just getting my two cents in here (and as a method of procrastination)...
I had AC in the RX7, but my MR2 does not. I hardly ever used it when i drove the 7, but having it there when it was brutally hot and when rolling down the windows offered no relief sure is nice. I'll take my Elise with AC, please.
Being that I've never driven the thing, I can't say anything on the power issue, however, from what I've read (e.g. this
Road & Track article ), low power seems to be the *only* shortcoming of this little car. I'm not overly intersted in straight line speed either, but when I put my foot on the go-fast pedal after tearing around a corner, I like to feel something happening. Once the wheel is straightened up, I'd like to be putting down as much power as the tires will transfer to the ground and I'd be willing to bet that everyone in here will say the same thing.
I agree that "handling" (and everything that word encompasses) is the #1 priority, but let's hope they don't skimp on the engine. I really wouldn't mind a *light weight* V6, as long as it didn't pack on too many pounds. I said it before, and I'll probably say it lots more -
<broken record> I'm convinced the Honda K20 is the best motor for this car </broken record>
... even though I'm fairly sure we won't see it unless we do a
Prototype Racing conversion.
It might also be intersting to see what the new Rensis rotary would do in the Elise - assuming it doesn't weigh as much as the 13-B REW from the 3rd gen RX7.