mooty

elise and boxsters are very different.
boxster is a great car.
elise is a great toy.

my back hurts after 30 min. and i look like an idiot falling out of the car, but can't stop smiling ;-)

Delesh

I agree that both are great cars and what you say is true. The elise is much more of a toy. I would love to own both. The boxster is perfect for me though.

mooty, nice garage lineup by the way!

scycle2020

the elise is not an everyday or a car i would like to drivne on the freeway, ge its ride is very harsh, its noisey, the seats stink and its a pain to get in and out of...the box s is a better car in every way and you get a 6cyl porsche engine, instead of a mod toyota celica gt engine...i would take the box over the elise any day of week..i think the elise is a let down...even ferraris and lambos have more refinement these days...and 45-50 k is a lot of money for a glorifed motorcycle...and i still dont trust lotus reliablity,....

autobahnNY

That's always been my beef with the Lotus Elise( and the fact its so tiny)...its has a Toyota engine. If I want a Toyota engine, I'll buy a Toyota. On the other hand, it does make a great track toy (thats it). Every car has it short comings and for me, this stands out. For you Elise owners, how do you rate the engine?

mooty

i know that there will always be something against japanese engines, lack of heritage and all. but in all honesty, they make some very very durable and outstanding motors such as nsx, s2000, miata, skyline engines. the little four banger in elise is loud and buzzy, but that's part of what lotus is all about. you drive it differently than a boxster, you keep the rev high. is it a better/worse engine than the porsche flat six... i don't know. all i cared about was the smile i have on my face after i stumble out of the car after each drive with my aching back ;-) i know of several people who has gt2, gt3, and stradales stating that the elise is just as fun. and if i am pressed to choose b/n elise or my gt3, i really don't know what i would choose.

autobahnNY

Im with you on that..I had a Supra TT in 97', the engine was rock solid. Its just the fact its in a Lotus. Im not totally knocking it, cause from Lotus's past, I guess they needed something more reliable. I know it has to be a blast to drive(under 2000lbs!), I just have to test drive one these babies.

Palting

Nothing wrong with the Toyota engine. Certainly better than the original Rover one. People that say they don't like the Elise because it has a Toyota engine are the same people who will tell you that they base their decisions on performance, reliability,etc. Yeah, right. They probably also buy Playboy for the articles.

The Elise is a car you have to buy on impulse, a car you have to lust for in order to buy it. If you think too much about it, you won't buy it. I lusted for it, but then though too much about it. If Lotus kept it as a sub $40K car as they originally intended, I probably would still have gone for it. As it was, after I spec'ed it out and after Lotus kept jacking up the prices, it came too close to the 987S price. Compared to thte 987S, to me the Elise loses out.

scycle2020

i have nothing against japenes engines or cars...in fact i love the s2000 and nsx engines, and the toyota and nissan v6 are great engines also...and i would love to have the means to afford a n elise as a second sports car....but as one everyday sprots car , the boxster s would be the better, more refined choiceat least for an old geezer like me!!!!

mooty

playboy has articles???? i must have missed those important pages ;-)

mooty

.but as one everyday sprots car , the boxster s would be the better, more refined
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absolutely. if elise is your only car, you either are insane or have a iron lower back!

Delesh

The Elise is a car you have to buy on impulse, a car you have to lust for in order to buy it. If you think too much about it, you won't buy it. I lusted for it, but then though too much about it. If Lotus kept it as a sub $40K car as they originally intended, I probably would still have gone for it. As it was, after I spec'ed it out and after Lotus kept jacking up the prices, it came too close to the 987S price. Compared to thte 987S, to me the Elise loses out.
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This is exactly what happened to me. I was dead set on the lotus and started thinking too much.
I really think i could have lived with the lack of comfort and such of the elise, but after test driving both the boxster and elise a couple of times I really couldnt decide on which one was more fun. This convinced me to go for the car which just seemed more substantial (boxster). I may not get the attention of an elise(not that important), but as mooty said I cant get the smile off my face.