[Sownman]

The car is more attractive in person than it is from the pictures, both front and rear fenders are far more flared (wide) than pictures indicate. The reflectors are as others have said not really an issue. The rest of the vehicle is so striking that they become rapidly invisible. The fit and finish is better than any Lotus every made with one exception. The LOTUS letters across the rear are not raised metal or plastic as I thought, they are stick on vinyl. I was told that is not for the show but the final production design.

Good News for tall people.....

I am 6'2" and had no difficulty entering the car with top on
( I'm also 53 BTW) getting out was more difficult, but liveable. I had at least 4 inches of head clearance with softop on, double what I have in my Vette. Seats are quite narrow though. The Elise diet starts today. Yellow is the clear winner color wise. It works so well with all the black trim pieces. The car looks like a big yellow jacket bumble bee. It is a bright perfect yellow, not too orange, not too green. Tour package is in, LSS and hardtop are out. The softop was better quality than I expected, the tour package one should be better still. I was told again that the LSS is only reccomended for cars that will be run on the track and if your'e not a very skilled driver you'll never push the car beyond what the normal setup will do.

Elise purchase is on track. Wife approves.


Steve

 

[zvezdah1]

Having owned a Europa for many years with raised letters, total pain in the a** to wax the car, invariably you get a lot of gunk built up in the letters.

I would've liked the letters to be clear coated as motorcycle gas tanks are done, but either way is fine by me, and much preferred to the nose badge on the back end.
Chris

 

[jml1952]

Nice report, Steve. Did your wife get into the passenger seat? Or the driver seat? How did she feel about getting in and out? Thanks.

Good choice, by the way. Although Lazer Blue looks tempting, I don't think I could pick it over Saffron Yellow. Especially not for $1200 extra.

 

[Sownman]

Nice report, Steve. Did your wife get into the passenger seat? Or the driver seat? How did she feel about getting in and out? Thanks.

Good choice, by the way. Although Lazer Blue looks tempting, I don't think I could pick it over Saffron Yellow. Especially not for $1200 extra.

We both had a tougher time getting in and out of passenger side with top on. The wheel is really a help not a hinderance. The car would not be improved with a removable steering wheel. Without top no problem either side. Her biggest issue was the sharpness of the edge of the sills. She has some finromyalgia which makes her extra sensitive to such things. I suggested we could get a small flat pillow or foam that could be kept inside to help her cushion the sill edge.

I never considered this car as a daily driver for me and would be even less inclined towards that after laying hands and butt on one today. This car is for driving, period. This is not the car I would want to find waiting for me in a parking lot with someone parked too close, a bag of groceries in arms, and rain falling.

I liked yellow from the first, but was starting to drift towards BRG, or Red or even COM. As soon as I entered the room all thoughts of anything other than yellow were cleared away. Some of the show photos of the yellow made it look kind of faded or milky. It's very pure and deep.


Steve

 

[Ridgemanron]

The car is more attractive in person than it is from the pictures, both front and rear fenders are far more flared (wide) than pictures indicate. The reflectors are as others have said not really an issue. The rest of the vehicle is so striking that they become rapidly invisible. The fit and finish is better than any Lotus every made with one exception. The LOTUS letters across the rear are not raised metal or plastic as I thought, they are stick on vinyl. I was told that is not for the show but the final production design.

Good News for tall people.....

I am 6'2" and had no difficulty entering the car with top on
( I'm also 53 BTW) getting out was more difficult, but liveable. I had at least 4 inches of head clearance with softop on, double what I have in my Vette. Seats are quite narrow though. The Elise diet starts today. Yellow is the clear winner color wise. It works so well with all the black trim pieces. The car looks like a big yellow jacket bumble bee. It is a bright perfect yellow, not too orange, not too green. Tour package is in, LSS and hardtop are out. The softop was better quality than I expected, the tour package one should be better still. I was told again that the LSS is only reccomended for cars that will be run on the track and if your'e not a very skilled driver you'll never push the car beyond what the normal setup will do.

Elise purchase is on track. Wife approves.


Steve

curious to know if
you sat on door sill, then shifted back onto the seat before bringing your legs in one at a time. No one has shown us anything on entering with the top on. -ridgemanron-

 

[banTTor]

I only have to get in once since Im never getting out of the Elise.

I like the snowman his wisdome shines.

 

[ChrisB]

Re: Re: Just got home from the show.

curious to know if
you sat on door sill, then shifted back onto the seat before bringing your legs in one at a time. No one has shown us anything on entering with the top on. -ridgemanron-

That approach might work for a short, thin person, but it's generally hard to get your right leg in that way. Once you raise it up to clear the sill and door, your right knee and the steering wheel want to occupy the same space. At 6' 1", it doesn't work for me.

I first tried the method I used in a Lotus I had a long (very long) time ago. It's actually easier to do than describe, but here goes:

With the driver's door open, stand facing the front of the car. Put your left leg into the foot well in the general direction of the gas pedal. Then, simultaneously, swivel your upper body 90 degrees to the left, bend over so your face is close to your left knee and squat down. This will result in your falling backwards into the seat (a short distance by then), with your left leg hanging out of the door. Actually, the toughest part is getting your left leg in without scuffing the sill or the door panel too badly. It's a simple maneuver, but the longer your leg is and the less flexible you are, the more awkward it is.

As others have said, it is often harder to get out than in, particularly on the passenger side. Gravity helps you get in, but you have to overcome it to get out. You're sitting down lower than the sills and not much to grab onto with your hands to pull yourself up. Some find that the outside hand on the sill or the ground works for them.

 

[smoseley]

Crap. This doesn't help my color choice much. I guess I'm back to yellow! Wish I could see the car so I could make up my mind!

 

[Ridgemanron]

Re: Re: Re: Just got home from the show.

That approach might work for a short, thin person, but it's generally hard to get your right leg in that way. Once you raise it up to clear the sill and door, your right knee and the steering wheel want to occupy the same space. At 6' 1", it doesn't work for me.

I first tried the method I used in a Lotus I had a long (very long) time ago. It's actually easier to do than describe, but here goes:

With the driver's door open, stand facing the front of the car. Put your left leg into the foot well in the general direction of the gas pedal. Then, simultaneously, swivel your upper body 90 degrees to the left, bend over so your face is close to your left knee and squat down. This will result in your falling backwards into the seat (a short distance by then), with your left leg hanging out of the door. Actually, the toughest part is getting your left leg in without scuffing the sill or the door panel too badly. It's a simple maneuver, but the longer your leg is and the less flexible you are, the more awkward it is.

As others have said, it is often harder to get out than in, particularly on the passenger side. Gravity helps you get in, but you have to overcome it to get out. You're sitting down lower than the sills and not much to grab onto with your hands to pull yourself up. Some find that the outside hand on the sill or the ground works for them.

Not only does the gull-wing become more and more necessary now but imagine, down the road, if you ever decide to sell the car
you'll have one of the few that allow easy entry/exit which will enhance your selling price immensely. Add the gull-wing later and it may not match in color that well. - ridgemanron-

 

[ivan1]

with the gullwing - I just wonder - once you get in and are seated - is it easy to reach up and grab the top to close it...