I vaguely remember an article a couple years ago that suggested that a used Lotus Exige or Elise could be had reasonably priced. That got my head thinking I could possibly afford something "exotic"?
Then I just finished the article about WireWheel.com and the comparisons. The statement that a gently used could be had for $25k-mid30s REALLY got me thinking that maybe this is the time... Do they really exist in the civilized world?
I don't know how gentle the use has been,nor how civilized metro Detroit CL is, but I have definitely seen an occasional Elise advertised in that price range.
Plenty around 25K with salvage titles. 27-28K with miles and no mods and cosmetic issues but clean titles. ~32K for a clean title car with no issues and lower miles.
At least in SoCal.
Be prepared to ship a car in, finding one locally unless you are in a major city that had a dealer at one point is going to be a issue.
...and just saw the green one for $27.9k. 
Yeah, sorry if that article winds up costing some of you a couple of bucks.
David S. Wallens wrote: Yeah, sorry if that article winds up costing some of you a couple of bucks.
No, you're not.
I actually bought an Elise from wirewheel two days before the latest GRM made it to my house. I was pleasantly surprised to see the article.
Hayes was awesome to work with and the car will hopefully be on a truck getting shipped up to MA in the next few days. I got a clean title accident free 2006 Elise from him for a great price. Even when you tack on the cost of shipping - it ended up being a better deal than the cars that were closer to home. It's slim pickings up here for Elise's - especially in the middle of winter.
I've been keeping a close eye on the Lotus market for years. The cars bottomed out years ago and have steadily been getting more expensive. I waited too long and missed out on a CHEAP exige in 2010 and have regretted it ever since. I figured if I don't move on one now I'll never be able to afford one down the line if they keep up like this.
Here's the one I bought: http://wirewheel.com/2006-Lotus-Elise-Chrome-Orange-for-sale.html
In reply to Yavuz:
I saw the listing but didn't open since it said "sold", even though I liked the color. I'm curious how much shipping was? The green one and the grey supercharged one both peak my interest.
I was quoted $900 on an open trailer or $1300 for enclosed from FL to MA. I'm going the enclosed route.
I tossed around the idea of flying down and driving it back, but decided against it since between flight, gas, and hotels it wouldn't be much cheaper. Plus I'd risk running into a snow storm as I get near New England, I'd be putting 1,500 boring miles on the car, and do I really want to spend 20+ hours in an Elise?
Also - Hayes has a stockpile of elise parts - he gave me reasonable prices to install any number of suspension, wheel, or exhaust options before shipping the car up.
In reply to Yavuz:
Well that will be a fun change from your Mazda 2! I want a ride at an autocross this year.
Oooo, Chrome Orange. Do NOT look up the price for paint on that thing 
Great color.
I really want an Elise. That article certainly didn't help.
That's awesome. Love it! Congrats on the purchase.
Yavuz wrote: ...do I really want to spend 20+ hours in an Elise?
The answer is Yes, yes you do.
I believe prices are on the rise, so if you want an Elise / Exige, now is the time. If I was in a position to buy---- my first call would be to Hayes at Wire Wheel Classics. Not only is he very knowledgeable about these cars---- he's also a great guy, who won't steer you wrong.
In reply to cmcgregor:
Absolutely - I'm hoping to hit all of the NER events this year.
Since posting - I got a call from the trucking company who is picking the car up tonight and asked if I'm free Wednesday or Thursday for delivery. I thought it was going to take a lot longer than that, but it looks like the Elise might be in my garage in the next couple of days!
In reply to jstein77:
Yes, but what 20 hours do you want to drive? Starting in Worcester he could go out MA 122 North to MA 2 West to NY 22 North to VT 9 East to I91 North to NH 123 East to US3 North to NH116 East to NH16 South to I495 West and have a lot more fun in half the time...
jstein77 wrote:
That picture doesn't do Chrome Orange justice. Pictures don't show it off well.
After a long chat with an Elise owner, and the trials and tribulations of Elise ownership... Not with someone else's money.
IIRC he replaced the rack and pinion at 2k, and again at 9k, there are some rather serious (I think) airflow issues regarding the radiator exhaust blowing into the cabin, and when I was speaking with him, he had the whole front of the car apart as he was engineering a new brake master cylinder system because the ex-Golf bits that Lotus bolted in had horrible feel and he considered it to be NFG for track work.
Keith Tanner wrote:jstein77 wrote:That picture doesn't do Chrome Orange justice. Pictures don't show it off well.
Yeah, looks good. Congrats on the new car.
jstein77 wrote:Yavuz wrote: ...do I really want to spend 20+ hours in an Elise?The answer is Yes, yes you do.
After doing just that I'd say maybe not. I bought an Elise in San Antonio, TX and drove it back home to Orlando a few years ago. This was in the middle of August and the "climate control" was pretty typical Lotus. I sweated my ass off. That plus the lack of cruise control made the experience less than ideal. I found the Elise to be best enjoyed an hour or two at a time in the Florida winter.
Whatever you do, do not search up "B Is For Build" on Youtube. And definitely don't watch their Evora series.
Rented an Elise in Vegas and drove it through Valley of Fire National Park with my wife about 8 years ago.
Want one, will probably never own one.
G_Body_Man wrote: Whatever you do, do not search up "B Is For Build" on Youtube. And definitely don't watch their Evora series.
I love the B is for Build
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