how do you wash a lotus? i see a lot of concern about driving in the rain. will soap harm critical parts when it goes into the mesh?
There is a lot of information on this forum about detailing the Elise/Exige, just search around.
One thing about these cars that's different from other cars is, that you want to wash them with the nose pointing downhill (if you're on an inclined surface like a driveway). Otherwise, you'll collect a lot of the wash water in your trunk. Even with the nose pointing down the incline, you may get some water there so I'd advise putting a towel down or at least removing anything that you don't want getting wet.
Power washers are not recommended because they may damage the starshield. But as long as you're careful about not blasting very close to the surface and esp. near the edges of the starshield, and as long as it's not a super-powerful power washer, you should be fine.