I went through the same trials and tribulations. Heck, I didn’t even know how to drive a manual! I had to take a driving lesson at the prime age of 37.

In any case, I rented a bunch of sports cars on Turo - all mid engined and/or rear wheel with a manual. Got me a lot more comfortable. That would be my advice. It’s different than driving a standard car, but only when you start pushing it, which you can do slowly.

As for the car itself. I think you know your priorities best. In my case, I wanted as “true” of a sports car as you can get and was in love with the Elise as a kid. My wife also put up a fight about it due to safety, but I just expressed how important it was to me and that I’ve wanted one since childhood. It somehow worked!

My Elise is now the second love of my life -
and both the loves of my life surprisingly get along better than I ever hoped!

 

Thanks for the reply! I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one having trouble here.

I actually looked into the whole Turo thing this summer and my problem there is I live in a midwest city of about 100k. Sadly not really any cars on Turo near me. I'd have to make a trip to Minneapolis - which of course is doable. But much more inconvenient.

The driving lessons are a good suggestion to get my confidence up in manual again. I'll have to do some searching!

Thanks again!

 

My exige is actually the first car I bought for myself!

Before that I inherited my grandpa's Jeep Grand Cherokee and I've owned two sportbikes, one being a CBR600RR.

My bike was my first high performance vehicle and I'd say it prepped me a lot for my exige, which has been my dream car since high school.

That being said, if you're going for an Evora, I don't have direct experience, but most owners here will tell you it's probably the most naturally comfortable Lotus to get in and start driving. Especially for the price.

It's better to just get what you want the first time and grow into it.

If you haven't sat in a Lotus yet, I'm sure some members nearby you would be happy to meet up. But tbh I bought my Exige without that experience and I have no regrets.

I'd say the most important prequisites are having garage space and a reliable shop nearby. And fun open roads 😊

 

That's a good call out about the garage situation. We currently have a 2 car garage occupied by the previously mentioned Acura and then our second car is an old 2006 Toyota Highlander that we use as a work vehicle and for anything we don't wanna get messy in the newer Acura.

Obviously we would kick the Highlander out of the garage to the driveway.

As for service there's actually a lot of good mechanics in my local area, and I'm not afraid to tinker myself. Worst case I could head to Minneapolis about 90 mins away.

 

We'll just say, it's a really great time to buy an Emira. We have some 2024 cars that have a "triple savings" over ordering a 2026 car because the 2024s had a lower MSRP than 25/26 models, were pre-tariff, and currently we have some exclusive offers on select cars in our inventory. If you're curious about the Emira, we could get more specific and see if we could make one work for you.

The Emira is going to be the most "spouse-approved", as it's the most comfortable and refined. In "Tour" mode you can sort of forget it's an extremely capable sports car and hold a conversation without raising your voices. Plus it has reachable cup holders, modern infotainment, and premium materials.

We have Turbo and V6 cars available, so up to you whether you want to re-familiarize with rowing your own gears. There are a lot of manual loyalists around here and we understand that, but the Turbo car with the 8-speed DCT is a riot in its own right.

 

reachable cup holders, modern infotainment

@Reklis Don't be seduced! I added a double-cup holder and a modern BT-ready head unit to my Elise so I could stream music from the apps on my phone. You can do the same... 😜

The Emira is gorgeous and very nice to drive, although the seats are MASSIVE AND HEAVY, and you will feel like you are sitting ON them rather than IN them. The Elise seats are basically on the floor, and hold me in place nicely, even though they are the stock seats. With that said, the Emira is a very nice car, and I definitely would love to have a manual one (with lighter/better seats) sometime down the road!

 

The Elise and Exige (referred to collectively as "Elige") are actually quite safe unless something literally drives over the top of you - and in that context the Evora and Emira aren't much taller.

Have you sat in an Elige? When you drop down into the seats you're surrounded by the "tub" which provides significant protection from side impacts. The designers specifically wanted that feeling, and reality, of being surrounded and IMHO they achieved it.

If you're rusty on a manual you'll find that the lightweight flywheel is a bit easier to stall until you get the feel of this drivetrain. There's just not as much mass to carry it through clutching errors on your part. But you will quickly learn what these cars ask of you, and then they will reward you with the best driving experience mere mortals can afford.

Good luck with your search!

 

I will absolutely be making it my goal to at least sit in all the cars possible before making a decision thanks for the insight!

 

So in LT's experience did you all just jump into your Lotus as your first sports car? If not, what did you have before? Does anyone have any good suggestions for maybe a good "stepping stone" that might give me a taste of that Lotus feel/experience?

Why do you need to have a different (lesser) sports car before getting a Lotus? While I had a Cayman S before I owned my Elise (and then both for a year and a half), that was because when I was first in the market for an Elise in 2019, I couldn't find one in my desired spec and price range at that time. I had desired the Elise since falling in love with the S1 in the late 90's after reading about it in EVO magazine, and was disappointed by my failure to find an Elise. The Cayman S was a ton of fun (and I do miss that car greatly, as it provided a different experience to the Elise), but the Elise was my realistic dream car.

Once you drive an Elise, you will realize that there is nothing quite like it. Other sports cars are so much heavier and don't have go-kart handling like the Elise. You'll see it said here on LT a lot that the Elise will ruin you for other cars. Drive one and you can find out why for yourself. 😉

The Elise is truly stunning, but I need something my wife will ride in - and I'm worried the Elise is just too "exposed" for her liking.

I bought my Elise for myself, but I do really enjoy taking my kids or my wife on drives (usually for early morning breakfasts that are at a café at the end of one of my great local roads). My wife tolerated my Elise and liked it okay, but missed my Cayman S for the extra space and creature comforts (like you might get with an Evora).

With that said, I convinced her to join me on a week-long drive with the LCCBC two weeks ago to the Kootenays of BC. While the upgraded Penskes (and upgraded AD09s) made the ride more comfortable and compliant (which she noticed) and the earplugs dialed down the noise, she thoroughly enjoyed all the spirited drives and fun roads over the course of 7 days and over 2000km (and YES, itnis possible to pack a TON of stuff into the trunk and cabin). She actually said to me a couple of evenings ago as she was remembering this trip that she wished we were in the Elise on another one of those drives! My point is, don't make assumptions about what you THINK she might or might not like. You might be pleasantly surprised (as she might be herself) that she becomes a lover of Lotus as well. 😉👍🏻

I'd say the most important prequisites are having garage space and a reliable shop nearby. And fun open roads 😊

This is definitely true, particularly if you are like me and will not be doing your own maintenance. While these cars are apparently quite simple to work on based on the comments and experiences of many here on LT, I use a local indie mechanic 10 minutes from me who has a ton of Lotus/Elise knowledge and experience.

I also am blessed to live in an area with some nice roads (with the Sea-to-Sky Highway being my personal favourite). The Elise is fun to drive wherever, but the car comes ALIVE in the twisties. I love it, and that's why you will often find me going out at 3am when the roads are nearly deserted to have a bit of 4-wheeled fun while enjoying the sounds of the 2nd cam! 💯

To sum up, go see and experience the Elise and Evora for yourself (try to find local owners or the local Lotus club to sit in or get a ride in them). Once you experience these, you'll realize that you will be selling yourself short if you "settle" for a "stepping stone" sports car when you could afford a Lotus in the first place.

Happy hunting! 👍🏻

 

Why do you need to have a different (lesser) sports car before getting a Lotus? While I had a Cayman S before I owned my Elise (and then both for a year and a half), that was because when I was first in the market for an Elise in 2019, I couldn't find one in my desired spec and price range at that time. I had desired the Elise since falling in love with the S1 in the late 90's after reading about it in EVO magazine, and was disappointed by my failure to find an Elise. The Cayman S was a ton of fun (and I do miss that car greatly, as it provided a different experience to the Elise), but the Elise was my realistic dream car.

Once you drive an Elise, you will realize that there is nothing quite like it. Other sports cars are so much heavier and don't have go-kart handling like the Elise. You'll see it said here on LT a lot that the Elise will ruin you for other cars. Drive one and you can find out why for yourself. 😉


I bought my Elise for myself, but I do really enjoy taking my kids or my wife on drives (usually for early morning breakfasts that are at a café at the end of one of my great local roads). My wife tolerated my Elise and liked it okay, but missed my Cayman S for the extra space and creature comforts (like you might get with an Evora).

With that said, I convinced her to join me on a week-long drive with the LCCBC two weeks ago to the Kootenays of BC. While the upgraded Penskes (and upgraded AD09s) made the ride more comfortable and compliant (which she noticed) and the earplugs dialed down the noise, she thoroughly enjoyed all the spirited drives and fun roads over the course of 7 days and over 2000km (and YES, itnis possible to pack a TON of stuff into the trunk and cabin). She actually said to me a couple of evenings ago as she was remembering this trip that she wished we were in the Elise on another one of those drives! My point is, don't make assumptions about what you THINK she might or might not like. You might be pleasantly surprised (as she might be herself) that she becomes a lover of Lotus as well. 😉👍🏻


This is definitely true, particularly if you are like me and will not be doing your own maintenance. While these cars are apparently quite simple to work on based on the comments and experiences of many here on LT, I use a local indie mechanic 10 minutes from me who has a ton of Lotus/Elise knowledge and experience.

I also am blessed to live in an area with some nice roads (with the Sea-to-Sky Highway being my personal favourite). The Elise is fun to drive wherever, but the car comes ALIVE in the twisties. I love it, and that's why you will often find me going out at 3am when the roads are nearly deserted to have a bit of 4-wheeled fun while enjoying the sounds of the 2nd cam! 💯

To sum up, go see and experience the Elise and Evora for yourself (try to find local owners or the local Lotus club to sit in or get a ride in them). Once you experience these, you'll realize that you will be selling yourself short if you "settle" for a "stepping stone" sports car when you could afford a Lotus in the first place.

Happy hunting! 👍🏻

Thanks for the great reply!

You are really selling the Elise to me right now... I'll definitely put lots of consideration into an Elise especially if I can get the wife on board like you are saying.

 

We had a member a few years back that was buying a Elise to learn to drive in. Never driven manual or auto. You always have the option of Evora with IPS. That's the route I went as I get older and moving hands more difficult it was a great way to still enjoy driving a Lotus and not have to be concerned with shifting or if you like to shift you can use the paddles on the steering wheel.

 

Came from the Honda world previously. Lots of folks here graduated from the S2000 to a Lotus. Great as those cars may be, the Elige is just on another level. My wife likes to ride in our Elise, and the fit and harshness isn’t that bad. Evora would certainly offer more creature comforts though. Get a ride along for sure from someone in your area. Coming from an MDX, you’ll feel like your butt is dragging the pavement for a while in either car, but that goes away after a short while. Don’t worry about getting your mojo back with a stick, these cars are pretty forgiving to drive. Toyota powertrain after all…

 

Love to hear it! Thanks a bunch for the insights.

 

I'll add my $0.02 as someone who was in your same situation and ended up buying an old Miata as a "trainer" sports car before getting my Exige. Something like a Miata or MR2 or S2000 are more forgiving and accessible options to explore the basics of lightweight, low-power, RWD sports cars performance driving because their limits are lower than a Lotus, so you can push the car and build confidence and learn from mistakes that might bite you in something with a higher envelope like an Elise or Evora but with less consequences. Things like weight transfer and momentum and trail braking apply to all sports cars so getting that experience regardless of where it comes from will go a long way to helping you feel "prepared" for a Lotus and I'm definitely a better driver and feel more confident after owning my Miata for as long as I did.

That being said, there's no replacement for seat time and I feel like I learned just as much driving in my Exige in the first three weeks and 1400mi of ownership as I learned in seven years of owning my Miata just because of how much feedback and communication the Lotus gives you. You can tell exactly what the car is doing and what effects your inputs have which gives you a ton of confidence to slowly (emphasis on slowly) push the car more and more (for example, in just a few days I went from taking the back roads around my house in the Exige 10mph slower than my Miata to 15mph faster) and honestly getting that level of familiarity in the car you own or want to own pretty quickly starts to outweigh more practice in anything else. Not saying I regret waiting so long to get my own Lotus but there are definitely diminishing returns so my take is if you want a Lotus, buy one and just drive the damn thing and soon enough it'll feel like second nature.

Also don't let anyone steer you away from Evoras, I rented a base S1 for a week and 600mi a few years ago and have ridden and driven my friend's GT and I can't recommend any Evora enough, between the performance, later build quality, and actual features it's basically the perfect sports car if you want an incredible driving experience while still being comfortable enough for other people. If you can afford it the GT is definitely the way to go though, once you experience the power you can't go back.

 

Wow thanks for the great reply. The Miata or comparable sports car thing makes sense to me... I can always sell it once my dream Evora pops up. Even if I need to sit on it a bit it's not like I'll have a ton of money into it.

I like the idea of the GT a lot but the price difference is pretty staggering to me. +40k in some cases when compared to the S. I mean I could damn near have both the Evora S and the Elise for that price. I would love a side by side comparison of the S and GT someday.

Maybe when I'm 45 I'll upgrade to the GT. In the meantime 35 year old me can enjoy the S haha.

 

Have owned 5 Elige total (as well as 4 Europas and a Turbo Esprit) and a Pontiac Solstice Coupe (mechanically the same as a Saturn Sky). I can tell you the Kappa platform cars (Solstice/Sky) don’t even feel like a sports car after driving an Elige. My Solstice Coupe drew a lot of attention because of its rarity (more Exiges in the US than Solstice Coupes) but my Honda Fit DD was actually more fun to drive.

 

Secondary plug for getting a beater Miata to make sure you enjoy lightweight manuals before committing to a Lotus. Doesn't matter how many miles you put on it, within reason, and someone will always buy for basically the same price you paid.

Try and find some folks in your area, the Elise might surprise you with how easy it is to get in and out of with the top off, you don't feel exposed at all when seated down in the bucket.

 

The Elise was my first true sports car and the first manual transmission car I've owned. My manual skills were not strong when I bought it. I found it much easier to shift than other manuals I've driven. The Elise gives you a lot of feedback, so it's easy to know if you're making small mistakes and its easy to know how to adjust your technique to avoid them.

 

I vote just go for the Lotus. None of these are all that fast. It's not like you're jumping straight into a McLaren 765LT or a big block Shelby Cobra or something. Any modern Lotus is docile enough to get acquainted with it at your own pace.

I came from a string of BMWs into an Evora S. I opted for the Evora over the Elise for usability reasons. No regrets whatsoever.

From my own (albeit limited) track experience, the Evora is quite forgiving for a mid-engine car at the cornering limit. I have yet to back it off any corners, or even get close.

 

I will just say that if you’d really like to get an Emira, but the price is a little high, consider contacting Hayes at Wirewheel in Vero Beach. He’s a big supporter of our community, and probably the biggest part of his business is repairing and selling rebuilt title Lotus. To be sure, not all of them have rebuilt titles though. Many of us (me included) have bought such cars from him with excellent results.

Right now he doesn’t have any Emiras listed on his site, but he may have a couple in the works. The Emiras he sells with rebuilt titles run about the same price as a clean titled GT is getting right now.

Just another option to get into the most refined and comfortable sportscar Lotus has ever built. The one your wife would like the most.

Now, having said that, the Evora is also very comfortable. It can just be a little more challenging to enter and exit.

 

Take the EvorA 400 my friend if possible. NO REGRTS FOR SURE. Impressive grip. I always had sports cars but nothing compares. Extremely pleasure driving (despite the comfort due to hard suspensions) but very comfortable Recaro seats. Power and power delivery amazing. The supercharger gives you torque, high torque since low rpm till the redline. Moreover if you are crazy like me, with a good tune, 72" pulley on supercharger, TCU software, COLD AIR INTAKE, becomes a BEAST. If you remove with 300 euro the 3rd kat, the sound is like a Ferrari. All the guy take video at traffic light. trust me.
PS: You have 2 seats more in the back, in reality aren't properly seats... but if you have children are suitable for some years

 

I say just go for the Lotus. But… an Evora clutch job is about 10k depending who does the work (body off and engine out) - so just keep that in mind. I imagine you’ll learn quickly and not shorten the life of the clutch too much.

Conversely: Miata, BRZ/GR86, Mustang - all easily obtained and cheap. They would be good trainer cars. I had all prior to the GT. Still miss the Miata from a sound system and drop top perspective.

 

But… an Evora clutch job is about 10k depending who does the work (body off and engine out) - so just keep that in mind.

I'm somewhat searching for an Evora (anything from NA to 400), no interest in the GT or Emira.
The quoted statement above scares me.

 

There's a surprising amount of conversation here. Go find a car you like and test drive it to see if you like it. You don't build up in progression to buying a street car. You just get it.

 

Thanks everyone for the responses. Way more than I could ever have anticipated! Really feels welcoming as a new member. Thanks a bunch!

I have lots to consider.... And will probably need to read through all the great responses a couple times to really decide where to go from here. I'll try to update if I do make any exciting moves!

 

I have lots to consider.... And will probably need to read through all the great responses a couple times to really decide where to go from here.

Sure, you have a lot to consider. I have seen your future, and know where you will land. This is you, but you just don't know it yet... 😊👍🏻

 

Yo Reklis...........
first of all.... the name.........don't be reckless.......doubt you really are but interesting name there.
second.........do you think anybody, with no experience, got into an Indy car and just got onto the grid....same for you and the Lotus.
so........
for at least about the first 100 drives in the car....keep telling yourself this > Speed will come.....speed will come.

Translation: over an extended period of time, you take it very easy and learn the car......don't Auto-X it or track it or maybe even get past 3,800 RPM in any gear......resist the temptation of power.......shift slowly with the clutch deeply depressed.....ignore any idiot in traffic that challenges you.....don't show off in front of others, Speed will come.
There is no one on the street waiting to hand you your trophy.

It's a lot of car.......in a straight line or in the corners.

 

Fully agree with resisting the temptation to drive like an idiot on the street, but why would autocross not be a good place to learn? Wide open spaces with tons of room to push the car and only cones to hit when things go wrong sounds like a pretty safe environment to slowly build speed.

 

I love my car, I really do. Maybe I have a good one but I don't find anything unrefined, slow, unreliable, uncomfortable or less than thrilling on the better roads around here. I can make a supportable argument for a 400 or GT as the best, most Lotus-ey car you can actually use most of the time that splits all the differences very well. Day to day driving my seven year old 400 around I don't see anyone having more fun than I am having. The Evora remains a great usable sports car that stands apart from the crowd and is a ton of fun on any road and good enough on long slogs as well. Values seem to be hanging in there too. That's my argument. It's a great Lotus.

 

My path was 08 Ford focus, manual. 94 Integra (no VTEC), manual. 17 Evora 400 manual.

First rwd. First >150hp. First mid engine. No issue.

So your 3000GT is way more like an Evora than anything I had owned prior 😂.

Sure i'd driven friends/family luxo barge Germans & SUV. I seriously thought about a golf R or focus RS but decided those ultimately would just be stepping stones that would delay an evora rather than save/wait 3 years and just get the car I wanted.

Managed to get a lap or two in on a C8 & 911 before test driving the Evora - which was nice to have as a frame of reference.

Don't be an idiot on the street. If you're pushing g levels you aren't positive are good, do it where there's run off and you won't trash the car. It's still 4 rubbery bits we call tires holding you to the road. You mash gas and yank the wheel around and they no sticky like any other vehicle.

For me the biggest new things for the Evora were:

1) while the steering communicates, there is actual weight coming around. It's not german Luxorbarge. But it's also not 90's Honda tin can.

2) you actually have the power to pass on 2 lane roads.

3) the rear of the chassis takes a 'set' at the start of corners. Let it settle a touch before adding more wheel.

4) I had a 1/4" rear toe out apparently. It was very squirrelly at an autocross and crossing the middle road rumble strips. Getting an alignment solved that 😅. Being new to mid engine I just assumed they all did that, sir. Until my rear sidewalls cracked with at least 50% tread left.

 

Don't drive crazy (i.e. don't dump the clutch all the time, don't use an Evora/Emira to teach people how to drive a manual) and it should never be an issue. Another user here and I recently realized that (knock on wood) neither of us has ever replaced a clutch in any car we've owned. Barring infant mortality you should be fine.

The reason it's expensive is it requires the engine and transaxle to be pulled from the car, as opposed to just dropping the transmission as with Eliges and most other vehicles. It's a side effect of how things had to be packaged. The parts aren't expensive, it's the labor.

 

I've thought about having to do an Evora clutch at home. I'd prefer to do it myself because I'm guaranteed to be more detail oriented than any dealer's service tech on my own car, it would teach so much about the car in the process, and I'd love to save the money. But I don't have an engine hoist so that would be a new expense. Of course, I'd have a $10K savings budget to work with....