Elise - people who miss the point
Discussion
I've test driven a fair few cars lately in trying to find a replacement for my BMW. It was a "no brainer" choice for me after trying an Elise, but I found the comments made by car salesman at other dealerships quite amusing, and I thought I'd share them with you:
An independant sports car dealer: "you like Elises? have you ever actually been in one? There isn't a carpet and you've got to wind the windows up yourself!"
Honda: "Unlike Lotus, we do things properly. This car has a proper, heavyweight, fully lined hard top". I'm thinking, what does it weigh then?
BMW: "Elise? Why don't you buy a Z4?".
Nissan: "If you're spending over £20,000 on a car you'll want leather, air con, a CD autochanger, cruise control, cup holders etc". will I?
Porsche specialist: "None of this Lotus Elise nonsense. This Boxster is a proper car - it has an electric hood, cruise control, soft seats etc. There's no competition, I can't see why you'd want an Elise" me: "what do they drive like?" them: "oo, very well sir - it's a Porsche!" me: "can I have a test drive then please?" them "no". 
me: door - car - Bell and Colvill. 
An independant sports car dealer: "you like Elises? have you ever actually been in one? There isn't a carpet and you've got to wind the windows up yourself!"
Honda: "Unlike Lotus, we do things properly. This car has a proper, heavyweight, fully lined hard top". I'm thinking, what does it weigh then?
BMW: "Elise? Why don't you buy a Z4?".
Nissan: "If you're spending over £20,000 on a car you'll want leather, air con, a CD autochanger, cruise control, cup holders etc". will I?
Porsche specialist: "None of this Lotus Elise nonsense. This Boxster is a proper car - it has an electric hood, cruise control, soft seats etc. There's no competition, I can't see why you'd want an Elise"
me: "what do they drive like?" them: "oo, very well sir - it's a Porsche!" me: "can I have a test drive then please?" them "no". me: door - car - Bell and Colvill. personally for my 20k i'd want something what was fun and had a bit of soul about it!
always amuses me how people totally miss the point of an elise.
but it's only got two seats! -exactly!
there's hardly any boot space! - i can get a weeks shopping in mine no problem
it'll be expensive to insure and maintain -er no not really
it doesn't have electric windows, hood, air con etc!! - no it doean't and i don't care
it's a toy ffs, it's fun, it makes you smile - who cares if it's not got air con!
ninja
>> Edited by theweeninjaguy on Friday 20th January 15:35
>> Edited by theweeninjaguy on Friday 20th January 16:08
always amuses me how people totally miss the point of an elise.
but it's only got two seats! -exactly!
there's hardly any boot space! - i can get a weeks shopping in mine no problem
it'll be expensive to insure and maintain -er no not really
it doesn't have electric windows, hood, air con etc!! - no it doean't and i don't care
it's a toy ffs, it's fun, it makes you smile - who cares if it's not got air con!
ninja
>> Edited by theweeninjaguy on Friday 20th January 15:35
>> Edited by theweeninjaguy on Friday 20th January 16:08
Hi all,
After falling off my chair laughing out loud, The reason you buy an Elise is : every other car mentioned here is more about making MONEY !
That's the one clear thing that these dealer's just don't get sure Lotus have to also make profit's but there car's are about driving and felling not about bloody MONEY !
Boggy
After falling off my chair laughing out loud, The reason you buy an Elise is : every other car mentioned here is more about making MONEY !
That's the one clear thing that these dealer's just don't get sure Lotus have to also make profit's but there car's are about driving and felling not about bloody MONEY !
Boggy
boggy said:
Hi all,
every other car mentioned here is more about making MONEY !
or posing... Lotus seemed to be the only company who focused on the driving. The salesman took my down a twisty road and we chatted about steering feel, damping etc. It was these things I was looking for in the car, it was these things that the guy from Lotus chatted about, and it was these things that impressed. The other salesmen from Honda, the Porsche specialist etc took me for a bumble through town, and if I was lucky, down a dual carriageway. The guy at the Porsche specialist couldn't even tell me how much power the Boxster had, but he could tell me how many CDs the autochanger took, or how many seconds the hood took to erect.
RobM77 said:
Hi all,
every other car mentioned here is more about making MONEY !
or posing... Lotus seemed to be the only company who focused on the driving. The salesman took my down a twisty road and we chatted about steering feel, damping etc. It was these things I was looking for in the car, it was these things that the guy from Lotus chatted about, and it was these things that impressed. The other salesmen from Honda, the Porsche specialist etc took me for a bumble through town, and if I was lucky, down a dual carriageway. The guy at the Porsche specialist couldn't even tell me how much power the Boxster had, but he could tell me how many CDs the autochanger took, or how many seconds the hood took to erect.
I just showed the thread to a Honda S2000 driver they just don't get it, Oh well leave them alone I suppose interesting enough thou he's also never driven a Lotus
Just asked him in front of the whole office as he was slaggin the car off
Boggy
theweeninjaguy said:
also NO ONE will stop and take a picture of your BMW/Honda/Porsche/whatever when you're just parked at the traffic lights - wonder why that is then?
ninja
>> Edited by theweeninjaguy on Friday 20th January 16:06
I know why but I won't say as I wouldn't want to upset anyone
Boggy
I got introduced to a new guy in the pub the other day as "this is the guy who owns a Lotus". He said "oh what did you get one of them for? Crap car". Urmmm...why's it crap? "Well, it's a rover engine that will break down! And it's slow"
Needless to say I didn't bother responding to it all - I just agreed (from this point, 10seconds after meeting him, I'd decided he was a cock).
He then started spouting numbers at me about his car; he owns an EVO VII (good car!) and so should understand the joys of corners; instead it was horsepower/0-60 etc.
I think he not only wins "cock of the year 2006" but also "he who has so widely missed the point about an Elise".
Oh, and I don't care whether you're right or wrong; you NEVER insult another guy's car, ESPECIALLY if you're trying to impress him because you're wanting to go out with his best female mate who's like his little sister.
So, she dumped him anyway - on my say so
Needless to say I didn't bother responding to it all - I just agreed (from this point, 10seconds after meeting him, I'd decided he was a cock).
He then started spouting numbers at me about his car; he owns an EVO VII (good car!) and so should understand the joys of corners; instead it was horsepower/0-60 etc.
I think he not only wins "cock of the year 2006" but also "he who has so widely missed the point about an Elise".
Oh, and I don't care whether you're right or wrong; you NEVER insult another guy's car, ESPECIALLY if you're trying to impress him because you're wanting to go out with his best female mate who's like his little sister.
So, she dumped him anyway - on my say so
TonyHetherington said:
I got introduced to a new guy in the pub the other day as "this is the guy who owns a Lotus". He said "oh what did you get one of them for? Crap car". Urmmm...why's it crap? "Well, it's a rover engine that will break down! And it's slow"
Needless to say I didn't bother responding to it all - I just agreed (from this point, 10seconds after meeting him, I'd decided he was a cock).
He then started spouting numbers at me about his car; he owns an EVO VII (good car!) and so should understand the joys of corners; instead it was horsepower/0-60 etc.
I think he not only wins "cock of the year 2006" but also "he who has so widely missed the point about an Elise".
Oh, and I don't care whether you're right or wrong; you NEVER insult another guy's car, ESPECIALLY if you're trying to impress him because you're wanting to go out with his best female mate who's like his little sister.
So, she dumped him anyway - on my say so
Your the Man !
I remember just prior to Elise ownership I got taken to Knockhill by the local Porche dealer to drive all their models on track having placed an order for a Boxter. the dealer was gutted when I told him they all felt about as exciting as my Audi S4 Avant but with less space!!! He was really chocked when I proceeded to cancel my order based on my experience on track.
In my experience people either get it or not, if they dont they wont! their loss as far as i am concerned.
P.S. where do some of the dealers recruit these sales people!!!!
In my experience people either get it or not, if they dont they wont! their loss as far as i am concerned.
P.S. where do some of the dealers recruit these sales people!!!!
stuart1969 said:
I remember just prior to Elise ownership I got taken to Knockhill by the local Porche dealer to drive all their models on track having placed an order for a Boxter. the dealer was gutted when I told him they all felt about as exciting as my Audi S4 Avant but with less space!!! He was really chocked when I proceeded to cancel my order based on my experience on track.
In my experience people either get it or not, if they dont they wont! their loss as far as i am concerned.
P.S. where do some of the dealers recruit these sales people!!!!
>> Edited by boggy on Friday 20th January 16:24
Situation: 3 car owners 1 with a Z4, 1 with the Honda (don't even care what its called) and one with an Elise - i'll stick my neck out and say 'Any' Elise.
1 completely neutral passenger I'll guarantee will choose a trip in the lotus, and if said passenger, prior to seeing the cars, were blind folded and taken for a spin would then still walk towards the Lotus...
Elise... less is more!
>> Edited by reubsta on Friday 20th January 16:27
1 completely neutral passenger I'll guarantee will choose a trip in the lotus, and if said passenger, prior to seeing the cars, were blind folded and taken for a spin would then still walk towards the Lotus...
Elise... less is more!
>> Edited by reubsta on Friday 20th January 16:27
hehe, cheers guys. He was a 5 star prat actually, so I had no quarms explaining her next move to her
The thing that annoys me about some people - whether you LIKE or DISLIKE something, it's very different to comprehending it. For example, I don't like bus spotting; but my friend's dad is the biggest bus spotter nerd type bloke ever. While I dislike it, I understand entriely that he loves doing it and it's his passion.
The thing that annoys me about some people - whether you LIKE or DISLIKE something, it's very different to comprehending it. For example, I don't like bus spotting; but my friend's dad is the biggest bus spotter nerd type bloke ever. While I dislike it, I understand entriely that he loves doing it and it's his passion.
first time my gf "fell" into the elise and i took her for a spin, she shouted at me to slow down, i was going far too fast and there was no bl**dy need for me to show off.
i was doing 30mph!
no other car makes you feel like you're racing when actually you're just plodding along
ninja :drive
i was doing 30mph!
no other car makes you feel like you're racing when actually you're just plodding along
ninja :drive
One of the unavoidable facets of having a car that suits you 95% is that is will only suit Jo Public 10%.
In answer to the Evo driver in the pub; I'd just grin and say "I absolutely love my Elise, and wouldn't swap it for anything". Let's face it, most people out there with a serious car (EVO, Caterham, Elise etc) have usually driven or experienced most performance cars enough to choose what is right for them. If these salesman were true car nuts then they'd understand the Elise.
Oh, and quoting the 0-60 time of an Evo is pretty irrelevant when by the time it gets to 59mph you need a service!
In answer to the Evo driver in the pub; I'd just grin and say "I absolutely love my Elise, and wouldn't swap it for anything". Let's face it, most people out there with a serious car (EVO, Caterham, Elise etc) have usually driven or experienced most performance cars enough to choose what is right for them. If these salesman were true car nuts then they'd understand the Elise.
Oh, and quoting the 0-60 time of an Evo is pretty irrelevant when by the time it gets to 59mph you need a service!
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