The Blue 2000 S is sold

[coreseller]

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

[blue2000s]

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.

[BruceH]

Seriously 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.....

[SoK]

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?

[Uller God]

Beautiful Lotus!

[blue2000s]

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.

[blue2000s]

Originally Posted by SoK

Did you buy it from someone on lotustalk?

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

[Ghostrider 310]

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.

[Topless]

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.

[coreseller]

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!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[blue2000s]

Originally Posted by Topless

My impressions: Really fun car to drive as a pure joy ride/track toy. Completely impractical as a mode of daily transportation.

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.

[ekam]

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.

[mcomet]

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.

[grubinski]

Congratulations! When are you taking me for a ride?

[blue2000s]

Originally Posted by grubinski

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.