Comments, reactions and thoughts from Lotus sports car owners
There are hundreds or reviews on the internet for the Lotus Elise, Exige and Evora sports cars that have been written by motoring journalists. You can also find hundreds of videos on YouTube showing the surprised reactions of people who drive a Lotus sports car for the first time. The common trait these reviews all share is the sheer joy that driving a Lotus can deliver, especially for anyone who is a true driving enthusiast.
To compliment all of those professional reviews, here are some stories from Lotus sports car owners in Australia. Real, everyday people who own a Lotus that love driving them daily or using them for track days or other performance driving activities.
“While the rest of the Car Industry spends billions of dollars removing weight from their cars and trying to engineer in "feel" to make their cars more interesting for the Driver, I chose to buy the Marque that has always been a Leader, not a follower and who's DNA has always put the Drivers Experience at the centre of the reason for making cars not as an afterthought in the process.”
“Alive! That's how I feel when I strap myself into my Elise. Driving a Lotus is an immersive experience, and I love the tactile signals...”
“Unless you have owned one, you will never have driven a car like a Lotus Exige- because there has never been a car like it!
What other car offers supercar performance, world-class handling, modern material design and build, hand-crafted construction, reliability, convertible fun, excellent efficiency and mileage, and gorgeous styling? NONE!”
“Wasn't enjoying my experience in the expensive to run and unreliable 911 so got into an Exige and have never been happier ! What a machine”
“What a car was like in the 60s, when men were men, and sports cars were sparse, light and very quick.
However, these days they are thoroughly completely reliable.
Amazingly communicative from the wheels to the hands. At 735kgs wet, it's nimble on the road, but sings at the track. To feel the engine behind me and feel the progressive, but predictable angle of lean and the slide under power is exhilarating.
I've spent 19 years, so far loving this car and making friends in the community, Club Lotus, Aussie Elises and SSC along the way.”
“In terms of driver experience and involvement, particularly when you want to make good progress, nothing comes close to a Lotus.
The raw, immediate intoxicating involvement of driving Lotus cars means you never stop smiling. Mind you, you do have to concentrate too.”
“A single word to describe my Elise would be 'purity.' No 'aids' or 'assistance' of any kind diluting my experience, input yields immediate, unfiltered output.”
“Whether pottering around town or out on a fast twisty road, Lotus never fails to put a smile on my face.”
“Open top, sun shining, quiet country road, the Lotus an extension of body and mind; bliss!”
“The difference between a car and a Lotus is the destination. You drive a car to get to a destination you drive a Lotus without one. And the chant of Lotus owners the world over - Never sell a Lotus unless it is to buy another Lotus - says it all really!”
“Drive any Lotus and it will surprise you. Drive it hard and you will surprise yourself. No other brand involves the driver like Lotus and you will feel like a hero, smiling all the way.”
“Whether blasting around a race track in my historic Lotus Open wheel racer, or going for spirited drive round some of the Targa Tasmania roads in our classic Elan or modern Elise, the essence of the drive is the same.
You climb into ordinary sports cars and go for a drive. But in a Lotus you become one being, you are the car, the car is you, it's a sublime experience.
One you can only understand when you've done it, and when you have you will be one of the fortunate few to have been touched by the DNA of 60 years of Engineering ingenuity and excellence.
Lotus, it's you, it's the car, it's genetic engineering and it's addictive.“
“Where all your body feels and is involved in the driving experience.”
"Nothing beats the rawness of feedback you receive as a driver. I find it quite satisfying driving my Exige to its potential quicker than many supercharged versions.
A very good example of the hot lap mentioned above is I took my friend Adam around Wakefield last October as a passenger in my Exige.
He owns a modified EVO 10, he was so excited after the session that he has traded in the EVO at SSC and will pickup a Exige 350 very soon."
“80% of a McLaren 570S for 50% of the price. Reliable track weapon and comfortable daily driver in one”
"I own a few prestige cars and honestly that the cost verses wow factor is heavily in the Elise's favor. Let me explain.
When I take my Lamborghini Gallardo out the "Wow factor" is somewhere near 9.5/10. When I take the Elise it's still around 8.5/10 BUT the Lambo costs at LEAST 3 times more to buy
- now which car do you think I use as my daily driver?
- which car is more reliable?
- which car costs about half to run and insure, repair, etc.,?
- do I REALLY care if the Elise gets scratched in it's everyday life?
Sure! But a Lambo mate got a dent on his bonnet from a large rock - cost to repair $42,000, I got a small dent in my rear bumper bar - cost $18,000 (and 3 months to get the parts). The more I think about it, I really should sell the Lambo!”
“More than a great Sports Car......a lifestyle.”
“Even at 60 in traffic you know your driving something special, cars and coffee cruise or track day weapon same day, same car, no worries.”
After almost a year of ownership, I still find myself standing in the garage from time to time, just staring at the little silver car. It sits low to the ground, hunkered down with fat wheels at each corner, looking somehow immovable.
Sometimes I don’t smile when I see it, and my heart rate doesn’t increase. But only sometimes. Getting in and out of an Elise is a gymnastic exercise, but there's a sense of occasion about it. You sit with your bum basically on the floor. There's little or no padding. Your feet stretch out in front of you, slightly to the left. The cockpit is minimalist, clean and un-cluttered. It smells vaguely of petrol. It is a very cool place to sit! Despite the thin padding the seats hug you. The view is between the two wheel arches. The rear view is limited by ineffective wing mirrors. The engine fires up to a noisy lumpy rumble behind you. It’s obvious that this engine has had some work done.
Moving carefully out of the cramped garage and onto the road, the Lotus responds instantly to your right foot. Short shift to second and let the Rover engine gather itself and suddenly you’re doing 80 km/h without really trying.
The acceleration isn’t fierce or brutal, it’s almost unspectacular. What you sense is the lightness of the car, and it’s willingness to rush ahead. Around the mountain roads it’s a revelation; it just simply goes where it's pointed. I haven't found its limits yet. It is truly confidence inspiring. Nothing under $100k should go this well and look so good.
It attracts attention wherever it goes. People point, and kids especially seem to love it. Just recently a tradie asked was it a supercar. His jaw dropped when I explained it cost less than his Hi-Lux ute.
It’s not a practical car, let’s face it. The roof leaks, it hops and surges in slow traffic, probably because of the performance cam, it has no aircon and is hot in Summer and cold in Winter. It’s so noisy I cannot hear the stereo, the suspension crashes over bumps, oh and there are no cupholders. But none of this matters when I’m sweeping through the rainforest on the road to Mount Glorious. I’ts not that kind of car. It doesn’t pander to your needs, it’s a car for the driver. I think the Elise has evolved quite a bit since my S1 rolled off the production line in 1997, but I’m happy with mine just the way it is.
It’s uncivilized, and I love it.”
“When life is tough and overwhelming, the Elise beckons for an opportunity to uplift your soul however briefly. When times are good she reinforces all that is wonderful about life. A relationship for all seasons and all reasons”
“Head-turning aesthetics, tractable and economic around town but irresistibly fun with sweet short shifting aural delights.
On the race track: wow! An adrenaline rush so big that I am still smiling months later at the thought of it. To top it all off, a fantastic welcoming community of owners and a passionate and involved dealership. It's the supercar that's affordable.
Just buy one, it will change your life.”
“These cars are absolutely insane. If you want a totally different experience to driving a car (without any of the unnecessary "extras" that cars come with these days), then try a Lotus. I guarantee you'll be hooked.
I genuinely thought I was happy with my car ... until I felt what Lotus were capable of - before long I was trading my car in for a new Lotus.
I recommend anyone considering a performance car to test drive a Lotus ... Hand me the keys to ANY other car and I would GLADLY hand back the keys and state: "No, thanks, that's not necessary"
“Alive! That's how I feel when I strap myself into my Elise. Driving a Lotus is an immersive experience, and I love the tactile signals...”
"I love driving my Lotus , I feel very proud and privileged to own one . The admiration and glances she gets is great . This is my third Lotus and the only make of car I would choice to drive."
“A single word to describe my Elise would be 'purity.' No 'aids' or 'assitance' of any kind diuting my experience, input yields immediate, unfiltered output.”
“Drive any Lotus and it will surprise you. Drive it hard and you will surprise yourself. No other brand involves the driver like Lotus and you will feel like a hero, smiling all the way.”
"It doesn’t pander to your needs, it’s a car for the driver. I think the Elise has evolved quite a bit since my S1 rolled off the production line in 1997, but I’m happy with mine just the way it is. It’s uncivilized, and I love it."
