Ooo, that's a fun web site. I can get into all kinds of debt.

Used Lotus Elise For Sale Lynnwood, WA - CarGurus

Used Ferrari F355 For Sale Lynnwood, WA - CarGurus

Whatever you do, avoid the 355 Spider like a plague...

GTS or Berlinetta are fine but make sure the headers are aftermarket...

One of my current projects is the MR2 ax/track car. I looked at 944s for quite a while, and loved them, but the MR2 should be able to take a better beating for less cost.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y37...r/P1020285.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y37...r/P1020283.jpg

One of the reasons that I chose it is that the layout is fairly similar to the Boxster. It's even got a V6 in it, so it's power to weight is actually pretty comparible. The fact that it looks smaller than the Boxster isn't just a camera perspective issue. The thing is noticeably shorter and lower than the Porsche.

I'm going to take a "family" picture of your old Boxster, my old Supercharged MR2, and the Miata in my driveway together before the MR2 gets sold. :-)

Perhaps something more utilitarian this time .

Just for you JD:

Cars for Sale: 1995 Ferrari F355 Berlinetta in Summerfield, NC 27358: Coupe Details - 293811350 - AutoTrader.com

As much as I admire the beauty of the 355, one would find me in a straightjacket after having had to deal with the maintenance . :(

That's the one in my link above. I'd buy that car!

Then I'd need to change out all my pants for overalls.

If you sell the MR2 for $500, I can use it for Chump car! Kidding - it's a beautiful car.

Check out this rebuild story. This person does an excellent job of documenting all his work. Scary how a $35,000 bargain turns into a $65,000 sink hole. Typical story that even the potential 986 buyer should think about when looking at that bargain priced car.

http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=341922

That's what happens for finding a "deal" when shopping for a Fcar...

man, I did not realize F-cars had so many issues for low mileage cars!!!!

maybe I will get a NSX next...

When it comes to Ferraris the 355's call me like the Sirens of Titan, absolutely beautiful and best looking of the quasi modern F-Cars. The Lusso is still my personal unobtainium. A couple of friends have had Ferraris (Testarossa and a 360) and my neighbor has a "lowly" 328. After hearing their tales of woe (costs for maintenance / service or just parts even for DIY) I quickly discarded the notion of picking up one, way out of my league. They do look like pure sex though.

^I share the same sentiment... not in my league to own one at this point.

It's like having a really hot girlfriend/wife... most onlookers will be jealous of the guy, but nobody has a clue what he has to put up with.

Almost all Ferraris are low mileage cars. This one, I think, suffered from abuse and neglect. The rust, fuel issues, interior leather problems all suggest the car was just neglected.

My desire for a Ferrari is always at odds with my need to pinch pennies. I can only justify it to myself by going in as a short term deal. In/enjoy/out within a couple of years. If the car is in good shape and up to date on maintanence as purchased, it shouldn't need major investment over a couple of years of ownership.

I agree that the 355 possess a timeless sense of beauty (minus the pop-up headlights). But man, the maintenance is enough to drive someone to the brink of madness .

The pop-up headlights are a part of the allure for me...that and the 355 is just a beauty that'll never come back again. Same thing with the Corvettes. A little something was lost once the pop-ups went away for me...stupid mandates.

It's hard to recognize in pictures, and even in person, but the 355 is a much smaller car than the 360. It's 11 inches shorter! It's also 200 pounds ligher, dispite the move to an aluminum structure in the 360.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/F355_Berlinetta_in_Taipei.jpg

It's 4 inches shorter, 4 inches lower, and 4 inches wider than the 986. With a wheelbase of 1 inch longer.

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And this video (in my favorite 355 color) would make me commit untold crimes to possess one:

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Replacement Purchased. This car is so incredible to drive, it's a throwback but modern at the same time. The size, reactions, immediacy, intimacy, capability and entertainment are all off the scale. I'm in love, again.

<a href="http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y37/bellylint/Elise/?action=view&amp;current=079d7276c242709c2c225a0af 4700e4f.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y37/bellylint/Elise/079d7276c242709c2c225a0af4700e4f.jpg" border="0" alt="Uploaded from the Photobucket iPad App"></a>

<a href="http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y37/bellylint/Elise/?action=view&amp;current=32b5a7e4650da6e10578d43c4 32bb877.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y37/bellylint/Elise/32b5a7e4650da6e10578d43c432bb877.jpg" border="0" alt="Uploaded from the Photobucket iPad App"></a>

Seriously:eek: That is awesome! I've thought about one of those as well at some point in life. You have to give us more details! How does it compare to the Boxster? Ride, handling etc. How many miles, what year, etc.....

I'll have an elise or exige in the next 2.5 years... i just don't want to get rid of the boxster to get it or i'd have one now and daily drive it year round.

very jealous! i have a spot in the garage set aside for a white lotus.

congrats! Did you buy it from someone on lotustalk?

Beautiful Lotus!

This is a 4300 mile 2005 with the touring and sport options. Stored and cared for correctly, so it's practically new.

I just bought it, so I don't have alot of seat time yet. But I'll share my first impressions.

First, this car is tiny. I'm 6'1" and it's not fun getting in and out of this thing. The side sills are high and wide and there isn't much space to squeeze through, especially with the top on. Once in, you're literally rubbing shoulders with the passenger. The seat is basically a shell with a peice of leather on it. But it feels pretty good. I don't know about long trips yet, but for 30 minutes, it's comfy. The steering wheel feels rediculously small at first, like the steering wheel from a video game.

The theme for interior finish is minimalist. There's alot of exposed aluminum and you can see the orange epoxy used to bond the chassis in parts of the foot well. The tiny shifter console moves around a little with the motion of the shifter, you can see the mechanism of the hand brake through it's hole in the console. There are a couple of little pockets behind the seats, but there really isn't any storage space.

Speaking of storage space, there is only a small space behind the engine. The battery sits back there as well. My wife doesn't own a suit case small enough to fit back there.

Now on to the important stuff. The steering, unassisted, is lighter than you'd expect and soooo reactive and communicative. It's amazing everything this car tells you through the steering. This car has the sport option, which has adjustable shocks and stiffer springs. The suspension is very tight. Response is immediate and the body roll feels quite minimal. Grip is really impressive. The chassis is STIFF. There is absolutely no motion in the cowl over bumps and RR tracks.

The power is really good. I have read complaints about the engine being too weak when not on the hotter cam profile, but this car's acceleration is impressive from all RPM that I can tell. It's not a torque monster, but it's more than enough to get into trouble with.

The engine noise is loud, always there, and totally appropriate for the car.

There's not much about this car that lends itself to cruising. It's loud, small, hard to get out of, and delicate. But it's so amazing to drive that the compromises are totally worth it.

Yes, local. I've been waiting patiently and watching the boards and classifieds.

Blue, I'll bet it feels good to have a sports car back in the stable, I know that's how I felt. Nice selection, looks super clean and well kept, now you only have to drop 2000S, the blue stays.

Wow! That car just sat around for 7 years. Nice find! We have a few Elise and Exige that play with us regularly at the track and I ran a session in the Elise once. My impressions: Really fun car to drive as a pure joy ride/track toy. Completely impractical as a mode of daily transportation.

Enjoy the new-to-you Lotus.

Blue,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,You're a *****!!!!!!!!!!!!!And I mean that in a good way lol!!!!!!!!!!! I'm THOROUGHLY JEALOUS!!!!!!!!Wish you lived in the Midwest. Congrats, GREAT CAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!:cheers::cheers::cheers:

Agreed. Although some people do daily drive them.

This is the kind of car that Porsche hasn't built in over 50 years and would never build today.

Nice blue Lotus, time for a username change?

I sure hope you'll meet a group of Lotus owners who are very likely more enthusiastic & knowledgeable about these puppies.

Very nice... a buddy at work just bought a white lotus elise 2005 I think. He's actually using it to commute to work and back tho he lives close by. We gave each other rides to compare. From what I could tell its the same as most forums and people here have said. Fun car, great sound, totally unusable for day to day or trips. The Lotus is basically a cool looking track car, visceral, bare bones race car interior... the Porsche is a refined sports luxury car. Both are fun depending on your needs.

Congratulations! When are you taking me for a ride? :)

I'll let you know next time I take it to work. But forget about trading me for it. ;)