Lotus Elise Blog

Lotus Dealer Reviews

2008-09-29T15:55:00.004-04:00

I know this blog gets a lot of traffic from people researching the Lotus Elise and trying to determine the best dealer to buy or service their Lotus through. It's that thought that makes me want to relate both the bad and good experiences I've had with a few different Lotus Dealers. I'll start with the most recent and work my way back through time to when I first bought my Lotus Elise.

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Diamond Motors, Pensacola Florida

My most recent situation was in April of this year in Pensacola Florida, shortly after the Lotus wreck. The timing and location could not have been more ideal. My family owns two condos in Gulf Shores Alabama (about 40 minutes west of Pensacola Florida) and we were preparing to head down there in early April. About 4 days before we were to leave for vacation I get a call from our insurance adjuster saying that they are declaring the Elise a total loss and that I can drive up to Cincinnati to sign it over and pick up my check. I make plans to do so and immediately start checking out different Lotus Elise and Exige throughout the southeast as a vacation would be the perfect time to pick one up. I was thinking of going with another color, Laser Blue, which I had seen on an Exige during our first dealer service in Atlanta. It didn't take long to find one, and at Diamond Motors in Pensacola of all places!

The price was right, the car looked great in the photos and the timing couldn't have been more perfect. I found it late at night so my first attempt at communication was an email. I followed up the next day (and following days) by phone, always reaching an answering machine. I went ahead and packed my checkbook in with our luggage on the hope that I would eventually make contact with Diamond Motors and we'd be driving a Laser Blue Elise on the way home.

We arrive in Gulf Shores mid day on Sunday and Monday morning I wake up and immediately try to call Diamond Motors with still no luck. Going on optimism we go ahead and make the 40-45 minute drive over to Pensacola to see the car in person as it was still shown on Åutotrader, along with a silver Exige S. We arrive in Pensacola only to find a car lot with a few familiar cars from Autotrader but not a single Lotus. Again, taking the optimistic approach (after checking the Autotrader ad AGAIN on my iPhone) I think "maybe they keep the Lotus cars at a separate location" and head inside to ask about them. I go inside only to find no one working, but I do notice a model of an S1 Elise and a couple of Lotus books, now my optimism is going up a notch. I head back outside and look at a few other cars while I wait for the only person working (owner I assume) to finish up with a family. It's at this point that I start to notice that every car I look at is very noticeably dirty on the outside and the interiors are in desperate need of a vacuum and a good wiping down. Now I start to get nervous, thinking back to some auction cars I've been around as these have those same characteristics.

Finally the owner finishes up with the other family and I'm able to get his attention (although I HAD to get his attention, otherwise he was ignoring us) and am able to ask about the Lotus' for sale. He quickly says "those sold last week" and as I ask why they are still on Autotrader he smugly laughs and says he doesn't know why. I then explain my frustration that we've essentially come all the way down from Kentucky and had changed our travel plans to accommodate bringing a Lotus Elise home, mention the dozen or so unanswered calls & emails and all I got was a shrug. He finally did mention that "he might have an Elise coming in the next week or so". At that point I didn't care and judging from the other cars on the lot I asked if it was bright green with fresh paint. The real rub came a couple of weeks later when I noticed that the Elise was STILL for sale on Autotrader. I got the strong feeling that the Elise and Exige were left on to lure people onto the lot as they are very flashy and surely anyone in the area would love to see one in person.

I mentioned this same story on LotusTalk and after a few months received two comments of much worse dealings with Diamond Motors in Pensacola Florida.

b.flippo wrote:
I realize that I'm replying 4 months late, but. That's funny. When I was looking for my Elise, I actually bought an Elise from him. I signed his purchase orders, faxed him a copy of the cashiers check from my loan dispersement and booked a flight to Pensacola (also faxed him a copy of my flight itenerary). I received a fax from the owner the day before I was supposed to fly to P-cola telling me that he sold the car to someone else (for more money). He didn't even have the nuts to call me in person. "He broke up with me by fax". Crooks! The funny thing is, after I bought my Elise, I saw his Elise back on Autotrader/Ebay. His buyer had flaked, and the car was back on the market. The best part was that he was asking $2500 less than I had agreed to pay. Frankly, the only thing that made me angry were the comments he made when I called him. He told me "tough sh!% it's the car business" and to go f%(# myself. I was flabbergasted, especially since I'm in the car business! I couldn't imagine ever telling a customer anything like that (even the customers that deserve it). I'll say it again. Diamond Motors and Bill Weatherall are crooks and scumbags.

Joecooool wrote:
Diamond Motorcars - Bill Weatherall Pensacola

Be careful dealing with this guy, he is a title floater. He sells Lotus cars from time to time, he had several Elises and an Exige on his lot while I was there.

I bought my Lotus from him off eBay in January. His eBay id is flyguy66y. He told me the car was paid for, that he was just waiting for the electronic title to be released. Being a dealer and not some guy on the corner, I took him at his word. I traded him my 2007 Corvette and gave him a check for the car.

After several weeks I got a call from my bank telling me the Corvette wasn't paid off. I still didn't have the title to the Lotus yet either. I called him and he told me that he had been sick and would get everything squared away.

A few weeks later he still had not sent me the Lotus title or paid off my Corvette. I started to leave him negative feed back on ebay when I discovered that he had sold my Corvette less than a week after I had traded it in. I contacted the buyer of my old car and Bill had been lying to him as well. You can imagine his shock when I told him that my bank still owned the car sitting in his driveway.

Long story short, it took me filing a formal complaint with the state of Florida DMV, with the local police department, and threatening to go after his dealer bond before he finally relented and paid off my trade in. I finally got the title to the Lotus and my Corvette paid for about two months after the ordeal began.

Honestly, I think that speaks volumes about this dealer's business practices. I would warn anyone looking for a Lotus Elise or Lotus Exige in Florida to stay as far away as possible from Diamond Motors in Pensacola.

Communication was bad to none, cars were filthy and possibly rebuilt auction cars, deceptive to multiple Lotus owners/buyers

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Midwestern Auto Group, Dublin Ohio

Midwestern Auto Group was my Lotus service dealer. They provided some of the BEST automotive and customer service I've ever seen. I would schedule my visits about a week in advance and was always met with a warm welcome as soon as I arrived. They always asked how I was enjoying the Elise, what kind of problems or concerns I would like them to address, etc... They always insisted that I check out some of the cars around the dealer (Ferrari, Bentley, Aston Martin, etc) and always had a nice Saab waiting as a no-cost loaner. On one trip I did require a part that they did not receive in time but they gladly shipped it to me to install myself, assuring me that it wasn't a very involved procedure and shouldn't require my driving 8 - 9 hours roundtrip for them to perform. Andrew Matune, along with the other staff members, always bent over backwards to help in any way possible.

Customer service above and beyond, great loaner car, all needs met and exceeded, overall extremely good experiences

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Lotus of Atlanta / The Bimmer Store, Atlanta Georgia

This was my initial Lotus service dealer, performing my 1,500 mile service while on the way home with my Elise. I met up with some Lotus friends at the dealer who were also there for their routing servicing. After checking in the cars and explaining our various issues (mine involved adjusting the headlights and leaking windows) we took our one loaner car (older Ford Taurus that desperately needed a detailing, several stains, etc) and headed to the hotel.

The next day we are heading out to the Atlanta Aquarium when I get the call that my headlight adjustment request was a non-warranty issue and would cost $200+. I dreaded the idea of driving home with them in a still useless state so I tell them to go ahead and adjust them after some arguing. With the help of George (one of my Lotus friends) we track down the proper warranty info for the adjustment and send it over to them. After some arguing and calling of Lotus USA they (Lotus of Atlanta) finally agree to perform it under warranty. A few hours later my car is ready although the other two Lotus cars are still being serviced (with their own frustrations). Upon initial inspection the car looks good but then I notice large gaps on both of my windows, seemingly more so than before. I bring it to their attention and they begrudgingly agree to look at it again.

That night, after their normal closing hours, the cars are finally "finished" and we head off on our way. We stop at a gas station before hopping on the expressway and quickly notice that my passenger side window will no longer go up once it is in the down position. We are frustrated enough that we manage to get it up and just decide to fix it when we get home.

The feelings and issues we left with... Overall we all had a sense of being second class citizens while we were there, it almost seemed as though they thought they were doing us favors by performing the services. We left with a severely misaligned window that obviously had not been tested after adjusting. George & Jennifer left without receiving some of the services and parts they had scheduled 2+ weeks in advance. Lotus USA (their US headquarters) is literally a short drive from Lotus of Atlanta yet the dealer acted as though there was no way they could get parts for the requested services. I guess it could have been worse but we really did have an overall bad experience all the way around.

I only mention the loaner car as it seems odd that a Lamborghini/Lotus/BMW/Mercedes dealer would have such a low level car as a loaner.

Bad customer service, fought us on every issue, loaner car far below rental car standards, unresolved repairs

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Dimmitt Lotus, Clearwater Florida

I bought my 2005 Lotus Elise from Dave Hampson at Dimmitt Lotus in Clearwater Florida and could not have had a nicer or easier experience. I started working with Dave about 3 weeks before purchase and he was a pleasure to deal with, answering all of my questions and helping every step of the way. Buying a car (essentially) online can be very scary as you are committing to something you cannot see in person, Dave eliminated those fears. We flew in to Tampa at night and Dave picked us up the next morning. He showed us a few sights around the city on the way to the dealer, telling us about the car as well as the dealer. After meeting some other folks at the dealer we felt very comfortable about the whole transaction.

I would be quick to recommend Dimmitt to anyone looking to purchase a Lotus (or Ferrari / Rolls Royce / Cadillac) in Florida or the southeast in general.

Very professional, warm & welcoming atmosphere, great communication, overall awesome experience

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That sums up my experiences with some different Lotus dealers, hopefully it helps anyone looking to purchase a Lotus or find a good service dealer for their Lotus.

The grand finale...

2008-08-25T17:11:00.006-04:00

So I haven't updated the blog in a while, guess I was waiting for a BIG update... The Elise is officially no more. Earlier this year while driving through rural Indiana we came around a tricky corner that sent the car into a spin & into a guardrail. We weren't going excessively fast, nowhere near my or the car's limits, it really was just an odd turn. You come into it after leaving a right hand corner and going uphill, just as the hill crests you are pushing into the left hand section. As we crested the car got really light really quick, enough so to push the rear end out far enough that I couldn't recover.

The photos tell the rest...

Lotus Elise Wrecked

Wrecked Lotus Elise

Lotus Wreck

Lotus Elise Accident

Rear Damage

Rear Elise Damage

Lotus Elise Wreck

Wreck

Wrecked Lotus Elise

A picture perfect definition of irony...

If you look closely you can see my right turn signal stuck in in the guardrail.

This is the opposite side of the road, you can see just how lucky we are that we didn't go through the rail. The arrow is pointing to a piece of the car which must have been thrown across the road as we spun. You can also see some remains of a Chrysler Crossfire that wrecked here as well as several other random car parts from previous accidents. This is proof that it really is just "one of those bad turns".

So, with all of that said & shown I can officially say that the Lotus Elise is a very safe car. My wife & I both walked away with no injuries whatsoever aside from some expected soreness. Lotus did well when designing the crash structure and other safety bits of the car. The Elise still ran just fine and could have been driveable with the exception of a sheared rear toe link which was caused by the impact. Insurance declared it a total loss after several experts came in to evaluate it. When I stopped in to grab some personal items I noticed they had never removed the rear clam, the front damage & visible rear damage was enough to total it. I guess the high bodywork & labor prices were to blame.

My Lotus Elise with the front clam removed.

Did I get another Lotus Elise? Regrettably, no. I ALMOST ended up with another Elise but after searching for a few weeks I decided that I wanted a bit of a change anyway. Whenever I drove the Elise during the week, in not absolutely awesome weather, I would fee bad about doing so. The Lotus didn't mind but I just had some sort of complex about driving "A Lotus" in anything but the absolute best of conditions. I still drove it, probably way too much, but I still had those thoughts in the back of my mind. But no, no more Lotus Elise for me. I was checking out "options" online, consisting of E30 M3s (an old love of mine), when I came across an E46 BMW M3 in Laguna Seca Blue with black BBS LM's & blacked out trim. Ahh yes, I had forgotten about those...

To make a long story short I chased down a few different Laguna Seca Blue M3s only to find they had been sold or had some accident history. Finally I found a nice example of a 2001 M3 in Birmingham and after a few phone calls and some photos I was on my way down to pick it up. I've now been living with my 2001 BMW M3 for about 4 months now and I can say it's a completely different beast than the Elise. It is quite a few notches down on the "fun factor" but surprisingly it seems to turn as many heads as the Elise did. The M3 makes a nice daily driver and I imagine will be a load of fun during the winter, but I still miss my Elise....

I really really really miss my Lotus Elise.

Lotus Elise update

2008-02-16T13:52:00.008-05:00

Alright, I know this one is overdue by just a few days (months) or so but it's finally here! I still have the Elise, it is still in great shape and I've had a ton of fun with it.

The first part of the update is actually last year's British Bash. Every year the British Sports Car Club of Louisville throws the "British Bash" at St Joesephs Childrens Home on Frankfort Ave. The 2007 British Bash was a great turnout, despite some rainy weather, with several Lotus cars making the trip down from Indianapolis. If you're near Louisville and love british cars then come on out the first weekend of June.

White Lotus Elan

Red M100 Lotus Elan

British Racing Green Lotus 7

Yellow Lotus Esprit

Yellow Lotus Esprit, Green Lotus Exige, Aubergrine Elise

Yellow Lotus Esprit and British Racing Green Lotus Exige

Yellow Lotus Europa

British Racing Green Lotus Exige

Aubergine Purple Lotus Elise

Close up of Aubergine Purple

After the show I cruised down to River Rd with the Indiana Lotus folks...

Yellow Lotus Esprit and British Racing Green Lotus Exige

Lotus Exige engine

The next little update is on some new additions to the Elise. The Lotus received a new set of Yokohama AD07s at about 20,000 miles. Again, I waited until they were almost completely smooth before replacing them. The front Yokohamas are still very usable with about 40-50% tread left. I think the next time I need to replace them I'm going to go ahead and use a different tire.

The next addition to the Lotus was a ForcedFed carbon fiber front splitter. I used Bill's installation guide for my install and it went very well. The only issue I ran into was not being able to install a bolt on the drivers side because of the oil cooler. I've run it at some high speeds since the installation with no cracks or movement so I think it's probably ok!

ForcedFed Carbon Fiber front spoiler on the Elise

Another fun addition to the Elise was my new personal license plate... FRISKE.

Personal plate on the Lotus

The definition of Frisky is "playful and full of energy". I figured that was appropriate!

The rest of this Lotus update is just a bunch of Elise photos from around the Louisville area. The rolling photos of the Lotus are courtesy of Doug Friedman. He was nice enough to do a quick photo shoot with the Elise while he was in town just before Christmas. The graffiti photos were taken at the Mellwood Arts center.

Lotus Elise photo at Mellwood Arts Center

Krypton Green Lotus Elise

Lotus Elise & Graffiti photo

Rear view of the Lotus Elise

Lotus Elise photo

Top view of the Elise while moving

Side view of the Lotus Elise while moving

The Lotus next to a Hummer

The Lotus Elise, dwarfed by a Hummer

My Lotus Elise in motion, shot by Doug Friedman

Lotus Elise in motion, shot by Doug Friedman

Rolling Lotus Elise photo, shot by Doug Friedman

Rolling Lotus photo, shot by Doug Friedman

And now for the Lotus Elise wallpaper for this post...

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Thats pretty much all for now. Lotus announced a supercharged version of the Elise for the 2008 model year. I'm going to try to make my own supercharged Lotus Elise this year as well ;)

More on that later!

Lotus Elise roadtrip

2007-06-17T12:35:00.000-04:00

This is another "long overdue" post. My wife and I went to Gulf Shores Alabama back in April for about a week and we decided to take the Elise along for some roadster fun at the beach. Packing for the trip was no different than the other roadtrips we've taken with the Lotus, we just had to leave the soft top on until we arrived in Orange Beach where we could unpack and clear up room to store the top. The Lotus Elise is made (specifically) for curvy roads that test any car's handling ability but it is also a fun car for a 2 day roadtrip down a very straight highway. The downside is trunk space / boot space but as I've said before it's not hard to pack for travelling with it, you just have to be smart about it.

2005 Lotus Elise @ Johnson Beach in Florida, just over the Alabama/Florida border.

We were in Gulf Shores during Spring Break and you could tell. Every restaurant was packed, the main roads were always busy, lots of tuner cars, etc. The Elise was definitely the show stopper wherever it went though. Camera phones were taking pictures, kids were yelling & waving, girls were (ahem) flashing, etc... If you ever want to feel like "somebody", rent an Elise for a day. I can't even begin to count how many times I was asked "How much did that cost?!?" only to be followed by a look of disappointment when I tell them "about $45,000". People were guessing in the $120,000 range for the most part although the high & low guesses were $250,000 and $25,000, respectively.

2005 Lotus Elise at Johnson Beach in Florida.

During the stay I only saw a few other exotics out and about, a red Ferrari 355 Spyder and a silver newer Aston Martin along with a slew of modified 996 & 997 Porsches, unfortunately I wasn't able to photograph any of them. This trip was for relaxation so I didn't worry too much about getting Elise photos, hence why there aren't many in this post. Check back soon though for some photos from a local British car show (British Bash 2007) and some photos I've taken around town.

Krypton Green Lotus Elise on a Florida Beach.

2005 Lotus Elise at Florida Beach.

2005 Lotus Elise at Johnson Beach in Florida.

Krypton Green Lotus Elise

2005 Lotus Elise at Perdido Dunes in Gulf Shores Alabama.

Lotus Elise in Gulf Shores Alabama.

Top view of a Lotus Elise.

Lotus Elise behind a C6 Corvette at a Florida beach.

Lotus Elise, C6 Corvette and black Subaru WRX.

Rear view of 2005 Lotus Elise.

2005 Lotus Elise behind a C6 Corvette. This photo kinda shows the size of the Elise, it looks like a toy next to the Corvette.

Something I want to start doing is adding a wallpaper to each post, available in the 5 most popular resolution sizes that visit this site. To kick it off...

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Lotus Elise 15,000 mile service

2007-05-23T23:30:00.000-04:00

This post is waaay behind. I had the scheduled 15,000 mile service performed at Midwestern Auto Group about 3 months ago. Since then I have gone on vacation, found a new day job, had a harddrive failure, more pet troubles, etc... I really am embarrassed that I'm just now getting around to posting this.

Anyway, the 15,000 mile service went off without any troubles. We brought the car into MAG on a Thursday afternoon, saw the sights in Columbus for 2 days and then headed home with our freshly serviced Elise on Saturday. The service cost about $380 and included the following:
-15,000 mile Service (I brought my own Amsoil 5W-40) (PDF Explaining the 2005 Lotus Elise service items, courtesy of Elisetalk Uberpost & the GGLC)

-Check and replace (still waiting on parts though) passenger side headlight. The headlight had a lot of dust & grit from the scratching issue that Lotus issued a "fix" over just before I bought the car.

-Check and replace the driver's side plastic seatbelt mount cover. (still waiting on replacement part)

Kinda pricey but I can live with it if it ensures my Lotus warranty will stay golden. Another reason why I can live with it is that these service trips give me an opportunity to check out some extremely nice automobiles, often without having to step foot in a showroom. Here are the photos for this post, a sample of the cars that were in for service or for sales inspection...

Blue 2007 Aston Martin Vantage V8

Blue 2007 Aston Martin Vantage V8

Ferrari 360 Modena

Ferrari 360 Spyder

A really nice lineup of cars. From front to rear, black Ferrari F430 Spyder, red S4 Lotus Esprit, red Ferrari 599 GTB and a red Ferrari F430 Spyder.

S4 Lotus Esprit behind a Ferrari F430 Spyder

Ferrari F430 Spyder, Ferrari 360 Modena, Ferrari 599 GTB, Lotus Esprit and another Ferrari F430 Spyder.

Ferrari F430 Spyder behind a brand new Ferrari 599 GTB.

Ferrari 599 GTB

Kinda strange, but I love these cars. Saab 9-3 Viggen.

My Krypton Green Lotus Elise in front of a red Ferrari 360 Spyder.

Ferrari 360 Spyder behind my Krypton Green Lotus Elise

Ferrari 360 Spyder behind my Krypton Green Lotus Elise

Thats all for now but I've already got a bunch of photos lined up for another post, check back within the week for some really cool Lotus Elise photos.

One year later...

2007-02-17T01:07:00.000-05:00

I have now officially spent one year with my 2005 Lotus Elise. We bought it one year ago today (yesterday actually, posting this late late at night) from Dave Hampson at Dimmitt Exotics in Clearwater Florida. The sales process consisted of me finding the car online through Autotrader.com, contacting Dave and then flying down with a check a few weeks later. I was extremely worried that there would be some complications but it really was, and has continued to be, a painless process. We flew into Tampa late one night, Dave picked us up the next morning and an hour or so later we drove off with our new Lotus.

The car had right around 110 miles on the clock when we bought it, one year later it is at 14,040 miles. Aside from a few adjustments and a pair of rear tires the Elise has been trouble free. At the first service (Lotus of Atlanta), after much trouble and BS, we were able to have the headlights adjusted under warranty as well as the windows although they didn't really complete the window part. The second service was completely standard with the exception of replacing a lost center cap from one of the rear wheels. The car has been very reliable and has performed flawlessly throughout "mild daily driving" and a few road trips.

Our Lotus Elise has seen a couple of different beaches, some very quick & tight roads, a few tourist traps and even some concrete corn. My wife and I prefer driving it over our other two cars (VW Bug & Jetta). We've both found the Elise to be very comfortable and more than accommodating when you pack wisely. It's road manners are very well sorted and it feels very solid at speed on the expressway. The car draws attention from everyone every time it hits the road, I can't begin to imagine how many camera phone shots there are of this green Elise floating around. Most reviews paint a mixed picture of the Lotus Elise, always praising it's handling & performance but harshly criticizing it's boot space & ingress. This little Lotus isn't for everyone, but it's definitely for us!

We've come a long way since this visit to the beach, about 15 minutes after taking delivery of the Lotus.

Sooo, one year later and these are my thoughts:
What do I love about the Elise?
Simple, the pure connection that it offers between the road & the driver. The car communicates everything with you in a way that had previously been forgotten by everything else on the road.

What would I change about the Elise?
I'd like a bit more power out of the car. It's "just right" now, but another 20 - 30 horsepower would add to the fun without compromising the easy drivability it offers. A supercharger is in this car's future. I can't say when, but this car will definitely have some air stuffed into it's intake manifold before it leaves my hands. Other little upgrades will eventually include aftermarket wheels, a few carbon fiber bits, some drivetrain pieces, etc... My next project is installing XM radio. My wife gave me an XM radio subscription for Valentines day and since the Elise is my roadtrip car of choice it only makes sense to install a cradle for the receiver in it as well.

What is the most common question from onlookers?
"How much does that thing cost?". I get all sorts of questions, the majority of which are inquiries about what it is and who makes Lotus but the one common question thrown into almost every set is the price question. I don't really mind, it just amazes me though how easily people can ask something like that.

Do I still love Krypton Green after living with it for a full year?
Yes. This color never ceases to excite. I think there are some other nice colors (Orange, White, Laser Blue) that fit the car well but this color just looks so amazing in person.

What do I look forward to doing with the Elise in the year to come?
If we end up moving to Orange Beach Alabama then I fully expect to become active in that region's SCCA events. I don't really care for our region (too competitive, too much judging) so a fresh start elsewhere would be great for me. I'd like to head down to Deals Gap / Tail of the Dragon again, maybe run through the Blue Ridge parkway as well. Another Alabama plus is that Barber Motorsports Park is not far from Gulf Shores, if we move then I may be able to attend a couple of events there and finally get some much needed track time.

Any regrets about getting the Elise instead of a turbocharged G35 or Porsche 911 Turbo?
Nope. The only thing close to a regret is that I wouldn't feel "as bad" driving one of those as much as I do the Elise. Since the Elise is a specialty car in a world of special cars it instills a sense of guilt when you get caught in a rain storm or you realize that you're driving it as much as a "regular" car. It's still very much worth it to me though.

Lotus Elise in the snow

2007-02-02T16:43:00.000-05:00

Well, Louisville finally got its first real snow the past two days. My area got right around 3" of accumulation last night, turning the driveway into a clean white canvas. Not enough to go sledding but enough to get some cool shots of the Elise in the snow.

Not much news otherwise, been pretty quiet in Louisville. My birthday was last Saturday, I turned 27 on January 27th in 2007, weird huh. I thought I'd get struck by lightning or something but instead I ended up getting a book on the history of the Elise. Has a ton of cool facts and trivia tidbits in it detailing the S1 and development of the S2 Elise.

One bit of news is our new car. We sold the Subaru Legacy (insurance & gas was killing our finances) and bought a longtime dream car of mine, a 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle in Isotope Green.

So why is Isotope Green so important for me? Easy, it's a kick ass limited edition color. There were only about 2000 New Beetles made in this color back in 2001, spanning all of the engines and trim levels available. My 2001 New Beetle is a GLS trim level with a 1.8T motor. The color, in person, looks like glow in the dark green when it's not glowing... A perfect match for the Elise! This is the exact car (even the automatic transmission) that I've wanted since I was delivering pizzas and reading "Performance VW" 6 years ago. The previous owner was the wife of a well known VW enthusiast & VW performance parts supplier so needless to say this thing has had a good life so far. The car is stock aside from an iPod adapter, aftermarket rear wing (in addition to the speed sensitive upper spoiler), european (blue & white) badges and a painted engine cover.

I hate to say it but I haven't driven the Elise since I picked up the Bug, partially because of the obvious weather we've had. It really is THAT fun, a feeling that is much harder to explain than the feeling the Elise brings out. This is going to be a GREAT daily driver!

Elise rear towhook installation

2007-01-17T23:46:00.000-05:00

Alright folks, heres another highly difficult Lotus Elise modification!

If you recall one of my recent posts you'll see that I recieved a rear towhook from Sector111 for Christmas but had to exchange it for a different style that would work with my car. The new one arrived yesterday and today after washing my car in the freezing cold I had a chance to toss it on the car. The entire installation took about 10 minutes at the most and might have actually been easier than the Zoom Carbon Fiber rearview mirror install. Read on below for the walkthrough.

This is the "Boomerang" rear towhook from Sector111. It's design allows it to clear exhausts that exit through the rear diffuser, such as the stock exhaust.

Some folks on EliseTalk.com have used pieces of Velcro to prevent the towhook from rattling against the rear diffuser. I picked up these circular felt pads from Target, I think they will work just as well.

This is the area that you might consider placing felt or something else to prevent rattling.

You will be removing two 13mm bolts like these from the rear diffuser.

Click this photo for a detailed shot showing the two bolts you will remove. This is where the towhook mounts to. Simply remove the bolts & washers, run the each bolt through the towhook, place the washer on the other side and tighten them back down in their stock position. Thats it. You don't even have to jack the car up.

The finished product. Hopefully I'll never have to use this but I think it looks kinda neat and if I am in a sticky situation it should help out.

View from behind the Lotus. You have to step back about 3-4 feet before you can even tell the hook is there. It sits about flush with the stock exhaust.

View from the ground, several feet behind the Elise.

The final shot. The Lotus Elise rear end is already pretty racy but this just adds to it.

Thats it for this update! I'm itching to go out and have a little photoshoot with the Elise so hopefully there will be some cool Lotus Elise photos in the next post.

Top 10 photos, Lotus Elise desktop wallpaper

2007-01-10T00:44:00.000-05:00

Due to the overwhelming response from the comments of the last post I had to choose the 10 photos of the Elise from the last year using my own judgement, hopefully you all will like them! I've shown each photo below with the story behind each one and why I chose it. Click on the photos to see a larger version of each photo. Right click on your desired size below the photo and choose save as to download a high resolution wallpaper for your desktop. I made the wallpapers in the 5 most common sizes of the machines that browse this site...

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This was taken on a beach alongside a causeway in Clearwater Florida, about 15 minutes after we took delivery of the Elise. This was truly one of the most surreal moments of my life. The whole thing didn't really hit me until a few days later. I've had a few more moments where it kinda hits me but this still stands out as one of those unique moments where you don't have a care in the world, I was just happy with no extra baggage.

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This was taken at the public beach in Gulf Shores Alabama during the journey back to Louisville. This has always been one of my favorite photos, I love the perspective and the birds flying above. If I remember correctly this was taken just minutes after my wife realized you could have a 100 seagulls hovering around you if you threw out a little food.

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This photo kinda shows where I'd like to live one day. In parts of the Alabama Gulf Shore you can find clusters of these brightly colored beach houses, each colored differently than the next but always bright and bold. I think a Krypton Green Elise is a good fit for a scene of these houses. The really neat part is that almost all of these neighborhoods were more or less abandoned, made for a very cool feeling as you drive around.

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This photo might be self explanatory. On the road between Gulf Shores Alabama and Fairhope Alabama there is a large house with a unique gate on it's driveway. The gate consists of a pair of lips, a saxaphone and some other brightly colored stuff. This was taken in front of that gate. The owners, who seem to have it figured out, made their address sign read "The point of it all". I think its pretty fitting.

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Just outside of Gulf Shores is an old Fort, Fort Morgan, this was taken on the road out of there. I love the how Elise stands out from the background a bit and that you can make out the curve in the road.

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This just barely made the 2006 cutoff. My favorite pizza place in Louisville, Spinellis Pizza, is opening a new location just up the street from my house and have already brought some color to the place. The graffiti around this place is awesome in person, the photos really don't do it justice.

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I almost didn't throw this photo into the mix but it really is one my favorites. Something about the perspective and how it shows a view of the car that is rarely seen. The artwork in the background is pretty cool too!

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I had been wanting to get some cool "Car reflecting in water" shots for a long time now, the opportunity presented itself this year the day after a big storm. Not all of the photos turned out well but there were a few cool ones, this was one of them. If you look closely in the reflection you can see some detail of the Elise' underside.

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This is the only photo in the bunch that shows the Elise in it's convertible / roadster state. This was the first day that I took the top off. It's not the best photo (quality wise) but I love the stance and feel of the photo. This is also the photo that Autoblog used when they chose the Elise as reader ride of the day.

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This is yet another photo from Orange Beach Alabama, taken in the state park. Something about the trees reminds me of the ones in those old Dr Suess books. I think the scene in the photo just works, something I rarely manage to do.

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Well there you have it, the top 10 photos from this blog over the past year. Hopefully you'll find some nice new wallpapers for your desktop from this collection. This blog will be going through some changes over the next few days. It already has a new url, LotusEliseblog.com, soon it will also have a nicer layout as well as some new artwork. Check back in a week or so for Lotus Elise rear towhook installation walkthrough.

Christmas for my Lotus Elise!

2007-01-03T01:49:00.000-05:00

Santa hit the jackpot this year! He (through my wife) brought me an Xbox 360 and managed to bring the Lotus a carbon fiber rear view mirror and a couple of tow hooks! The mirror is a Zoom carbon fiber convex rear view mirror from Sector111. It looks cool, provides a better range of vision and is lighter than the stock unit. The tow hooks consist of this package from Sector111. Santa brought me the standard rear tow hook which unfortunately will not work with a diffuser exit exhaust, like the stock exhaust. I've put in an email to Sector111 to ask about exchanging it for the "Boomerang" style tow hook which will work with any exhaust setup, hopefully I'll be able to swap it out within a week or so.

Today was yet another nice, non-freezing day, in Louisville so I took some time to pop some of the new parts on and clean the car up. You can see the walkthroughs for the very simple installs below. Click on the photos to see larger more detailed images.

This is what the Zoom carbon fiber mirror package consists of. The mirror, installation instructions, two allen head wrenches and a cool sticker.

The Zoom mirror seems to be very well crafted. The carbon fiber looks perfect and the mirror is blemish free.

Zoom carbon fiber mirror for the Lotus Elise / Exige.

To remove the stock mirror you need to pull the plastic base surround down a bit to expose this little retaining clip. Once you have it exposed you can compress it with a paint can lid tool or a modified flat head screwdriver like the one below. Just press the clip down as much as possible and slide the mirror towards the front of the car. Be careful to not use too much pressure, a few folks have cracked their windshields doing this.

"Modified" flat head screwdriver.

This is the metal base on the windshield that the new mirror will mount to.

Slide the new Zoom mirror on from the front of the car towards the back and tighten down the allen head screw using the supplied wrench. Thats it, you're done! Pretty easy.

The new mirror takes some getting used to, the convex mirror surface allows you to see almost completely from one side of the car to the other. The objects behind you seem a little further away and the tinted surface gives it a somewhat unnatural look. I like it though, just takes some getting used to.

Zoom carbon fiber mirror from outside the car (excuse the dirty windshield).

The Zoom unit is quite a bit smaller than stock. This really helps in seeing traffic lights and whatnot without having to duck down.

The convex mirror in the Zoom unit makes up for its small size, visibility is greatly increased.

The rear towhook may not be the correct piece but the front one certainly is. Installation of the front tow hook involves unscrewing the plastic plug piece and screwing in the new hook. Hopefully I'll never have to use this but I do think it adds kind of a neat look. Probably won't leave it on all the time but will toss it on for shows and cruises.

Sector111 larger diameter front tow hook.

Freshly washed Lotus Elise.

Finally had a chance to wash and vacuum the Elise. The poor Lotus had sat dirty for about two weeks because of crappy weaher and the holiday rush.

Felt good to get out and get the car cleaned up.

You can see just how much this color changes, just look at the difference in color from the daytime to dusk.

The european 111R decal.

Goofy artsy shot of the car, you can see the 111R decal in this photo as well.

Shot from above the rear showing the Apple decal on my Lotus.

If you are a regular reader then you might remember that my wife and I got an English Bulldog about 4 or 5 months ago. The puppy had been nothing but problems and had been through about $5,000 in treatment. Well, shes still with us and is doing much better! Check out the photo in that post and the one below, look at how much she has grown!

So aside from the Christmas goodies I don't have much to report. The Elise didn't win Autoblog's Reader Ride of the Year, that title ended up going to a very nice Saab 900 convertible. Check back in a few days or so for a post containing my 10 favorite photos of the Elise from last year. If you have any requests feel free to leave them in the comments. I'll be making wallpapers for your desktop out of these photos so be sure to check back!

Autoblog Reader Ride of the Year

2006-12-29T10:36:00.000-05:00

It seems like theres a ton of competition at the end of this year, what with the Motortopia challenges (more on that in a bit) and now this. Autoblog has taken the 14 "Readers Rides of the Week" from the past couple months and put them into a poll to draw out the "Reader Ride of the Year". Back in October my Elise was Reader Ride of the Day on the same day that I lost my job, kind of a funny coincidence. My Lotus Elise went on to be voted to the "Reader Ride of the Week" for that week and is now thrown into the "RR of the Year" poll.

So guess what I want you to do... ;)
Head over to Autoblog's Reader Ride of the Year Poll and put in a vote for your favorite ride, which will hopefully be a Krypton Green 2005 Lotus Elise. I would love to see something as cool as this title originate from a day where I was kind of at my lowest, I just think its too ironic.

And with the Motortopia challenges, I'm in a featured challenge AGAIN! This time instead of being put against a traditional American "Muscle Car" I'm up against a Pontiac Solstice. "What, that should be an easy choice" you say, well what if I tell you that the Solstice has been transformed into a Mallett. The Mallett conversions consist of gutting the Solstice/Sky drivetrain and replacing it with a Corvette LS2 motor & running gear. So now its kinda interesting ;) I'm sure I'll lose as there are just way too many active domestic folks on Motortopia but it's still a neat challenge I think.

Aside from that, not much news or updates. Santa brought me a carbon fiber rear view mirror and new front & rear tow hooks for the Elise, you can expect to see an installation post for all of that in the next week or so. Hopefully that post will include some cool news from the Autoblog's Reader Ride of the Year Poll ;).

Motortopia strikes again! (in a good way)

2006-12-11T17:35:00.000-05:00

Motortopia seems to love the Lotus Elise. This morning I accepted a challenge (similar to Battles on Boompa) from a Camaro SS dubbed "The Rocket" and later today I recieve a message saying this challenge is the current "Featured Challenge". Neat!

(click image for detailed image of the challenge)

So yeah, if you haven't joined Motortopia yet, now is the time to do it! Head over there now, create your garage and head over to "The Challenge" and put in some votes for everyone's favorite Krypton Green Lotus Elise!

My smile from winning the challenge not enough motivation? Well damn, then do it so I'll have a chance at winning the exterior care kit courtesy of Griot's Garage! Whoever wins the most challenges in december wins the care kit that's valued at $150. If you all help make it happen (watch for future challenges with my Lotus and vote on those too!) I promise to reward everyone with some photos of a freshly detailed Lotus Elise! Now seriously, who could pass that up!

(disclaimer, I'm not really this shallow, just having some fun. If it was me reading this I probably would have closed the browser after the first shameless plug!)

So aside from the Motortopia news there hasn't been much going on in my garage. I started to install the 2006 Lotus Exige grill that I picked up for my Elise but once I got into it I decided to hold off until I'm doing the aftermarket exhaust install. The heatshielding and need to modify the grill a little bit are just a lot more than I want to mess with for a simple cosmetic upgrade. When I have the stock Lotus exhaust off the grill will be a lot easier to swap out, so I'll do so then. I hope it snows around Louisville soon so I can grab some photos of a nice clean Lotus Elise in an inch or two of snow, not out driving but in my driveway!

Hooray for Pizza (and the Lotus Elise)!

2006-11-28T18:09:00.000-05:00

Exciting times here in Louisville, Spinellis Pizza (AWESOME pizza place from Philly) is opening up a new location about two miles or so from my house. There original Louisville location is in the Highlands and features a booth inside of a Lincoln Continental (one of those 60's suicide doors ones). Why is this news? Because I LOVE PIZZA! I'm even thinking about starting work on a Pizza Blog.

Best pizza in Louisville.

Anyway, what does this have to do with my Lotus Elise? Good question. Spinellis is big on Graffiti art and as such they have already given their new place "the look". I ran by there earlier today with the Elise to snap some photos of it by the fresh artwork. Check them out below!

(click on photos for larger versions)

The Lotus parked outside the new Spinellis Location (at Westport and Goosecreek in Louisville)

Lotus Elise alongside Spinelli's top notch Graffiti work...

Lotus Elise alongside some Graffiti

Lotus Elise alongside some colorful Graffiti

The Graffiti in the background reads "Do Not Touch", seems fitting ;)

Lotus Elise & Graffiti art

Krypton Green Lotus Elise next to some Graffiti

My Lotus Elise next to some top notch Graffiti

Lotus Elise next to the new Spinellis Pizza location in Louisville

Lotus and Graffiti tends to make cool photos

Lotus and Graffiti

My Elise next to some Graffiti art

Lotus Elise and some colorful Graffiti

Lotus Elise and Graffiti art

Thats about it for todays post, I'll have more in a week or so. I'll be installing a new rear grill (off a 2006 Exige) onto my 2005 Lotus Elise, there aren't any huge differences but the 2006 does have slightly different openings (oval compared to round) and does not have the two reflectors. Should be a nice subtle touch. Check back soon for some photos of this little modification.

My Lotus featured on Motortopia

2006-11-13T17:10:00.000-05:00

Remember when my Lotus Elise was featured on Autoblog as "Reader Ride of the Day"? You don't? Well scroll down a little bit and read that first!

Well, today I came home and had a message letting me know that my Elise was the weekly featured car on Motortopia.com.

Motortopia is another new automotive community that is best described as "MySpace for cars". Everyone should head there and check it out! While you're there be sure to check out my garage.

Lotus Elise Intake installation

2006-11-11T15:17:00.000-05:00

Last week I mentioned that I had a Green Filter on order from Blackwatch Racing and that I'd be using it in conjunction with a slight intake modification. Well, it arrived yesterday and I was able to get it installed this morning. Aside from the airbox not wanting to snap back together easily it was a very easy install. No dyno numbers or reliable tests to suggest any power increase but it does feel a bit stronger and sounds a LOT meaner on the second cam. Below are some before/after videos and some photos detailing the installation.

Crummy cellphone videos

Video of the Lotus before the new intake

Video of the Lotus after the new intake

Installation of the Green Filter and modifying the Elise intake system...
1.Start out by jacking the car up (be careful, don't want this to happen) and removing the rear driver's side wheel. You'll need to remove the back wheel well liner.

The liner is held on by six plastic screws like the one in the photo below...

Click on the photo below to see the location of the 6 screws you'll need to remove. The liner fits in the wheel well pretty snugly but with a little work you can work it free.

2.Once you have the wheel well liner off you can see how the factory airbox gets it's outside air. The snorkel thats attached to the airbox is pretty restrictive, we'll be removing it to free up the intake and hopefully add a bit of power.

To remove the snorkel you need to pop a clip (similar to the screw/plug pieces that hold the wheel well liner on) off the top of the airbox. The clip is actually a screw in piece but due to its location and its tendency to just spin I went ahead and pried it off. I couldn't snap a photo of it on the car but you can see the clip you need to work with by clicking on the photo below.

3.Once you have the intake snorkel off you can go ahead and open the airbox using the two silver clips, click on the photo to see detail of the clips.

Pull out the stock Toyota airfilter and see just how dirty it is.

The Green Filter is obviously quite different. It's reusable and allows air to flow a world better than the stock air filter. It comes pre-oiled so its ready to pop in right out of the box.

Put the new airfilter in and work on getting the airbox closed again. Because the new filter's gasket is a bit thicker this is a lot tougher than it sounds, work with it though and you can get it to seal correctly. Once the airbox is back together you can work on getting the wheel well liner and wheel back on the car, their installation is the reverse of their removal.

Once you're done go ahead and take the Lotus out for a quick run through the gears. The new sound is pretty cool. The Lotus Elise / Exige isn't exactly quiet to begin with, but this intake modification gives it a really throaty sound once it hits the cam changeover at 6,200 rpms. I've still got the stock Lotus exhaust but I can only imagine how great this will sound with an aftermarket exhaust in the near future. I don't think this netted a big power increase, but it does feel just a bit stronger.

Thats it for now. I don't have any plans for the Lotus right now but I may go out and mess with it a little bit in the next couple weeks.

A shark eats our Lotus and we find a Jetta

2006-11-08T18:34:00.000-05:00

Been a while since the last post, took a vacation and have been busy with some freelance stuff. We took the Elise down to Orange Beach / Gulf Shores Alabama for a week after stopping in Chattanooga to see my sister. While in Orange Beach we took some photos of the Lotus by a couple of local "landmarks". Anyone who has been to Gulf Shores will probably recognize these...

I'm starting a new format with the photos I use in these posts, from now on most of them will be clickable. Click on the photo to see a larger version in a new window.

The Lotus also found a giant purple Octopus to make friends with! ;)

While in Chattanooga seeing my sister (and my new niece!) we took a day trip down to IKEA in Atlanta. While at IKEA I ended up finding the perfect storage container for the Lotus Elise / Exige. It's a 5" x 15" CD storage (although not slotted) container from the LYCKLIG line (Product Link). It's on their website but its only available for purchase instore. It fits perfectly behind the seats on the otherwise useless parcel shelf. The seats push into it just a little bit but help with holding it in place. I'm using mine to store change and all the small crap that I usually have a hard time with securing in the Elise.

You can see the European 111R decal in this photo...

REALLY bad photo, but it shows just how hidden it is with the seats pushed back

Also, a while back I mentioned that I had put some European 111R decals on the Elise, finally got around to snapping a photo of them...

And finally, the newest member to our stable, my wife's 1998 VW Jetta GLS. This is her first car so we're pretty excited about it!

Check back next week for an update. I ordered a Green Filter air filter from Blackwatch Racing for the Lotus, it should be here Friday so hopefully I can get it installed on Saturday. I'll be doing a small intake mod during the installation and will try to post soundclips from both before and afterwards. Anyway, look for some cool "Lotus Elise taken apart" photos in the next week!

Autoblog rocks!

2006-10-11T23:12:00.000-04:00

So today I lost my job. Not a huge deal, it was a new job (been there about a month) and for the last two weeks I've been on the edge of anxiety attacks every morning on the way in, but it still sucks. Add that as icing to an ongoing issue we're having with our english bulldog puppy (under developed liver, goes braindead on us every now and then, $3,500 in vet bills so far) and you'll get an idea of what the past two weeks have been like. This next part really helped pick me up a bit.

Today Autoblog featured my Elise as Reader Ride of the day. Neato! Autoblog is one of the select sites I check off and on throughout the day so it really brightened my day to see my car grace its pages.

edit:
Hello English Emprise folks, I see you found this blog today around 8:36am by searching for "chris watson louisville ky", if you have any questions about code/projects I created feel free to email me @ chris [at] fleur-design [dot] net. Have a good weekend :)

Touring Brown County Indiana in a Lotus Elise

2006-10-08T10:57:00.000-04:00

The weather in Louisville has been excellent the past few days and, in my opinion, is great for convertible fun. Theres a fun county about an hour and a half north of Louisville called Brown County. There are tons of little artist galleries & stores, a state park and some fun low traffic roads. The shopping district is very easy to get to, just look up "Nashville, IN" on Google Maps and follow the directions. The fun roads aren't really marked as such but if you lookup "Story, IN" you should be able to spot them ;)

The Lotus at its safe parking spot in Brown County. If you head up there around this time of year you should definitely plan on large crowds. The main strip is loaded with mini vans, harleys, sport bikes, muscle cars, etc... All different types of people are there.

135 Isn't "Deals Gap" fun, but its still pretty fun and easy to enjoy. Theres a little town called Story along the route that has a fantastic old Inn (The Story Inn) that makes for great photos. Last year (before we had our Elise) we rode up to Brown County and the Story Inn with our friends in their Orange & Yellow cars. I ended up snapping a photo of their Chrome Orange Elise (yeah, its the one from the Tire Rack ads) in front of the Story Inn and it actually made it into the 2006 Club111 Calendar. This is the photo...

I thought it would be fun to try and recreate the photo (although without the carriage driver) with our Elise. Heres my attempt at that ;)

Krypton Green Lotus Elise @ The Story Inn in Story Indiana

Aside from the trip I don't have much else to update. I put some european market 111R decals on the Elise this past week, I'll get a photo of them up in the next day or so. One neat tidbit is the car actually rolled over to 10,000 miles as I parked it in front of the Story Inn. I meant to grab a photo but forgot in my haste.

Lotus Elise, "Best Exotic"

2006-10-01T00:03:00.000-04:00

Today was the Adam Matthews Balloon Festival Car Show and even though the forecast looked fairly wet we decided to go ahead and take the Elise out there. Well, about 15 minutes after arriving it started drizzling and ended up staying wet the rest of the day. About half of the cars left early but for those of us that stayed we came away with some good prizes. Everyone got a foldup chair and either a cinnamon banana cake or another fold up chair. Some really lucky folks walked away with $50 gas cards or $100 Visa cards. There was free ice cream and goodie bags for all. I guess what I'm saying is that even though it rained constantly, it was still a fun time.

When awards time came around I was pleasantly surprised to hear my name called for "Best Exotic". Guess the Lotus Elise qualifies as an Exotic after all ;)

Really cool Lotus Elan. I wanted one of these really badly some years ago and have still only seen a handful in my lifetime.

There really was a little bit of everything at the show.

Couple of really nice Porsches

I think this photo really does sum up the day :)

Also, I've noticed a lot of traffic finding the blog through searches for "Pac Man Costume". The Mr & Ms Pac Man costumes I have that are shown in these photos are one off's that some local folks made and then gave to us via Free-cycle.

Boompa Rocks!

2006-09-25T23:22:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to take a minute to give props to the coolest new online automotive community, Boompa.com. Boompa was created by two former CNET coders who ventured out to create the "Myspace" of transportation. They have succeeded in that quest and are now at the head of a rapidly growing site. If you haven't checked it out then by all means head over there and check it out.

Stop by my Lotus Elise Garage

Yokohamas, dead in 9,500 miles...

2006-09-23T00:49:00.000-04:00

Let me preface this by saying I was in no way shocked that these tires wore this fast, I know others will gasp though.

The photos don't do them justice but these tires were almost to bologne skin status at only 9,500 miles.

Those were the Yokohama Neova AD07's off the rear of my Lotus Elise at 9,500 miles. If you've followed this blog then you know I don't track the car, don't autox it and don't drive it very hard on a regular basis. I do however drive it quite a bit, which is obvious by my hitting the 9,500 mile mark in about 6 1/2 months. Even at the "you're crazy to drive on these" wear level the tires were at they still managed to give quite a bit of traction. I'm by no means a tire expert but it seems the compound that makes up these tires absolutely just grabs the road. The new 225/45R17's for the rear aren't cheap by any means ($225 per tire) but they really do hold their own when pushed hard.

So anyway, enough with my boring tire dribble, on with the Lotus tire changing photos!

This was the first time I had jacked the car up. It was a much easier task than I had prepared myself for but was still nerve racking none the less. There are stickers on the bottom of the Elise showing where to place a jack, but thats it. Because of the Lotus' flat aluminum underside theres no visible reinforcement to indicate "yeah, this should be a strong enough point for the jack". Lungs filled with held breathe were common during this step....

With the wheels off and the car on jackstands you can finally see the nice little suspension bits that brings Lotus so much fame as well as the neat flat underbelly of the Elise.

After shelling out $60 to have the old tires torn off and the new tires stretched on it was finally time to take one last look at a "slick" AD07.

And the new tires in their home for the next 9,500 miles ;)

Anyway, thats all the news for now. I've got a car show coming up next weekend so you can look forward to photos from that!

The Elise now has a big brother

2006-09-17T18:28:00.000-04:00

Introducing the Elise' new brother, an Atlantic Blue Pearl 2006 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT Limited.

The Subaru is the polar opposite of the Elise, heavy, powerful, comfortable and loaded with ammenities. The Legacy 2.5GT weighs in at about 3,300lbs or so but it makes up for its weight with a turbocharged flat four packing 250hp and 250ft/lbs that sends its power through all four wheels. It definitely isn't as fast as the Elise but it does feel more "stout" while accelerating at speed. Power is very smooth from pretty down low and has a steady rush up until the redline. You're nowhere near as "connected" to the driving experience as you are in the Elise but thats not necessarially a bad thing for a daily driver, its nice to sit back and be a little disconnected every now and then. I've onle had the car for 5 days and its already reminding me of just what makes the Lotus Elise a Lotus Elise.

On the comfort & ammenity side the Subaru has heated power leather seats, dual climate zones, 6 disc in dash changer (although an iPod solution is already in the works), power moonroof, keyless entry & alarm, auto dimming mirror, heated outside mirrors, etc... You get the point ;) When I was looking around at cars the two main ones I had in mind were the Saab 9-3 and the Audi A4. Both of these options would have been used and in my opinion, "not much nicer" than the Subaru Legacy. The Saab lacked the all wheel drive and the A4 lacked the power in stock trim. You can still tell that the Legacy 2.5GT is Japanese but Subaru has made strides in making this car very comparable to the afformentioned Europeans.

And to house the new Subaru we cleaned out the garage to fit both the cars, now both the Elise and Legacy can fit with room to spare!

7,500 mile Lotus service in Dublin Ohio

2006-08-22T19:52:00.000-04:00

Alright, alright, I know I'm REALLY late with this post but I've been pretty busy since our service in Ohio. It's all paid off though, in two weeks I start a new position as a web developer for English Emprise / The Spalding Group, the folks who were behind the two George W Bush campaigns (the "W" logo & store people). Needless to say I'm extremely excited about working for this company.

Anyway, on with the Lotus Elise goodness! We drove the Elise up to Dublin Ohio to have it's 7,500 mile service performed by Midwestern Auto Group (MAG). Andrew, our service advisor, could not have been nicer and truly made the experience absolutely top notch. The building was VERY cool and a real treat to walk around. All of the techs were very nice and seemed genuinely interested in the cars they were working on, then again, I'd be pretty damn interested in the cars I worked on too if they were Ferraris and whatnot. While at the Midwestern Lotus I got to walk around and check out some interesting cars that were in the building...

This is the first Ferrari F40 I've seen in person, absolutely stunning.

While I was checking this thing out two different employees walked by and made a point to say "And just think, this car has a hard time getting away from your car on a track".... Cool! ;)

Ferrari 360 waiting to be picked up. You can kinda see a smidgen of my Krypton Green car in this photo, unfortunately I forgot to snap a photo of it in the service bay :(

Up in the showroom I got to check out a Ferrari 612, Aston Martin Vanquish & Vanquish S. Very humbling.

There was also a Maserati and several Porsches.

Black Ferrari 612

Couple of Lotus cars in the showroom, standard blue Elise and a Lotus Sport Elise.

Lotus Sport Elise, limited edition Elise with some Lotus Sport goodies.

After checking out some of the cool cars we headed out to our loaner, a 2006 Saab 9-3.

I've always had a thing for Saabs so getting to drive one of these for a couple days was awesome, so awesome in fact that I'm really considering making one of these my daily driver. They have enough power to be entertaining, handle very well for what they are, are very comfy and in my opinion are just a flat out good looking car.

After checking into the LaQuinta we headed out to a very nice shopping area. Easton Towne Center proved to be well worth the trip and had several cool sights.

Easton Town Center Apple Store. I'm kind of an Apple nerd so this was like the highlight of my trip.

The next day we headed to the Columbus Science center, COSI. A brochure at our hotel informed us that there was a Star Wars exhibit at COSI that featured original Star Wars props and experiences designed by the Lucas team. Not a Star Wars geek by any means but it was very neat to see some of this stuff up close. Stuff like one of the orignial Yoda puppets, Obi Wan's lightsaber, Darth Vader's helmet, etc...

Speeder from the original movie.

Posing next to R2D2 & C3P0.

After picking the car up on Saturday we headed over to a neat outdoor art exhibit that I found online, a field of corn...

Concrete corn that is... ;)

This is a big field of concrete corn that was created by, I think, a Dublin Ohio artist. Pictures don't do it justice, it's really cool in person, especially when you've got a Krypton Green Lotus Elise parked next to it ;)

After checking out the concrete corn field we headed on back to Louisville. The trip was an absolute blast. If you are in the Ohio/Indiana/Kentucky region I highly recommend MAG for your Lotus service.

The Sunday after returning home we went to pick up our new puppy. We now have an English dog to match our English car. Introducing Leela, our English Bulldog, posing proudly in front of the Lotus.

Anyway, thats all for now. Hopefully the next update will be in a more timely manner ;)

Lotus Elise hardtop installation

2006-07-20T17:34:00.000-04:00

With 95+ degree weather in Louisville for the past 10 days or so I finally said "enough is enough" and decided to put the hardtop back on. What a great opportunity to write up a "Lotus Elise hardtop walkthrough"!

These are the trim pieces to cover up the hardtop hardware once its installed...

This is the hardware used to secure the front of the hardtop to the Elise windshield frame. You will need a larger torx bit for all of the bolts in the install/removal.

This is the hardware at the rear of the hardtop. Put the hardtop on and line the hook on this hardware up with the black piece on the Elise rollbar hoop/cover. Do the same on the other side and tighten both down so that the hook grips the black piece and pulls the hardtop down tight.

This is where the front hardware goes. Slide the posts from the hardware into their holes on the window frame. Slide the bolts (with washers) through the hardware and slowly into the hardtop. Be very careful not to strip the threads in the hardtop as I imagine its a real pain to fix. Tighten both sides down and grab the trim pieces.

The small trim pieces cover the rear hardware, just push it on and let the official Lotus velcro do its magic. The front panel needs to be bolted down using the hardware in it and the holes on the hardtop. That about sums it up. Not the best guide but hopefully it'll help you out if your stumped with your Elise hardtop.

The car goes in for service at Midwestern Auto Group Lotus next Thursday. They will be performing the 7,500 mile service, adjusting the driver's side window to get rid of the 1/4" gap between it and the top, removing the driver's side turn signal to fix the condensation build up, replace the little rubber piece on the gas door so it will sit flush when closed and replace the wheel center cap that fell off a week ago. Hopefully I won't have an experience like the one we had in Atlanta at Lotus of Atlanta with the car's 1,500 mile service. Only time will tell :)

No real photos for this post but I'm SURE I'll have some Ferrari/Aston Martin/Porsche/Lamborghini photos after the dealer visit next week. Maybe I'll get a Vanquish as a loaner car ;)

Attention Grabbing

2006-07-08T21:48:00.000-04:00

You know, I really wonder if all of these little Lotus cars get the same kind of attention. My Krypton Green Elise gets a TON of looks, so many that I've actually kinda tuned it out and don't really notice it much any more. But then I catch glimpses like this...

(crappy camera phone quality, direct sunlight KILLS the quality)

Some random guy had another, unrelated, random guy take a photo of him in front of the car. Not just one photo but two or three. This doesn't really bother me in the least, but it does make me wonder if its the car, the color or a combination of the two. 99% of the people who see it smile instantly or point and get their friends to look as well. Thats cool. But again, is it the car, the color or both?

The only other Lotus Elise' in Louisville are a Chrome Orange and two Saffron Yellows, obviously all bright colors, so thats not much help. I want to find out if a black Elise or a silver Elise get the same attention as my Krypton Green (or other BRIGHT) colored Elise' get. You could paint a Toyota Camry Krypton Green and it would snap some necks as it rode by, but would the stare continue until its out of sight like it does with the Lotus? Most owners say its just the car and not the color, but a black Elise HAS to slip under the radar even a little bit more than a Krypton Green Lotus Elise.

Anyway, thats my thought of the week. Feel free to chime in with comments in the comment section! :)