Delivery Date Pushed Back Again!!!

RobertinArgyle said:

My M3 is pristine. I am the second owner. It has 64k miles, always garaged, Mobil 1, etc. Never tracked. White with natur interior. I was asking $15,800, but I think I am a couple of thousand low based on the response I've had. Maybe the guy won't show up today with the money. I think I'll take it off the market until next year if that happens. ANYWAY, I hope Overseas is incorrect about the number of cars they will be getting per month.

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If it's that pristine, I'd get some more money for it. I think $19k is more like it.

I really tortured myself with the idea of selling my M3 for an Elise ... but then I regained my senses. In 5 years the E30 M3 will be worth even more (pristine ones, anyway) and the Elise will be worth maybe $25k.

Besides, my M3 doesn't stall out, leak rain, and the heater control knobs don't fall off. With my closest Lotus dealer being out-of-town, the idea of a very needy Elise will get old very quickly.

Some may say "sour grapes" or "nice rationalization" or "he'll regret it when he sees his first Elise", but I have no regrets with decision to get an '04 S2000. It doesn't have the flash of the Elise, but I've made it my summertime daily driver and everything has been flawless with the car so far (1000+ miles). Best feature? The top that goes up and down in 6 seconds. That Elise top is going to be a major pain in the ass....and there is no way I'd be parking it with the top off (crime, weather, pollen, sun damage, etc.).

Anyway, I'll shut up now. I'm not about to totally badmouth an Elise on this forum. It's a very cool car -- I'd like to own one -- but not if it means selling an E30 M3. I'm very curious to see the Elise frustrations when these cars come in with minor and major problems.

Final suggestion: Keep the M3 if you're only going to get $15k for it. Buy a new S2000 for about $15k less than an Elise. You'll have a blast and you'll keep your pristine M3. In 3 years, you'll thank me. You'll still have your M3...... a car that is a true classic even though it's not yet all that old. You'll also get your 2 seat roadster fix. Two fun cars for the price of one!

_JD_ said:

Don't look now, but you just did. How have you gained this knowledge of all these shortcomings on a car that no one has yet?

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I'm aware of that mini-bashing ... but this is all stuff that Lotus enthusiasts expect. Did you read the thread about the 111R the guy just got? He still loves it ... but I think shifting into reverse when you intend to move forward, constant unexplained stalling, and major roof-leaking that can't be fixed with a the supplied allen wrench, and knobs falling off .... that stuff would bother me. Maybe I'm too picky though.

This is all in line with what AutoWeek said about the car a couple of years ago. Remember the article that praised the car's performance abilities but also complained that the windows rattled, the Lotus emblem peeled off the gearshift knob onto his hand, and the radio went to max. volume and stayed there? Maybe the Fed. Elise won't have all of these problems ... but only a fool would expect a trouble-free Lotus. I'm just very interested to read all the bitching when the Elise problems present themselves.

Despite all of that -- I still love the Elise. I think I like the concept better than the execution though. I'd buy one if I had a ton of money to burn and didn't want / expect to use it all the time. Heck, I bought a Ducati knowing that it would be high-maintenance. I don't ride that often -- so I can deal with it's quirks. With the two-seat roadster thing -- I wanted to use it daily -- so I am not willing to live with niggling problems (or major flaws). Hence, I bought the Honda. The clincher was that I didn't have to sell my M3 to get my roadster ... and I got a car that does what I want it to do better. It's just a better fit FOR ME.

and FYI -- I haven't asked for my $500 deposit back yet -- just in case the Elise blows me away and my living situation and plans change. Besides, I want my test drive!

Hans Stuck said:

Final suggestion: Keep the M3 if you're only going to get $15k for it. Buy a new S2000 for about $15k less than an Elise. You'll have a blast and you'll keep your pristine M3. In 3 years, you'll thank me. You'll still have your M3...... a car that is a true classic even though it's not yet all that old. You'll also get your 2 seat roadster fix. Two fun cars for the price of one!

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I’m sure the S2000 is a great car… However IT IS A HONDA. Not exotic by any means. Now I’m gonna let you in on a big secret. ALL EXOTICS ARE TEMPRAMENTAL, usually very expensive to repair and for the most part nowhere near as reliable as run of the mill Japanese cars. An oil change on a Ferrari cost almost $800 for goodness sakes. When compared to other exotics the Liz is very affordable… but make no mistake of it, it is nonetheless an exotic, so don’t expect totally carefree ownership.
Some people place carefree ownership above all other things. Lotus owners place breathtaking performance above all other things. Look at it this way: you buy a Honda for reliable transportation, whereas you buy an Elise for entertainment. Like any other exotic, the Elise is not merely the means by which one gets from A to B… It is the reason.