you should be ok with it over here, i dont see why it wouldnt be legal as there are enough american imports over here. the only thing you would lose out on would be when you come to sell it again as there isnt much demand for a left hand drive car when the elise is made for right over here.

 

Are you sure left hand drive isn't a big deal? Some people were saying that the reason we wouldn't likely be offered the option to pick up our cars at the factory and drive them a bit in Europe before having them shipped over was that the car would need to be temporarily registered in the UK for this to happen, and the steering wheel placement made this impossible.

 

In the US, a lot of our laws depend on whether the car was ever offered for sale in this country. The UK may be similar - the fact that there IS a right hand drive model available may make the left hand drive illegal.

 

I wound think that it makes more sense to sell your fed Elise and buy a 340r in the UK :drool: you will even have money left over :nanner2:

 

Hey Patricko:
My relocation isn't cemented as of yet, and I did consider selling the Federal Elise. But as foolish as it may sound, I've become quite attached to this thing within these past six months and couldn't bear the thought of parting with it. Maybe I need to drive the 340R to change my mind?
- dechien

 

Position of the steering wheel is irrelevant (look at the McClaren). First country of registration is also irrelevant. Endless Jaguars and Triumphs built for the US market have been repatriated.
We also have a system called SVA (Single Vehicle Approval) which allows you to register just about anything including motorised bedsteads and couches (it has been done).

 

But as foolish as it may sound, I've become quite attached to this thing within these past six months and couldn't bear the thought of parting with it. Maybe I need to drive the 340R to change my mind?
- dechien

You could just buy a new 111R in the UK. If you bring the Fed Elise to the UK you will severely impact the resale value. Also I would not want to drive a LHD car in the UK, right turns would not be fun You just need to get it wrong once in the Elise...

 

Also I would not want to drive a LHD car in the UK, right turns would not be fun

However, having a LHD car in the UK would be an advantage whenever you take the car to the rest of Europe via the tunnel or ferry...

 

i would be more worried about learning RHD stick shift... it just seems wierd...

 

i would be more worried about learning RHD stick shift... it just seems wierd...

I was worried about this when I went to Hethel for their track school. It turns out to be a no brainer. When you first start, you rearch for the stick to the right, hit the door handle, and then quickly shift with the left. If you are rowing through the gears, you already have the memory of the left hand over there, so you upshift just fine. The next light you come to, you'll hit the door handle again, but after about 3 lights you'll be flawless.

 

I was worried about this when I went to Hethel for their track school. It turns out to be a no brainer. When you first start, you rearch for the stick to the right, hit the door handle, and then quickly shift with the left. If you are rowing through the gears, you already have the memory of the left hand over there, so you upshift just fine. The next light you come to, you'll hit the door handle again, but after about 3 lights you'll be flawless.

Very applicable for me too. I go to and fro across the pond a few times a year and always 'paw' the air a few times when trying to change gear the first time driving the rental car. After a little while it gets ingrained, but the same of course happens on returning so I expect to be fondling the door of the Elise when I get back instead of shifting.

Whilst this is simply funny, a larger deal is one's position on the road. Being used to driving on the left side of the car one is used to looking down a road towards the left side of a lane. A common side effect when switching to a RHD car is to end up with a wheel over the lane due to the driver being so used to positioning themselves on which is now the wrong side of the lane.

 

I own a RHD Mini. I swap between LHD and RHD weekly. I instantly got accustomed to RHD shifting when I first test drove the car. It really was a no brainer. However, the main confusion for me is the damn turn signals since on a RHD car, it is on the right. When I drive the Mini, at least once a trip I try to activate the turn signal with my left hand. And when I drive a LHD car again, I end up trying to activate the turn signal with my right hand!.... I've turned on my wipers in my elise several times! Oh yeah.... forgot to mention the rearview mirror!! First few times, I would look into the top corner of the doorsill instead of the mirror.

Jose Soriano