Hey everyone. Name is Chase. Long story short I'm a youngster (21) and started working when I was 14 and saved up to buy a 3000gt vr4. I leaned more about cars on that complicated thing than any other car. But I eventually sold it, and got the 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII SSL I'm in now. I've done quite a bit of work to her and she's dynoing at just shy of 400whp. But.... My dream car has always been a lotus elise. So I now am Working my tail off to hopefully be able to obtain one within a year. Maybe a year and a half. So I just wanted to go ahead and join the forums and start participating pretty much!
Out of an Evo, into a lotus
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524 Posts
Welcome!
If you spend 30-40 hours reading through the forum posts you'll have an objective opinion if the Elise is right for you. I'll spare you the fatherly advise
and welcome your questions. I suggest you start with the "uberposts" to better understand the good, bad, and ugly elements of Lotus ownership. When researching a specific topic I suggest you click on the "search" tab but use the Google based search feature - it's much more capable than the forum based search.
Cheers! :UK:
If you spend 30-40 hours reading through the forum posts you'll have an objective opinion if the Elise is right for you. I'll spare you the fatherly advise
and welcome your questions. I suggest you start with the "uberposts" to better understand the good, bad, and ugly elements of Lotus ownership. When researching a specific topic I suggest you click on the "search" tab but use the Google based search feature - it's much more capable than the forum based search.Cheers! :UK:
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708 Posts
Welcome, Chase.
You'll find a wealth of information here. Be sure to read the Uberthread. The Elise is a great reliable exotic and more fun than anything short of driving a shifter kart on the highway. Will you have a "normal" car in addition to the Elise? What part of the country do you live in? This is a very different car from the high power AWD, huge interior space cars you've owned. Get a ride in one if you have not already. There are some members here who daily drive the car but it certainly is a chore getting into and out of the car.
You'll find a wealth of information here. Be sure to read the Uberthread. The Elise is a great reliable exotic and more fun than anything short of driving a shifter kart on the highway. Will you have a "normal" car in addition to the Elise? What part of the country do you live in? This is a very different car from the high power AWD, huge interior space cars you've owned. Get a ride in one if you have not already. There are some members here who daily drive the car but it certainly is a chore getting into and out of the car.
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3,229 Posts
With those kinds of cars and that kind of HP, it seems like you are more interested in straight-lining or drifting than the finesse of great handling...exactly what the Lotus is not. This is complete turnaround to what you have been buying. Have you really thought this through completely? Have you ever driven a Lotus? It takes a specific peculiar breed to enjoy a Lotus... If you are, then let me be the first to welcome you to the asylum.
Thanks for the welcoming guys. I am going for a ride in one next weekend with his guy in town. We agreed to take each other for a spin. I have accepted that im going into a car that is very different in nature, which im perfectly fine with. Though I am a little nervous going from AWD to RWD. I'm going to have to relearn what me and the car is capable of in the turns. I do a lot of autocrossing and rallycrossing, not much straight-lining for me. So I think that's why the lotus would be fun (minus the rallying).
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60 Posts
First off. Welcome to the forums! I had an 03 Evo 8 (just shy of 500 awhp), traded that in for my 08 Evo X. I still have my Evo X and just about a month or so ago picked up an 05 Elise, and let me tell you, they are completely different cars. If you plan on DD this car, please test drive one, or ask someone in your area if they will give you a ride. What area are you from?
400awhp is not that much for an Evo. You have to keep in mind the power to weight ratios on these cars. An Evo is a heavy car in comparison. My 03 was about 3300lbs and my 08 is 3500lbs.... the Lotus stock comes in around 1900lbs. That being said and assuming the same ratio, how many Lotus do you know that are over 230hp and that are track driven? I will agree with your statement however that it really takes a specific "breed" to truly enjoy the Lotus.
Welcome again Chase!
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5,195 Posts
Welcome! The Elise is an amazing machine. Remember not to lift when in a turn. It is definitely a different driving experience.
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3,229 Posts
The point that I was trying to illustrate was that there is a big difference between people that own Lotuses and people that enjoy owning Lotuses... and that breed has issues like I have...
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60 Posts
Not sure what you are trying to say here. I own and enjoy my lotus. I also own and enjoy my evo.
I have lots of issues.:facepalm
I was in almost the same boat as you a few years ago. I had a built 2006 STi but a Lotus had always been a dream car(until I can get to a Ferrari or Lamborghini) and when I found out they were in my price range I sold my STi and bought an elise without ever riding in one or driving one. It only took me a week to sell my STi and fly to Colorado to buy my car and i am never looking back. The STi was so much more exhilarating in a straight line but I have never been disappointed with the Lotus. I don't daily drive my Lotus like I did my STi so if thats your plan make sure you can do that. I did track days with my STi and its not even comparable to the Lotus in any way. I too was worried about going from AWD---> RWD and the Lotus is so much more of a car that I realized my STi was almost harder to drive than the Lotus. I can drive the lotus faster around the track than I could my STi without any worry, now getting to the edge of grip on the Lotus that can mean some spins but so much more fun and grip than AWD car was.
So welcome to the forum. Just make sure this car is for you since its a big difference but for somebody like me a difference I can not go back from and don't want too either!
So welcome to the forum. Just make sure this car is for you since its a big difference but for somebody like me a difference I can not go back from and don't want too either!
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461 Posts
Welcome, I too have an Evo, in particular an Evolution 6 TME and will be getting an Exige within the next 2-3 months. The Evo was my first car (no it wasn't given to me) that I too had to work night and day for. Built from the ground up. However the day I got a ride in an Exige (a 2006 nonetheless) was the day I was sold. I had never been in a car quite like it, and it was so tiny in person!
Do you have any photos of your Evo?
Do you have any photos of your Evo?
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663 Posts
Ex STi owner here. Welcome!
Current 07 STI owner and 07 Elise owner!
Love them both, two different cars, wouldn't want to get rid of either. If you plan on Daily Driving your Lotus... - your a smaller/skinnier man than I am!
Lol - good luck and welcome to the forum!
(FYI - the Elise was the only car I have ever purchased without driving or even seeing the actual car) - no regrets
Love them both, two different cars, wouldn't want to get rid of either. If you plan on Daily Driving your Lotus... - your a smaller/skinnier man than I am!
Lol - good luck and welcome to the forum!
(FYI - the Elise was the only car I have ever purchased without driving or even seeing the actual car) - no regrets
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3,229 Posts
Why should you be any different? :wallbang:
I apologize for the poor pictures ahead of time. I found one of the old vr4 too.
The Elise would be my daily, I just couldn't afford more than one car at the moment. But I'm ok with the Spartan approach to the creature comforts. The Evo's interior is quite Spartan, but it is much bigger... Thanks for all the advice guys. The evo will be missed tremendously, but im ready for a new chapter!
The Elise would be my daily, I just couldn't afford more than one car at the moment. But I'm ok with the Spartan approach to the creature comforts. The Evo's interior is quite Spartan, but it is much bigger... Thanks for all the advice guys. The evo will be missed tremendously, but im ready for a new chapter!
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Sure you can! Just do what I did... bought a ****ty rust-bucket to drive around town daily. Sure it sucks, but it gets great mpg, I paid under a grand for it, and it saves me over $300/mo on insurance for my Exige.
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2,978 Posts
Unless of course you have a Blackwatch Racing Hard Core swaybar in the front and the turn is on a proper autocross lot, then lift away!
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