Editor's Personal Car Blog? What the heck is this, you ask? Well, it's our experiences with the cars we actually own -- the cars that we coughed up cash for (some more than others, as you'll see). We're hoping to give you a glimpse into the joys and pitfalls of ownership, as well as share why we bought and love them. First up, one of our editors with multiple vehicles in our personal long-term fleet: Associate Editor Mark Takahashi and his 2005 Lotus Elise.
Vehicle: 2005 Lotus Elise
Trim Level/Options: Touring Package, StarShield
Purchase Price: $45,980
Edmunds TMV: N/A (likely near $20,000)
Modifications: Carbon fiber interior trim, chin guards, Alpine head unit with iPod connectivity, Kenwood compact subwoofer, removed sun visors, B&M shifter, Jim Clark commemorative black nose badge
Other Currently Owned Vehicles: 1957 Ford Thunderbird, 2002 Harley-Davidson VROD, 1994 Honda CBR600f2
Previous Vehicles Owned: 1998 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra Convertible, 1995 Ford Mustang GT Convertible, 1989 240SX Fastback
It wasn't an easy road to purchase my Elise. My first deposit for $2,000 was placed at a Beverly Hills exotic car dealer in December of 2001. The car was finally delivered in November, 2004. In between, there were numerous delays, countless phone calls and plenty of frustration. But I knew I had to have one. Looking back, ownership hasn't been all that easy, either, but I have no regrets.
As I write this, my last payment to the bank is clearing and more than 34,000 miles have been logged on the odometer. In those very hard miles, the Starlight Black Elise has gone through almost six sets of Yokohama Advan AD07 tires, four sets of brake pads, five sets of headlight bulbs, countless gallons of premium gas and full synthetic oil and, oh yeah, one engine.
The vast majority of tire rubber has been left on the twisting roads above Malibu, turns 2, 8 and 9 at Willow Springs Raceway, Buttonwillow Raceway and California Speedway. For a while, my Elise was running every three weeks or so at some sort of track day. In December of 2007, the original engine finally went terminal after years of abuse. Four months and $14,000 later, it was once again ready to be beaten with impunity.
And that brings us to the present day. My little Lotus is -- in my opinion -- still the best sports car allowed on U.S. roads. Sure, there are faster cars. Yes, I readily admit it's a crude little toy. But as you'll see in upcoming posts, it is simply magical for irresponsible, Peter Pan Syndrome-afflicted track monkeys such as myself.
Scattered throughout this post are some enlargeable studio pictures I shot when the Elise was new.
By brn
on January 18, 2010
10:35 AM
Four years from down payment to delivery? Holy cr@p!
I guess it's spilt milk now. Good looking car.
By rick8365
on January 18, 2010
10:51 AM
Beautiful car.....and GREAT photography.
By dougtheeng
on January 18, 2010
11:08 AM
Thats a stunning looking vehicle.
By estreka
on January 18, 2010
01:34 PM
I love Lotus' engineering philosophy. Very KISS. I would argue the "best track car" part, but that's a timeless argument.
Fantastic car, btw. The Dark Side!
By whoosierdaddy
on January 18, 2010
02:50 PM
Wish I could afford a "toy" like this...
I gotta have a daily driver / family transport that also elicits grins. I chose a Pontiac G8 for the dual-duty role.
By sabastian
on January 18, 2010
04:18 PM
You killed a Toyota engine? Wow.
By firstwagon
on January 18, 2010
06:36 PM
The Elise has always been my favourite exotic car.
The price is reasonable (in a relative way) and it has everything you need for the love of driving and nothing more.
As a bonus you know you will never see posers driving it. No automatic and no creature comforts mean the image crowd will shop elsewhere.
You have to love pure sports cars to put up with an Elise.
By opfreakx
on January 19, 2010
07:06 AM
seriously going to think about this for the 2nd car. Wife can have the nice daily driver. i can walk to work. So this would be a nice toy.
Still wondering how the engine died in 34,000 miles. Seems very short lived.
By 1487
on January 19, 2010
08:39 AM
very interested in knowing what the employees drive. I better see a lot of BMWs and Hondas. C&D said more of their editors drive the 3 series than any other car which largely explains why they basically worship that car and consistently are unable to find any faults with the vehicle.
By jriz
on January 19, 2010
09:02 AM
Well, you'll get one of each. Actually, there will be more if you count motorcycles.
By firstwagon
on January 19, 2010
09:45 AM
"Still wondering how the engine died in 34,000 miles. Seems very short lived."
That's easy....
"The vast majority of tire rubber has been left on the twisting roads above Malibu, turns 2, 8 and 9 at Willow Springs Raceway, Buttonwillow Raceway and California Speedway. For a while, my Elise was running every three weeks or so at some sort of track day. In December of 2007, the original engine finally went terminal after years of abuse. "
Race track miles are not like normal miles going to work and back. I don't imagine many race car engines last for years without a rebuild.
By mtakahashi
on January 19, 2010
09:53 AM
The engine actually blew at 27,000 miles. Firstwagon is correct in his/her assessment. Race miles are exponentially harder on EVERYTHING. For instance: Driving to Willow Springs, I once averaged 33mpg. THIRTY_THREE! On track, I averaged about 8 mpg.
Details will be forthcoming in a future post, but I take full responsibility for the engine's demise. A combination of inattentiveness during my pre-race inspection and my twisted ego were the final nails in that coffin.
By misterfusion
on January 19, 2010
10:44 AM
Great post. Not that I doubted it before, but now I know exactly how much of an automobile fan you really are. Or as you put it, an "irresponsible, Peter Pan Syndrome-afflicted track monkey". Hey, admitting you have issues is a very big step!
I'm surprised that there are multiple editors that have motorcycles. Perhaps I shouldn't be; but the problem with motorcycles is that, in the words of Jeremy Clarkson, "You will be killed."
By subytrojan
on January 19, 2010
06:00 PM
Can't wait to hear more about your car, Mark! :o)
By rick8365
on January 20, 2010
06:05 AM
"C&D said more of their editors drive the 3 series than any other car which largely explains why they basically worship that car and consistently are unable to find any faults with the vehicle."
Other than the stupid run flat tires it really is difficult to find fault with a 3 Series.
By 1487
on January 20, 2010
10:45 AM
its difficult to find legit faults with most cars that cost between $30-$70k. Nothing exclusive about the 3 series there.
By firstwagon
on January 20, 2010
03:44 PM
I find it much easier to find faults with cars that cost $30-$70K. When I spend that much money I expect a lot and am much less likely to accept flaws.
i.e.... If I buy a Fit for $15K I am more then happy that it's fun to drive, has a huge interior and gets great mileage. If it were $30K then I would hate the busy ride, low torque and cheap interior.
I like BMWs but have never bought one because while they are really great cars, to me they just aren't worth the cost of buying and owning.
Maybe when my kids are grown I'll buy a special one as a toy but for now my money goes elsewhere.