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Lotus Elise S2
With the Westfield gone and an open slot in the garage, I began pondering a replacement. But not a direct replacement. Having both a Westfield and a Caterham created too much internal conflict when the need for a blat arose as the driving use cases were the same. For me, having multiple toys only works when each has a relatively unique purpose. The one significant, and desirable, use case currently missing from the garage was a more usable version of the Caterham; light(ish), at its best when driving down a winding road, AC for hot weather, a less Rube Goldberg approach to making it weather tight when rain beckons, and locking doors, yet the event-like driving experience remains. After considering a number of vehicles, I kept coming back to the Elise. My only concern was ingress/egress with my back issues. After connecting with a local owner to try his car, I confirmed those gymnastics were surmountable. This was a one-owner Elise in perfect condition: low miles, impeccable maintenance and records, multiple local show winner, and only minor mods, the most significant being SSR Comp wheels 1' wider in front and saving 24 lb in total unsprung weight over the stock items. It turns out the car was going up for sale in the spring, but after speaking for a bit, he agreed to up that by several months and the car was mine.
Like the Caterham and Elan, each drive in the Elise is a major event that begins before the engine is even fired. Just the act of getting in the car, then looking at the dash and sight lines is special. And the driving amplifies that feeling. Great, great steering, wonderful brake feel, fun engine that revs to 8500 rpm, and brilliant handling. The shortcomings are few: so-so gear change; good, not great power; decent, but not exciting sonic signature; adequate (after mods) but not great seats. I have a list of potential improvements I'm pondering, but I want to spend more time getting to know the car before making those decisions. First up though are a performance-oriented alignment (overdue) and new tires to replace the 9-year-old rubber already in place. More to come...
Like the Caterham and Elan, each drive in the Elise is a major event that begins before the engine is even fired. Just the act of getting in the car, then looking at the dash and sight lines is special. And the driving amplifies that feeling. Great, great steering, wonderful brake feel, fun engine that revs to 8500 rpm, and brilliant handling. The shortcomings are few: so-so gear change; good, not great power; decent, but not exciting sonic signature; adequate (after mods) but not great seats. I have a list of potential improvements I'm pondering, but I want to spend more time getting to know the car before making those decisions. First up though are a performance-oriented alignment (overdue) and new tires to replace the 9-year-old rubber already in place. More to come...
