...as they say: there is no substitute
The Lotus Elise is a great driver's car, but it does not work as an substitute for the more versatile Boxster, though could be nice as an addition for track use
Agreed, the Lotus was a fun car for the track, and for those who may be interested in hearing why I sold my Lotus Elise to get back into a Boxster, here is my story. In 2006 I purchased a new Lotus Elise (Ardent red with tan leather, pictured below). The first 15 minutes in the car, it was an absolute kick, very much like driving a go-kart. I picked up the car in Newport Beach and drove it home to the Bay Area (400 miles). By the time I got home, I was wondering what the heck I had done. I just paid $54,000, for a car that felt one small step up from a kit car. Mind you I just sold a 2006 Boxster S, that did everything so perfectly, I just took it for granted, and thought I would go a notch up for an even purer driving experience with the Lotus Elise. What I found was a car that annoyed the heck out of me everytime I crashed over a bump, I thought the driver or passenger window was going to crack. The shifter felt as if it was going to come off in my hands and just had a very flimsy feel to it. The steering wheel also felt flimsy and had a bit too much flex for my liking. Yes, the car was a kick to drive on the track and on the street, and people would just stop in their tracks and stare at you when you went by, but I just missed the feeling that the Boxster was the complete package to me. The optional $1,400.00 Elise convertible hardtop panel took almost 20 minutes to unscrew and remove and was such a hassle to take off that I loathed putting it back on, and never used it again. Fortunately the Elise also came with a soft top, and that only took about 5 minutes to put two brackets in place and roll out and stretch into place. In contrast the Boxster's convertible top operation is first-rate, and I feel that I am riding in a true convertible rather than a car with a T-top. The Elise's trunk lid had just a flimsy (there's that word again), metal pole to hold it up. In fact, if you opened the trunk too far, there was nothing to stop the trunk lid from crashing onto the C-Pillars and scratch paint. The radio had the worst reception of any car I ever had the pleasure to own. The dealer was of no help and said that because the frame was aluminum it was not optimal for grounding the radio antenna. I could go on, and some will say that I am totally missing the point of what the Lotus is about, but let's just sum it up to say that I am much happier to be driving the Boxster again. Lastly, some have said that I should have waited for the face-lift and direct fuel injection (I have mixed feelings on the planned styling changes), and was not willing to wait for direct fuel injection. I'll wait until Porsche perfects dfi and possibly the paddle-shifter in year 2 or 3 of the facelift, or in the 988. One thing is certain, my biggest regret is that I missed out on almost 2 years of Boxster enjoyment, I didn't want to make it 3 years.
vincesf
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Curious what your impressions are so far of the short shift, and if you had the standard shifter on your last 987S.
