Elise may have to go....
Discussion
I never thought I'd be writing this, but looks like the Elise may have to go. I spend my life at work now, and it just sits in the garage being an expensive ornament. If I sold it, I could pay off a couple of debts and still have the money for something half interesting.
When I think of the money I've spent on the car I could cry. Just spent £1400 on a c service and tyres, and I have bills for about £4K from the last couple of years!
The thing is immaculate.
I plan on binning the Omega as well, and getting a '02 reg bugeye Impreza as an only car. I've never had a 4wd car, or a turbo, so I can tick both those boxes. It will be reliable and fast (if ugly!) transport for a year or two, and they don't cost a lot to buy. Thirsty, but I don't cover mileage anymore. I'll be looking for a standard WRX, I don't want big wings or gold wheels, just something nice and subtle.
I really do think I will pysically cry if the Elise goes, I never thought I could love a car so much, but it's at the stage now where it just doesn't get driven. I have to face reality. Gutted.
When I think of the money I've spent on the car I could cry. Just spent £1400 on a c service and tyres, and I have bills for about £4K from the last couple of years!
The thing is immaculate. I plan on binning the Omega as well, and getting a '02 reg bugeye Impreza as an only car. I've never had a 4wd car, or a turbo, so I can tick both those boxes. It will be reliable and fast (if ugly!) transport for a year or two, and they don't cost a lot to buy. Thirsty, but I don't cover mileage anymore. I'll be looking for a standard WRX, I don't want big wings or gold wheels, just something nice and subtle.
I really do think I will pysically cry if the Elise goes, I never thought I could love a car so much, but it's at the stage now where it just doesn't get driven. I have to face reality. Gutted.
I think the Elise/Exige fills a gap or missing experience. For me I was fed up with cars that literally drove themselves. I fancied a fezza but the costs put me off as I do <4K pa. The Lotus still thrills me and whilst I am still <4K pa I will probably stick with it. Over that then maybe back to Porsche or even a BMW. Or, maybe, a charged Exige with softer suspension and a luxury interior 
(I am near to hitting 40 after all!)
(I am near to hitting 40 after all!)You need to get that car on track HW. Join LoT and book up a day at Snetterton (good track for 1st timers now that Bedford has got very difficult for noise). I was hoping to do the LoT day in December but I've just spent the balance of 2008's track day money on an old Alfa 156 wagon. I should be in action again early in the new year so I'll hold your hand then if you want;)
Been a lifetime member of LOT for a while now Tim. The problem is the £££'s. I can't afford the time off work or the finances for track work. It just seems crazy to have a lovely car that mine just sat there. I could free up some nice wonga by selling it. Thought I'd have it for at least ten years....
OMG 
HW what have you been drinking lately???
The scooby's a good car but it's not a lotus. Get yourself down to another activity day in that gorgeous be-striped car and enjoy yourself whenever time/money committments allow
Don't make us come down and b
h slap some sense into you ... .... 
HW what have you been drinking lately???The scooby's a good car but it's not a lotus. Get yourself down to another activity day in that gorgeous be-striped car and enjoy yourself whenever time/money committments allow
Don't make us come down and b
h slap some sense into you ... .... Hollywood Wheels said:
Been a lifetime member of LOT for a while now Tim. The problem is the £££'s. I can't afford the time off work or the finances for track work. It just seems crazy to have a lovely car that mine just sat there. I could free up some nice wonga by selling it. Thought I'd have it for at least ten years....
I know what you mean. I live at the same place I work so never need to comute now. I have the elise and a vectra estate. And what with the state of the weather this year, the elise has done very little millage. I plan on more track visits but thats an expensive game!I'm tempted to sell both cars and get an Audi RS6 or something along those lines.. Just cant face selling the elise....
If it's any consolation, I sold my S1 Elise and bought an Impreza a couple of years ago.
It's not an Elise, but in the middle of winter, when you can't see the road in front through the driving sleet and you just want to get home, it's perfect. And for a saloon (or in my case, wagon) it's surprisingly fun to drive.
2 Years on and I now have the Impreza and an Exige to go with it and they complement each other perfectly. I couldn't imagine not having either.
It's not an Elise, but in the middle of winter, when you can't see the road in front through the driving sleet and you just want to get home, it's perfect. And for a saloon (or in my case, wagon) it's surprisingly fun to drive.
2 Years on and I now have the Impreza and an Exige to go with it and they complement each other perfectly. I couldn't imagine not having either.
It won't be the end of the world fella - I think a few of us on here have let our Loti go for one reason or another - my humble S2 went in February and I havn't missed it as much as I thought.
You can always buy another one in the future - I'm sure there will be plenty of well looked after examples for years to come.
You can always buy another one in the future - I'm sure there will be plenty of well looked after examples for years to come.
As you well know, I've been through my fair share of Elise's in the past 5 years, and I have to say that the Sport 160 was the one I missed the most. Moody little stter that it was. With that in mind I'm inclined to encourage you not to flog it.
That said, I've just sold my current one after 4.5 months of ownership, for exactly the same reasons you're stating above. I just don't use it enough to justify it sitting there (nor could I forsee myself doing so over the next 12 months), even though I owned it outright. I am lucky in that can get my petrolhead kicks from the GF's 350Z whenever I want to now (but sadly it can't be taken on track due to the terms of it's lease), and I'm able to do trackdays thanks to a generous friend who will allow me to share costs of his MX5 (a Cadwell day in November beckons - can't wait).
If you can afford to keep it, and think you may get more use out of it next year, then SORN it, stick the trickle charger on, and see how you feel in Spring. If not, cut the cord and get rid if you can. Bear in mind though that you'll be lucky to get top-dollar for it as the market's challenging if you're a seller.
I'm sad that I don't have a Lotus now, but I'm not sad to see the thing laid up and not being used. I'll be back in a year or so. A wedding, a house, a family car and a recession to weather the storm of are currently more pressing issues!*
tter that it was. With that in mind I'm inclined to encourage you not to flog it.That said, I've just sold my current one after 4.5 months of ownership, for exactly the same reasons you're stating above. I just don't use it enough to justify it sitting there (nor could I forsee myself doing so over the next 12 months), even though I owned it outright. I am lucky in that can get my petrolhead kicks from the GF's 350Z whenever I want to now (but sadly it can't be taken on track due to the terms of it's lease), and I'm able to do trackdays thanks to a generous friend who will allow me to share costs of his MX5 (a Cadwell day in November beckons - can't wait).
If you can afford to keep it, and think you may get more use out of it next year, then SORN it, stick the trickle charger on, and see how you feel in Spring. If not, cut the cord and get rid if you can. Bear in mind though that you'll be lucky to get top-dollar for it as the market's challenging if you're a seller.
I'm sad that I don't have a Lotus now, but I'm not sad to see the thing laid up and not being used. I'll be back in a year or so. A wedding, a house, a family car and a recession to weather the storm of are currently more pressing issues!*
- doesn't stop me from longingly hovering around the classified ads everyday though
Edited by S Works on Sunday 5th October 17:41
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