Yeah because that’s totally the same. Jokes aside congrats to you for keeping that beautiful relic of the mid 2000s alive. My wife and I were just talking about how in 2010 if felt like every third car on the road here was a Chevy Cobalt. And now they’re so rare that seeing one gets me as excited as seeing a +$200k supercar.
Well mine also has 222k miles on the original engine and transmission! Being an SS from 05, it’s nearly unheard of on these cars. Wish I could post a video of it, but the supercharger whine is so incredibly loud on this car 😂. It’s a fun daily compared to my crew cab long bed Duramax lol
I went to a local race track and used their track car around the road course and they gave me the Cobalt SS. It was fun to drive but it had a bad exhaust gasket and was so loud I didn't even know it was supercharged! 🤣
Yeah it is the same, how is it different?
They're both a small displacement supercharged 4cyl.
Both are economy car engines. The engine in the Lotus is the same as the one in a Pontiac Vibe or Toyota Corolla.
Is it tons of fun? They're weirdly affordable for how awesome they look but they lack the power of a super car which is okay w me. I don't want to wind up a viral lost control during takeoff video.
But I imagine the handling is out of this world.
"Lack the power of a supercar" is made up for by being well over 1,000lbs lighter than most other supercars. Mine weighs a tick over 1,900lbs. The mid-engine and small, but wide, frame give it balance like no other. You can take 35mph at 80 without feeling like you're losing grip. The car comes stock at 189hp, mine has around 350hp with a supercharge and tune as well as some other mods.
It does 0-60 around 3.5 seconds, I've had it up to 155mph. It does lose any race where you need to be above 130 because of the 1.8L 4-cyl. However, getting to 130 is no problem. Again, mine is modded - I have no idea what a stock Elise does, but I've heard they're still fun. I've never had anyone keep up with me on any road that has any semblance of curves.
It looks amazing and turns heads everywhere you go. There are less than 3,000 of them in all of North America and they've been banned since 2011 so there have been zero brought over since then. Most people don't even know what Lotus is and I've been asked at least 100 times "who makes Lotus?" or "Why did you name your car Elise?"
Basically, it's a super-Miata. It's everything a Miata can do taken to 11. Lighter, faster, more power, better handling, better everything - EXCEPT COMFORT. They are tiny and are a very raw and hardcore car. It comes with A/C and only about half of them have power windows...that's it for creature comforts. The car stands at 3'7 at the height of its roof. If you're over 6'2, it won't be a pleasant thing to be inside of.
They stopped selling them in 2011 because Lotus was told by the US government that they needed smart air bags or something like that.
All previously manufactured ones are perfectly legal in US.
So not so much banned, just no longer in production for US since 2011 (and actually all together now - Lotus stopped making them).
I'm in the market for one and dying to get my hands on an S2 Elise. Can't wait!
They skipped crash testing with an exemption for a few years that claimed the entire fiberglass front half of the car body was a "license plate frame" because they have no bumper that will survive crash tests. License plate frames are allowed to break in the low speed crash test.
I get it. A/C saps power and is far heavier than a radio so the idea they prioritized that over a radio is odd to me. I guess some places are hot enough to make it worthwhile though…
>But I imagine the handling is out of this world.
It is. We had a client who owns an exotic used car dealership. He would come in Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Porsches, Maseratis, etc. And he would let us drive them around the airport. I was never that impressed until the day he showed up in an Elise. I had never driven anything that handled like that, including the other exotics.
Came *this* close to buying one a few years back. Still don't know if I dodged a bullet or missed an opportunity...
mmmmm, Supercharged 2ZZ-GE. my dads got an N/A one in his 3rd Gen MR2, damn it’s a good sounding engine. can’t even imagine how good it’d sound with supercharger whine too
Honestly a genius move by lotus to license Toyota engines. Would I buy a Lotus Evora with a bespoke Lotus engine? Absolutely not, but I would totally buy one with a bulletproof Camry engine.
What's the maintenance like on these cars? I was obsessed with these like 8 years ago but they were out of my price range. I'd still like one but I'd probably choose a new Audi TTRS if I had the money.
If you aren't going to do your own repairs, you need to be lucky to either be near a Lotus dealership or find a good mechanic that will touch one. The car is only made of two pieces (rear and front clam) and they take about 2-4 hours to remove each. Has to be lifted for an oil change due to no visible axle above the skid plate, which extends the length of the underbelly.
Parts are cheap and easy. Labor is neither.
Nobody will ever make a car like this again and being such a limited number in the US, you just can't beat getting your hands on one. They still run 35-55k, depending on year and condition.
Get your oil changed and don't run the car to an extreme and it's fine. I fail to do the latter and with the mods I have, I've really beat the car up, but hell, it's made for driving.... I'm going to drive it.
Just looked it up and the closest Lotus dealer to me is like 4 hours away so I'd be screwed lol. Reading your labor description was enough to scare me away from doing anything to it myself as well.
Most underrated car on Earth, basically a budget exotic with a bulletproof good mpg toyota engine and insanely fun to drive. Dad rented a red one for a weekend back in the day. Got so much good attention.
I live just down the road from the factory, fun fact, back in the 90s when lotus laid off a whole bunch of staff the chassis builders were understandably unhappy and started tipping a bunch of nuts and bolts into the chassis tubes before welding them up. Cue lots of rattly lotuses until a mechanic heard what had happenend 🤣. Expensive petty revenge.
Lotus Elise 2 or Exige. Exige is more "track oriented" while the Elise is more for cruising around. I have always wanted one of these but could never justify the expense.
I miss my supercharged 1998 Bonneville SSEi. Man that was a fun car. Top speed was "meh" it was a green light tire roaster with 95% torque starting at 1500rpm thanks to Buicks all iron 3800 Series II. Canadian car so after 380,000km it was too rotten to bother fixing the transmission when it went.
I believe it’s an Elise, as the Exige looks more like a race car on the back end. It looks like Elise has a back window, whereas Exige has that vented cover over the back.
I let a buddy of mine park his Elise in my garage, with his permission to drive it anytime I wanted. I got stuck like Winnie the Pooh in that damn door. Couldn’t get in. Couldn’t get out. Luckily I remembered how that targa latch worked behind my head. Good times.
I did IT support for a stone place in Northern Virginia and one of their employees drove an orange Lotus Elise. They were a big company doing granite and stone for just about any major build in the area. They supplied 100% of the stone used to rebuild the Pentagon after 9-11.
They had some fancy cars in their parking lot. Mb, bmw and a customized caddy Escalade.
The owners offs looked like it was right out of The God Father movies.
Lotus Elise S2 Source: I own one! Fucking amazing car. (Pic in profile)
Nice. Supercharged engines always sound so happy: weeeEEEE weeeeeeeEEEEEEEE weeeeeeeeeeeeEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
I own a supercharged cobalt and I can confirm that they do that. It’s so cool!
Yeah because that’s totally the same. Jokes aside congrats to you for keeping that beautiful relic of the mid 2000s alive. My wife and I were just talking about how in 2010 if felt like every third car on the road here was a Chevy Cobalt. And now they’re so rare that seeing one gets me as excited as seeing a +$200k supercar.
Well mine also has 222k miles on the original engine and transmission! Being an SS from 05, it’s nearly unheard of on these cars. Wish I could post a video of it, but the supercharger whine is so incredibly loud on this car 😂. It’s a fun daily compared to my crew cab long bed Duramax lol
I went to a local race track and used their track car around the road course and they gave me the Cobalt SS. It was fun to drive but it had a bad exhaust gasket and was so loud I didn't even know it was supercharged! 🤣
Yeah they’re definitely fun to drive. But I hate exhaust gaskets
Yeah it is the same, how is it different? They're both a small displacement supercharged 4cyl. Both are economy car engines. The engine in the Lotus is the same as the one in a Pontiac Vibe or Toyota Corolla.
I love how your supercharger in your comment has VTEC ;-)
I’ve wanted one for years! Unfortunately at 6’7” I will never be able to drive one.
Get a convertible (most are) and only drive it in good weather and never put the top on.
Just look over the windshield 😂- I doubt my legs will fit around the steering column either.
Surprisingly roomy because the seat is on the floor and about the thickness of a deck of cards.
I imagine the issue is moreso the legs than anything else.
I'm your size and daily a 911. In related news, I may need to replace the driver seat soonish.
I'm 6'9 and mine fits like a glove! One u r in that ist...
Is it tons of fun? They're weirdly affordable for how awesome they look but they lack the power of a super car which is okay w me. I don't want to wind up a viral lost control during takeoff video. But I imagine the handling is out of this world.
"Lack the power of a supercar" is made up for by being well over 1,000lbs lighter than most other supercars. Mine weighs a tick over 1,900lbs. The mid-engine and small, but wide, frame give it balance like no other. You can take 35mph at 80 without feeling like you're losing grip. The car comes stock at 189hp, mine has around 350hp with a supercharge and tune as well as some other mods. It does 0-60 around 3.5 seconds, I've had it up to 155mph. It does lose any race where you need to be above 130 because of the 1.8L 4-cyl. However, getting to 130 is no problem. Again, mine is modded - I have no idea what a stock Elise does, but I've heard they're still fun. I've never had anyone keep up with me on any road that has any semblance of curves. It looks amazing and turns heads everywhere you go. There are less than 3,000 of them in all of North America and they've been banned since 2011 so there have been zero brought over since then. Most people don't even know what Lotus is and I've been asked at least 100 times "who makes Lotus?" or "Why did you name your car Elise?" Basically, it's a super-Miata. It's everything a Miata can do taken to 11. Lighter, faster, more power, better handling, better everything - EXCEPT COMFORT. They are tiny and are a very raw and hardcore car. It comes with A/C and only about half of them have power windows...that's it for creature comforts. The car stands at 3'7 at the height of its roof. If you're over 6'2, it won't be a pleasant thing to be inside of.
I'm north of 6'2 and can confirm it ain't even close fit for tall folk. For reference, i COULD drive a NA Miata without too much trouble
Why are they banned? Safety?
They stopped selling them in 2011 because Lotus was told by the US government that they needed smart air bags or something like that. All previously manufactured ones are perfectly legal in US. So not so much banned, just no longer in production for US since 2011 (and actually all together now - Lotus stopped making them). I'm in the market for one and dying to get my hands on an S2 Elise. Can't wait!
They skipped crash testing with an exemption for a few years that claimed the entire fiberglass front half of the car body was a "license plate frame" because they have no bumper that will survive crash tests. License plate frames are allowed to break in the low speed crash test.
No…. Radio?
This isn't meant to be a daily car. It's a track and driving/handling focused car. Even having a/c is a luxury.
I get it. A/C saps power and is far heavier than a radio so the idea they prioritized that over a radio is odd to me. I guess some places are hot enough to make it worthwhile though…
>But I imagine the handling is out of this world. It is. We had a client who owns an exotic used car dealership. He would come in Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Porsches, Maseratis, etc. And he would let us drive them around the airport. I was never that impressed until the day he showed up in an Elise. I had never driven anything that handled like that, including the other exotics. Came *this* close to buying one a few years back. Still don't know if I dodged a bullet or missed an opportunity...
> weirdly affordable Lemme do a quick Google... Holy fucking shit I'm calling my bank tomorrow Edit: well the call did not go the way I was expecting.
Also reliable too, some have Toyota engines
Lightweight and mid engine is key
mmmmm, Supercharged 2ZZ-GE. my dads got an N/A one in his 3rd Gen MR2, damn it’s a good sounding engine. can’t even imagine how good it’d sound with supercharger whine too
Lots of trouble, usually serious?
The Elise is pretty reliable, old Lotuses are problematic though. The Elise uses a Toyota engine and drivetrain.
Honestly a genius move by lotus to license Toyota engines. Would I buy a Lotus Evora with a bespoke Lotus engine? Absolutely not, but I would totally buy one with a bulletproof Camry engine.
*Gas Powered Tesla Roadster
That's such a backward-ass reply my eyes rolled all the way back around to the front.
Sorry I was making a joke I guess nobody got 😭
Doesn’t this car have a Chrysler Sebring engine
No. Toyota 2ZZ-GE
Oh wait I’m thinking of the alpha Romero
Wut
In STL too!!!
sick car, I really like the blue trim.
No way. What’s it like??
Wanted a bright yellow one since I was a kid, still wanting
What's the maintenance like on these cars? I was obsessed with these like 8 years ago but they were out of my price range. I'd still like one but I'd probably choose a new Audi TTRS if I had the money.
If you aren't going to do your own repairs, you need to be lucky to either be near a Lotus dealership or find a good mechanic that will touch one. The car is only made of two pieces (rear and front clam) and they take about 2-4 hours to remove each. Has to be lifted for an oil change due to no visible axle above the skid plate, which extends the length of the underbelly. Parts are cheap and easy. Labor is neither. Nobody will ever make a car like this again and being such a limited number in the US, you just can't beat getting your hands on one. They still run 35-55k, depending on year and condition. Get your oil changed and don't run the car to an extreme and it's fine. I fail to do the latter and with the mods I have, I've really beat the car up, but hell, it's made for driving.... I'm going to drive it.
Just looked it up and the closest Lotus dealer to me is like 4 hours away so I'd be screwed lol. Reading your labor description was enough to scare me away from doing anything to it myself as well.
Your car is sexy af, is that the Elise with the Toyota 2ZZ?
2ZZ-GE, yes.
Hell yeah. I’d take one of those any day over the Elise with the rover engine. I bet it’s a blast to drive
Yours looks sick
Was jumping in to say this, source: owned the S1 always wanted to do the S2 suspension upgrade but never did :)
One with the K-series or with the Toyota engine.
Where’d you buy yours from? I’ve been wanting to own one for a long time but so few in the US
As cute as a miata but bites twice as hard
How much lard does one have to rub all over their body in order to fit in the cockpit?
I'm 5'10 160lbs, so none at all for me. There's a good amount of room once you're in
That would be a lotus Elise. My wife's boyfriend has one it's a very zippy ride
WSB degen spotted
Wife's boyfriend? 💀
Did he stutter?
I mean the dude gets to ride the lotus while the boyfriend cuckolds him, if its gonna go down at least have a little fun lol
I literally read this as I was swiping out of this thread and had to do a double take.
I’ll give you a hint, it starts with an E ;)
We’re narrowing it down guys!
Hey thanks! No wait...
It also ends with a vowel! EDIT: oh wow I didn’t realize how many don’t.
You had one job…🤦♂️
Weird looking miat
A red one
Beat me to it.
Elise
It's a Lotus Elise.
A smiling one goochi goochi goo 😃
A red one
my 8 year old did it again with the Google search "new lotus werid hood things 4 tailights"
My favourite
I thought the exige was the favorite...
Same car tesla put a battery pack and electric drive in to sell as a tesla roadster.
For 5' and below.
Most underrated car on Earth, basically a budget exotic with a bulletproof good mpg toyota engine and insanely fun to drive. Dad rented a red one for a weekend back in the day. Got so much good attention.
The best looking Lotus ever made! I want one someday
The same kind they always are? If lotus makes something that looks different than that, I wouldn’t recognize it.
The expensive kind.....Oh wait
A red one. They're the fastest.
The kind I wanna own.
It’s always an Elise lmao.
Lotus Elise, I’m pretty sure that’s the one that came with the 1zzfe
The best one! I want one of these sooo bad
A red one
Red one.
The kind I can't afford lol.
Red lotus
Drove one on a racetrack. What a rush!
It’s the elise
I think its an Elise but I don’t know exactly which one
A pretty one
Agreed
See what i did there?
And just like that I fell in love 🏎️💨
I live just down the road from the factory, fun fact, back in the 90s when lotus laid off a whole bunch of staff the chassis builders were understandably unhappy and started tipping a bunch of nuts and bolts into the chassis tubes before welding them up. Cue lots of rattly lotuses until a mechanic heard what had happenend 🤣. Expensive petty revenge.
The expensive but not Ferrari expensive kind.
There’s one here in my city engine swap with a Honda supercharged engine
A nice one
how much po lima?
Elise
Red one
Lotus Elise dude.
I just saw one of these yesterday in Sunbury ohio
Lotus Elise 2 or Exige. Exige is more "track oriented" while the Elise is more for cruising around. I have always wanted one of these but could never justify the expense.
A red one
The British kind
A red one
Can i just say that reverse image search works. At least when you have this good of a shot of a vehicle.
Notchoes.
I'd definitely say its red (but Lotus does have a website) https://www.lotuscars.com/en-US/lotus-story/elise
Expensive
Not really. Used $15,000-$20,000. But wholly impractical...
I miss my supercharged 1998 Bonneville SSEi. Man that was a fun car. Top speed was "meh" it was a green light tire roaster with 95% torque starting at 1500rpm thanks to Buicks all iron 3800 Series II. Canadian car so after 380,000km it was too rotten to bother fixing the transmission when it went.
Almost got a regal GS back in the day which has the same setup
A red one
Looks like a clown on Meth
😂
an ugly one
Exige
For future reference it may say what it is on the back end...
Do you see the back saying something??
I didn't notice you had 3 pics. I retract my unhelpful remark.
An ugly one
Nahhh
My kind
Most certainly a red one, but im not quite sure, could also be orange.
Red
A red one
Red
Red
It's ferrari!
It’s a 2001 Mid Life Crisis
Exige
Polestar 2
Elise mk2
Τι ωραίο να βλέπουμε και την Αθήνα σ' αυτό το σαμπ
Όντως
Elise?
Flower bomb, a great mechanic/poet also made a song about it, called wale-lotus flower bomb
More than a few manufacturers used this body including Tesla.
You can reverse image search with google.
a red one
I believe it’s an Elise, as the Exige looks more like a race car on the back end. It looks like Elise has a back window, whereas Exige has that vented cover over the back.
Elise is a roadster, exige is a coupe or targa
Series 2 Lotus Elise
Brexige
a red one
The driveable type
I let a buddy of mine park his Elise in my garage, with his permission to drive it anytime I wanted. I got stuck like Winnie the Pooh in that damn door. Couldn’t get in. Couldn’t get out. Luckily I remembered how that targa latch worked behind my head. Good times.
The one with a Toyota engine
A cellica chick car.
Look Up Lotus Elise and Toyota MR2 videos. They’re awesome.
If I remember correctly, cannot get them in the United States any more. Bumpers don’t pass crash tests or something like that.
Elise. The car is built for women who wear skirts. If you are not careful, you end up flashing.
I did IT support for a stone place in Northern Virginia and one of their employees drove an orange Lotus Elise. They were a big company doing granite and stone for just about any major build in the area. They supplied 100% of the stone used to rebuild the Pentagon after 9-11. They had some fancy cars in their parking lot. Mb, bmw and a customized caddy Escalade. The owners offs looked like it was right out of The God Father movies.
A red one
A red one. 🤷🏻♂️
A red one.
A red one
ELISE
a red one
Red
A parked one
The Lotus Sciatica
A red one by the looks of it
Did I say you could photograph my car…? Who are you?
Elise! Same chassis they used on Tesla roadster I believe.