I also wrestle with the pricing issue. I don't have a personal issue with the car's price -- I would spend more on a car, probably -- but my family doesn't get my need for two fast cars, and even most of the better-paid guys at my work think having anything but a Honda or a "sensible" SUV is decadent. Shoot, they think my E36 M3 -- now worth about $13,000 -- is some kind of fancy-pants luxury car.
So I am sensitive to the pricing question. How much people make at my business is always sensitive, because everyone knows the editors make less than the sales people. As someone rooted in editorial, the fact that I can buy a car as exotic-looking as the Elise will raise some eyebrows.
Currently, I tell people it costs less than a Boxster, less than any BMW 5 series car, less than most Lexuses and M-Bs... This puts it in immediate perspective for people who don't appreciate cars.
When the car arrives, I'm going to issue a FAQ, and put it in the company newsletter. I'm going to offer people drives, and tell them exactly what it costs. I'd rather head off the controversy from day one. As Dennis Miller would say, "drive directly into the skid."