edit the OP to clarify not this specific car but this dealer always seems to have a few on hand. When it does come time to actually buy I'll be looking none other than LT primarily unless I need to go elsewhere.

All great info though on owners, and more things to look for when it comes time to buy. Do plan to track the car quite a bit, but doesn't necessarily mean I want someone else's exclusive track toy.

 

Some people (Like me) tend to buy a car for a year or so and sell it. For these niche cars I dont see multiple owners as a bad thing. Mine just sits in my garage and goes out a once or twice a week. Good luck with your search! They are fantastic fun little cars.

 

I wouldn’t worry about multiple owners. Worry about the actual condition and care previous owners have given to the car. People talk about high miles and multiple owners. Worry about the actual car condition! The miles on a Toyota drivetrain don’t mean much to me.

 

I'm my car's fifth owner. #4 was an idiot who put a nonfunctional wing on it and drove it less than 2k miles before trading it at a Nissan dealer. Most of the car's 19k miles when I bought it were put on by owner #2 and #3 in the Chicagoland area.

it's pretty obvious the car isn't for everybody. Owners #3 and #4 put less than 3k miles on the car in five years of ownership. I love the thing - it's been a huge amount of fun, but then I'm not of large stature, not overweight, am willing to bend and twist a little to get in and out, and like working on small cars.

 

All such great info all!

2 other questions when looking--how hard is it to source hardtops? I'm aiming to get one with it since I live in the northeast, but it won't be driven much in the winter so it's not a mandatory thing.

Also I'm about 5'11"; I've sat in an Exige without issue, but that can't recall how much clearance I actually had. Want to make sure I won't have any issues with a helmet on (say adding 2" to my head) for track days. Can anybody weigh in on that?

 

Once you purchase one Eric I would suggest to put a WTB for the top and maybe you'll luck out and find one in your color. There are aftermarket fiberglass and CF hardtops available. You'll have no problem with helmet at 5'11" unless you're all torso.

 

My car also had 5 owners. It really only had 3 owners but it shows going thru what I was suspect was a few brokers. They had the car for a month and it shows just a title change and an inspection.

A bad scenario would be an accident and then it changing hands quickly afterwards. I've owned my car now for 7 years and that's what you want to find. The last guy(s) had it for more than a year.

These cars are not for everyone. People think they can have a 4/5ths Ferrari at 1/2 the cost but they find out that these cars are really nothing more than a hard core track car. So some people have buyers regret.

Lastly, mechanical problems are much easier than lotus specific problems. If the tranny or motor is bad, there are tons of celicas out there. But clam shells, headlights (any exterior lights), electrical problems and any missing exterior or interior parts, are much much harder (and expensive) to come by.

Hardtops are about one of the easiest things to get around here. Just make sure it comes with all the hardware.