[MattG]

I just received a phone call letting me know that the Silicon Valley Auto Group (formerly Ferrari of Los Gatos) now has an S2 Elise in their showroom. It looks like the same S2 that was previously at Boardwalk Lotus in Redwood City.

Their website has photos.

I'll be arranging a test drive soon, naturally! I wonder if they'll let me take it up highway 9? ;-)

 

[LarryB]

Just don't drive it (Matt) till after 10AM Sat. That'll be after my test drive... it will after all be my first, hadn't forgotten what happen last time you got in front of me.

 

[MattG]

Yeah, that was really unfortunate...sorry to see that happen to ya. Good luck this time, and have a great drive! You're gonna love it.

 

[demarco]

Test Drive

Sorry Guys i drove down there this afternoon and already test drove it. So i guess i'm the first on

Anyways Jack let me take it around town. The car is much more comfortable than everyone is making it out.

The only thing i didn't really like about it was the shifter didn't feel really great, I used to have a Daytona and the shifter on the Elise felt exactly the same as my old car (which i don't have anymore).

Just driving it around everything feels really solid.

I started off in a bad mood today, but after going down to Los Gatos I fell much better.

 

[Randy Chase]

I thought the car was indeed comfortable. Fit like a glove.

Just getting in and out with the top on was a little interesting and I agree that in the car I drove, the shifter felt imprecise or rubbery. But I don't care since a different drivetrain will me a totally different shifter.

Where are the pics? TAKE A CAMERA!

 

[demarco]

Los Gatos

I didn't take any pics, cuz its the same car that everyone has seen its this one.

 

[LarryB]

Pretty sure it's the same car at Boardwalk last month, that Matt & I had check out (and only one of us got to drive ) . Have some indoor shots. Think Randy is lending towards that color and will try to take some out door pics this weekend.

 

[Randy Chase]

That is the one. :drool:

Please, let that color be available.

 

[demarco]

Car

I'm also sure that it was the same one at Boardwalk a while back. This car has 600 miles on it right now.

You guys should head down there soon and get a test drive, if everyone goes down there on Saturday, i'm guessing they will not let everyone try the car out.

 

[Dan]

I'm in love, and her name is Elise...

Just got back from my test drive. It was freakin' hot (at least 90), while I am used to mid-70's. If you take a drive there, I recommend an evening drive. In the end, the heat didn't stop me from grinning from ear to ear. I made an appointment when the saleswoman called me yesterday. Although she had previously taken it around the block, I was her first test driver. I think she was as excited to drive it as I was.

She drove first, and as a passenger, I noticed that literally everybody was rubbernecking to get a better look at the car, especially when we were stuck in traffic on the 17. (Luckily, I didn't come across any traffic ). It's definitely an attention-getter if you are into that. I didn't notice once I started driving.

When I got behind the wheel, I noticed my relatively wide shoe barely cleared the brake pedal when on the accelerator. The saleswoman recommended taking my shoe off, and I did just that; I happened to be wearing slip on shoes today. I think I'm going to invest in narrow driving shoes, or start shaving the soles of my right shoes.

Other things I noticed, relative to my '99 Miata: I know I can't expect the transmission to be like my Miata, but I definitely hope the US car will be a vast improvement over this Euro-spec car. It felt like the opposite: vague shifts, long throws; I even missed 5th gear on the highway (leaving it in neutral). As for rear vision, I'm used to having no blind spots (I almost always drive with the top down); on this car, it is quite bad. I'm also used to having a center arm rest. The thigh of the woman sitting next to you becomes your arm rest, not necessarily a bad thing.

The unboosted steering and brakes felt very solid, more like a go kart than anything else I've ever driven. Even the steering wheel is go kart tiny. After reading and reading about other people's experiences, I can say the drive was exactly as I expected: awesome! The only major negative part of the experience was leaving the dealer, knowing I probably won't be driving the Elise for a while .

I took a few photos and will probably get around to posting them tonight. The car does look a little different in sunlight vs. flourescent lights.

--
Dan

 

[Randy Chase]

Great write up. Thanks. Looking forward to the pics!

 

[Bob A (SD)]

Hey Dan, what size shoes do you wear? reason I ask is that mine are a 10.5 EEEE which makes me wonder a bit given your comments and some of the interior shots I've seen where the gas pedal looks very narrow and extremely close to the brake pedal. I'd hate to think my big foot would ride on the brake pedal placed as far over to the right on the gas as possible.

BTW I had a '96 Miata and understand your references completely. I take it the blind spots on the Elise are major. Could you elaborate here too please?

--Bob

 

[MattG]

I wear size 10.5 shoes, and had to be careful to avoid the brake pedal as well. I found that if I tilted my foot to the right so that it was resting against the center tunnel, and kept it there, then I'd never hit the brake pedal. However, I too plan on buying some narrow driving shoes.

 

[Dan]

My shoes range from 8.5 to 9W, depending on the brand. I measured the shoe I was wearing today, and it came out to about 12 cm. I looked at my Euro Elise brochure, and it says that the footwell divider is an option on the standard and 111 Elise, so maybe it can easily be removed or possibly repositioned?

As for the blind spots, I wouldn't worry too much about it. I was just complaining because I'm used to driving with the top down. It's similar to having the top up, but the rear pillars extend further towards the back, and the rear window seemed smaller, framed even more by the rear spoiler, and the antenna is there. I'll just have to be a bit more careful when darting in and out of traffic.

As for the photos, the dealer website already has some decent outdoor shots, but a couple of mine have other cars in it for reference. Here they are:

 

[Dan]

another...

 

[Dan]

more...

 

[Dan]

The front view on the dealer's site had some lens distortion. Here's mine, next to a 348...

 

[Dan]

My garage (well, my pretend garage):

 

[Dan]

The saleswoman's long arms and legs seen here as we slow for traffic on the 17, slow enough for me to hold the camera above the car...

 

[Dan]

Last picture, at the end of my drive. Odometer is at 661 now...