[pinmagic]

I called my insurance company yesterday to set up insurance on the Elise (so I'd have it in place when it arrives). All was fine until the rep asked me how many miles I plan to put on the car each year. I told him 3K - 4K annually. Then it hit me -- I'm paying $45000, plus sales tax, plus annual property tax in VA, plus additional insurance. I'm getting a car that's cramped, noisy, potentially unreliable (with only 1 repair shop in the area, an hour's drive away), which handles great, but will probably never see a track day in its life. All for a car I'll be driving only 3-4K miles a year.

But then I look at this photo, and I just have to smile.
http://www.cpdserver.com/elisetalk/pic/color/bordeauxred/view18.jpg

God, this car is hot.

 

[Racer X]

This is why I will be using it as a daily driver. Why get a fabulous car and not drive. I will probably be putting 12K miles a year on it, maybe more. This will makes smiles per buck much higher

I encourage everyone to use it as a daily driver. This will improve my resale value as then I won't be the only one with average car miles on it.

Drive it like you enjoy it!

Greg

 

[Derek]

I called my insurance company yesterday to set up insurance on the Elise (so I'd have it in place when it arrives). All was fine until the rep asked me how many miles I plan to put on the car each year. I told him 3K - 4K annually. Then it hit me -- I'm paying $45000, plus sales tax, plus annual property tax in VA, plus additional insurance. I'm getting a car that's cramped, noisy, potentially unreliable (with only 1 repair shop in the area, an hour's drive away), which handles great, but will probably never see a track day in its life. All for a car I'll be driving only 3-4K miles a year.

But then I look at this photo, and I just have to smile.
http://www.cpdserver.com/elisetalk/pic/color/bordeauxred/view18.jpg

God, this car is hot.

I'll drive it everywhere but work. I can't wait

 

[HoopyFrood]

I encourage everyone to use it as a daily driver. This will improve my resale value as then I won't be the only one with average car miles on it.

Which brings up an interesting point. If you were in the market for a used 2005 Elise in 2009, would you rather have one with 50,000 miles on it, one with 5,000 on it, or one with 500 on it?

Before you answer, consider that the one with 50,000 has probably been used pretty reiliably daily, whereas the one with 5,000 could have been either a babied third vehicle, a drive to track and thrash on track car, or in the shop for repairs 9 months out of every 12. The one with 500 could have been a show car, a track car, or a neglected fluids-left-in-it-undriven-for-4-years-while-the-estate-is-settled car.

Just curious.

 

[zvezdah1]

probably happier with a car well maintained averaging 7-10000 miles a year.
Chris

 

[LotusLust]

my guess is that i will be putting something like 5000-7500 on per year. it will be used 20% of the time that i currently drive the spyder (plus a little since it will be very hard to resist) and the spyder racks up 24k a year

 

[adamant]

I wonder if Lotus recommend any winter tyres
I'll be driving mine every chance I get. Might even have to arrange some driving tours through some of the best secondary roads in UT,CO,ID & WY

 

[babak]

I'm going to drive the bejesus out of mine, no weekend car here, unless we're having a summer tornado or a winter ice storm.

 

[TimMullen]

This will improve my resale value as then I won't be the only one with average car miles on it.

Resale value? What's that? :huh:
I still have (and am keeping) my '72 Elan.
Why would I ever want to sell a Lotus...:no: :no:

Tim Mullen

 

[shay2nak]

Re: Re: It Just Hit Me....

I'll drive it everywhere but work. I can't wait

i will drive mine to work, but I'll try to keep it secret for as long as i can. Luckly only the other juniors know I have a Merc and only a handful know I'm buying the Elise. There are a few jealous bastards at work who don't like to see junior profs buying expensive cars after 1 year of work when they've been here 10,15,30 years. I hate people like that.

 

[Miguel]

I probably will never drive my Elise at all.

By the time my car gets here, we will have flying cars like the Jetsons, so I could only try to drive my Elise in a historical race track, but probably they will have some silly rules that won't allow you to drive on them since they are historical land marks

Sure, I'll get my car by 04, the problem is what century!!!!!

 

[scot]

wait a minute. I think we are all missing something here. NOT GOING TO THE TRACK? What kind of crack are you smoking? You have Summit Point AND VIR in close proximity and you are not going to use your elise even once at the track?

Yes, I am somewhat joking, but then again, there is the "Christ man, are you daft?" feeling in the back of my head. The car was ment for the track. I kid you not, going to a DE to push my car has been the single best "event" I have ever done.

Of course it is a terrible evil addiction, but its worth it!

Scot

02 Ducati ST4s
04 CRG Kali/Leopard

 

[agent.5]

I will still pick a 5K mile cars instead of a 50K mile car. Low miles is always better.

For some of us that live in the city, it is almost impossible to drive more than 5000 miles total a year.

 

[pinmagic]

wait a minute. I think we are all missing something here. NOT GOING TO THE TRACK? What kind of crack are you smoking? You have Summit Point AND VIR in close proximity and you are not going to use your elise even once at the track?

I did the BSR at Summit Point a couple of years ago in my 91 Turbo MR2. It was a blast. I actually have a gift cert for another session, but I didn't want to take my 02 MR2 Spyder out there. Part of the reason is that it's a sequential manual transmission (SMT), and I'm just not sure I want to subject the SMT to that. There are already technical issues with the SMT (esp with the first model year, which I have), and I just don't want to push it that hard. And I really don't have a burning desire to get back on the track.

Having said that, once the newness of the Elise wears off, I suspect I'll be tempted to use my gift certificate, if only to make everyone else on the track jealous!

 

[zvezdah1]

Having done track days in both car and motorcycle. Once you've been on the track on a bike, never even think about the car thing anymore.

My elise is for the street, my bike's for the track.
Chris

 

[babak]

Of course it is a terrible evil addiction, but its worth it!

Scot

02 Ducati ST4s
04 CRG Kali/Leopard

Which one, the Ducati or the DE?

 

[perryeyges]

I'm getting too old for the old bounce and slide, leathers to asphalt thing.
I used to do the motorcycle thing at the track but too many broken ribs and a concussion have made me look favorably at the car/track combo..
I'll be driving the Elise every day to work as well as autocross and road courses. I live right in the middle of Sears pt., Laguna Seca, and Thunderhill. When the weather gets really bad the M/C van will work.
Perry____

 

[TotallyGreen]

i'm looking at 15-17k miles a year on it personally.