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    997S almost here - should I keep my Lotus Elise?

    The title says it all. I have a new 997S coming in the next few weeks and have my 2005 Lotus Elise which I don't know if I should keep or trade in or sell. I love the Elise for the true drivers' car/ sports car that it is but can't justify having two sports cars. My wife and I have entirely too many cars so I keep thinking that I should sell the Elise but every time I drive it, it brings a smile to my face. In sum, I don't know what to do.. keep the Liz or let her go? What would you guys do in my place?

    Re: 997S almost here - should I keep my Lotus Elise?

    *if you can do better with the $$ , then sell it
    *if you dont need the $$ and live in the U.S, dont sell it
    *if you live in the U.K. , definately sell it (too many on the road)


    Just my opinon

    Re: 997S almost here - should I keep my Lotus Elise?

    Just wait till you've got both and then decide. If you find you're just not driving it or you lose the buzz, then the answer is yes. OTOH, if you need the $$ then just get rid of it.

    Re: 997S almost here - should I keep my Lotus Elise?

    I'm in the same boat with my 986S. Frickin' tough problem. I finally decided to unload the Boxster. No sense in keeping a car just to drive in a roadster with the top down (my 997S is a coupe) five or six times a year.

    The Lotus and the 997/S are both fun cars, very close in "performance thrill factor" and it seems you should cross the line from "enthusiast" to "collector" of you keep them both.

    I hope this helps.

    Re: 997S almost here - should I keep my Lotus Elise?

    if you don't need the $, keep the elise, i think they are wonderful cars. don't get me wrong the 997 is a great car, but at least i won't feel guilty thrashing an elise around

    Re: 997S almost here - should I keep my Lotus Elise?

    keep the elise if you can... man would i love to drive one of those things, is it the USDM elise?

    Re: 997S almost here - should I keep my Lotus Elise?

    Fred, I was in the exact same situation. In October, I took delivery of a Saffron Yellow Elise with LSS and bought my 997S about a month ago. I thought of keeping the Elise and performing magic tricks in rearranging storage in my garage, but ultimately I decided just to soften the financial hit and sell the Elise. Though I had dreamed of owning a Lotus for most of my adolescence, I found the experience to be disappointing unless I was driving like a banshee. Though the steering and handling were awe-inspiring, I felt the engine sound was mundane, the pedal placement poor, and the brake spongy. Moreover, the quality was just not up to European or Japanese standards. It is a great car for about a thirty minute ride. In contrast, 997 aside, I can drive my Morgan Plus 8 -- which is like riding in an ox-cart -- for much longer periods of time. In comparison, the 997 is so precise and perfect in everything, from the shifter, to the brakes, to the steering, etc etc. You may love your Elise much more than I did, but in my experience the 997 is just as entertaining (at 1000lbs more!) yet very comfortable, and practical as well. As I know people who find the Elise exactly what they had always dreamed of, you owe it to yourself to keep it until the Porsche comes in and see for yourself. Either way, you've had the unique experience of owning it.

    Sell both 997S and Lotus Elise

    Buy a GT3 instead: all the fun of the Elise with the comforts and build quality of the 997.

    Re: Sell both 997S and Lotus Elise

    Get rid of the Elise while its still hot!

    Re: Sell both 997S and Lotus Elise

    Get rid of the wife and keep both cars !

    Re: 997S almost here - should I keep my Lotus Elise?

    Andrew, are those both you cars???

    PS, sell the Lotus

    Re: Sell both 997S and Lotus Elise

    Thanks everyone for the great responses! answering some of the questions, thoughts:
    Amir, Financially I can keep both but I know that one is going to sit unused and the Elise is probably going to be the one sitting, as it is I drove it only about 2000 miles in 11 months, once the 997 is in it will probably get driven even less.
    MMD, AndreSS, My Elise is the new 2005 US Elise, yes it is a blast to drive but I don't believe that it is going to be a collector car any time soon although it is a fairly rare car; I have only seen 3 on the road in the last year I've had mine.
    jlr, I understand how you feel...The Elise is a tough car to love for sure. Its so narrowly focused that the owner must be willing to put up with many things that seem unthinkable in a $50k plus car. I agree with you that the breaks feel spongy and to get a thrill you have to rev the engine up way past 6500 RPM (redline is 8100 to 8600 RPM depending on the conditions you are driving) but when its there it is a tough little car to beat in the fun department. To me the 2 biggest problems with the Elise which are the main reason why I think its going to get sold are that it is so rare looking that I find myself worrying about it too much and not driving it enough because of the exxagerated interest it attracts even though mine is a more mundane color than your SY, LOL; and the real major problem is that I can never enjoy it with my wife and 4yo daughter. On weekends when we might be up for a drive somewhere as a family we always end up taking one of our other cars because of the lack of the rear seats. In contrast I put 17,000 miles in my original 1999 996 in 2 years and probably 6000 miles in a year in my 993C4S so the Elise is just not getting used the way it should.
    Le chef, I love the GT3 but no rear seats...
    ROYALPAR1, wife is a keeper, she lets me buy the cars I love and that is priceless.... ;-)

    Re: Sell both 997S and Lotus Elise

    cant argue with that!

    Re: Sell both 997S and Lotus Elise

    It doesn't sound as if you have a serious "love affair" with your Elise, therefore you won't miss it once it's gone in any serious way. It's not exactly a timeless thing of beauty that you would just sit in your garage and stare at, and it's not likely any more "fun" to drive than your 997 will be. Different, yes, but not necessarily more fun. So I would let her go.

    However, I kind of regret selling my 993 C2 prior to my 997S coming in. I love my 997, but it's a much different car than my 993 was. The 993 had all those classic original 911 elements inside and out, and it drove and communicated to me in a way far more elemental than the 997. It embodied everything that made me fall in love with the 911 when I was a kid. So, I didn't really recognize how emotionally bonded I was to my 993 until now, now that it's too late, and it's gone. Will you feel that way about the Elise? If so, then keep it. If not, turn her loose.

    I just can't get very excited about the Elise. It's a nifty car in theory, but aesthetically it doesn't pass my lust test. Call me vain, or shallow, but when I write a big check, it better be for a TOTAL package, not a one-trick pony. Just being incredible in the sack doesn't make me want to keep a girlfriend more than one night. She's got to be a winner all around, and she's got have that intangible draw. The Elise, to me, would be like an irritating and homely gal that really knows how to shag, but represents little else.

    Re: Sell both 997S and Lotus Elise

    you crack me up 69bossnine! you have very interesting ways to compare the 2 but somehow very true! touche!

    Re: Sell both 997S and Lotus Elise

    When it comes to cars and sex, there's alot of commonality. Just don't get your winkie too close to the exhaust pipe.

    Re: Sell both 997S and Lotus Elise

    LOL. Nice work 69bossnine. Funny and insightful.

    Re: Sell both 997S and Lotus Elise

    Quote:
    69bossnine said:
    When it comes to cars and sex, there's alot of commonality.




    Re: Sell both 997S and Lotus Elise

    Quote:
    Avant said:
    Quote:
    69bossnine said:
    When it comes to cars and sex, there's alot of commonality.







    wrong car in the PIC though...

    Keep 'em both if you have no use for the lotus i'll be glad to take it of your 997 hands!

    Re: Sell both 997S and Lotus Elise

    69bossnine, funny thoughts, thanks. I actually just had a dream last night about my Elise; don't worry it wasn't a wet dream ;-)

    I guess I'll keep both for a while and see how it goes.

    Be a polygamist!

    All you have to do is move to Salt Lake City and and you can have more than one. Little Elise for shagging on the twisties, and sophisticated Carrera for the power moves out on the town.

    Re: Sell both 997S and Lotus Elise

    69bossnine's post has got me thinking, I guess I'm really not that in love with my Elise.
    I suppose the problem is really not with the cars but rather with me; I just can't seem to commit to any one car; all of my romances start the same way with me saying this one is a keeper, this is one is forever, this one is the real deal Love but invariably I find out that what I thought was true love was infact only a skin deep lust; or as some of you have said " a flash in the pants ". Crap now I'm depressed knowing that instead of a car enthusiast all I really am is a car whore. That AMV8 is looking really good and I have been on the list for a long time....

    Re: Sell both 997S and Lotus Elise

    Quote:
    69bossnine said:
    I kind of regret selling my 993 C2 prior to my 997S coming in. I love my 997, but it's a much different car than my 993 was. The 993 had all those classic original 911 elements inside and out, and it drove and communicated to me in a way far more elemental than the 997. It embodied everything that made me fall in love with the 911 when I was a kid. So, I didn't really recognize how emotionally bonded I was to my 993 until now, now that it's too late, and it's gone.


    Well said! That's how I felt when I sold my 73 911S and bought a new 2002 996C2. I soon sold it for a 993 (pretty good sweetspot in the 911 evolution where you get modern performance and safety while retaining alot of the classic styling, driver involvement, and build quality).

    Re: Sell both 997S and Lotus Elise

    Quote:
    Fred 993C4S said:
    69bossnine's post has got me thinking, I guess I'm really not that in love with my Elise.
    I suppose the problem is really not with the cars but rather with me; I just can't seem to commit to any one car; all of my romances start the same way with me saying this one is a keeper, this is one is forever, this one is the real deal Love but invariably I find out that what I thought was true love was infact only a skin deep lust; or as some of you have said " a flash in the pants ". Crap now I'm depressed knowing that instead of a car enthusiast all I really am is a car whore. That AMV8 is looking really good and I have been on the list for a long time....



    Fred, you have had a moment of clarity. Maybe we should rethink this board as a 12 Step program. Whores get paid, rather than pay, so I'm told. Addicts are the ones who pay. The 997 really is going to work a trick on you. It's so perfect in every way, you will really have to dig deep to justify another purchase.

    Re: Sell both 997S and Lotus Elise

    Yes, my 997S has been with me for almost 5 months now, and I find myself wanting for......nothing. There's no grass that looks greener on the other side of my fence. I'm totally content with my car, and there's been no buyer's remorse, or letdown, or feeling that the excitement is wearing off, and I'm just getting bored and ready for something new. Nothing like that at all. I'm as enthusiastic today as I was the first week. There's just nothing else out there, that compares ACROSS THE BOARD in the same price range. I could go faster, but in a crude and ridiculous looking and cheaply built Z-06 or Viper. I could be prettier, but be stuck with a less exhilerating driving experience in a new Aston or Mercedes SL. Or I could go around corners faster, and have a more pure driving experience, but be stuck with a spartan and odd-looking and un-inspiring Lotus. And I could go on. The 997S, for me, simply hits the bullseye on such a myriad of facets, where most cars just nail two or three. One 997 can replace three or four other cars in anyone's garage.

    Re: Sell both 997S and Lotus Elise

    Quote:
    69bossnine said:
    Yes, my 997S has been with me for almost 5 months now, and I find myself wanting for......nothing. There's no grass that looks greener on the other side of my fence. I'm totally content with my car, and there's been no buyer's remorse, or letdown, or feeling that the excitement is wearing off, and I'm just getting bored and ready for something new. Nothing like that at all. I'm as enthusiastic today as I was the first week. There's just nothing else out there, that compares ACROSS THE BOARD in the same price range. I could go faster, but in a crude and ridiculous looking and cheaply built Z-06 or Viper. I could be prettier, but be stuck with a less exhilerating driving experience in a new Aston or Mercedes SL. Or I could go around corners faster, and have a more pure driving experience, but be stuck with a spartan and odd-looking and un-inspiring Lotus. And I could go on. The 997S, for me, simply hits the bullseye on such a myriad of facets, where most cars just nail two or three. One 997 can replace three or four other cars in anyone's garage.



    Nice write up, the Liz is gone........ well, maybe not quite yet, but soon...

    Seriously though, I do hope to be able to keep the 997S longer than the 1 year that I have been averaging with my cars. I'm almost embarrassed by not being able to resist changing them anytime something new comes along and having the neighbor questioning me about yet another car. I have tried different strategies to see If I would keep a car longer including having the car paid off as a way to give the incentive to say that there is no payment on the car so I should keep it; I've tried having a payment on it so the car wouldn't be as easy to sell because of the depreciation loss but nothing ever works. The only thing I haven't tried is leasing because I just don't believe in them and also because i always believe i my heart that his will be the keeper. Anyway, Thanks once again to everyone for the great responses.

    Re: Sell both 997S and Lotus Elise

    Quote:
    Grant said:
    I soon sold it for a 993 (pretty good sweetspot in the 911 evolution where you get modern performance and safety while retaining alot of the classic styling, driver involvement, and build quality).



    Not so loud! A lot of people are waiting for the prices of used 993's to fall far enough to buy one as a Sunday driver!

    Re: Sell both 997S and Lotus Elise

    Quote:
    fritz said:
    Quote:
    Grant said:
    I soon sold it for a 993 (pretty good sweetspot in the 911 evolution where you get modern performance and safety while retaining alot of the classic styling, driver involvement, and build quality).



    Not so loud! A lot of people are waiting for the prices of used 993's to fall far enough to buy one as a Sunday driver!


    Sorry You can buy a pretty nice one here for $30-35k. How much are they where you live?

    Re: Sell both 997S and Lotus Elise

    Quote:
    Grant said:
    Sorry You can buy a pretty nice one here for $30-35k. How much are they where you live?



    Haven't priced them recently, but the way the $ is right now, $35k would have to be a good deal here unless the car had not been kept well. Typically, they are kept pretty well.

    Re: 997S almost here - should I keep my Lotus Elise?

    Jlr has summed it up well. I love the car, but accept that it has many small areas that could be improved.

    I have made some slight adjustments to the pedals in my Elise and they are now just about right for heel and toe action. Some of the brake sponginess is still there, which is disappointing since the Euro version is great. Some of it down to the master cylinder they chose. Have also got an improved shifter kit on the way.

    The interior quality comment is also true, something that a lot of Porsche customers come to expect these days. Since I only really use the car for spirited driving, the interior doesn't bother me much. Depends how you look at the car. To me it's a street legal go-kart. If you want it to be typical of a $50k sports car, then look elsewhere. The advantage of the car is the unique driving experience. Connectedness.

    IMO they are so different and the 997S has a lot more straight line performance and refinement. The Elise really lacks torque down low, but Lotus should be coming out with the 240hp Supercharger kit in some form in the future. The Elise is far from perfect, and you sort of have to accept the lack of detail development compared to how thorough Porsche is on all of their cars. Still, the Elise provides a very unique combo. The 911 grips very well, but the Elise is still better in terms of overall handling.

    Combine a Lotus Elise and a 911 Turbo and you get a Noble M400.

    I would hold on to the Elise for a few months and see how much it gets driven. It may turn out that you prefer the 997S a lot more and never drive the Elise.

    - J

     
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