650-Mile ROAD TRIP in My Lotus Elise 240 Final Edition - Is it a Keeper? | TheCarGuys.tv
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- 650-Mile ROAD TRIP in My Lotus Elise 240 Final Edition - Is it a Keeper? | TheCarGuys.tv
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Join TheCarGuys for a 650-mile road trip in the brand new Lotus Elise 240 Final Edition - will this amount of seat-time actually change our opinions of this latest addition to the garage?
This week’s episode takes the Lotus back to its factory at Hethel in Norfolk for its first ever service, and then on to the Peak District, before heading back to Stratford-upon-Avon and then TheCarGuys HQ.
An epic road trip review, where you’ll discover what Damian likes and hates about the Lotus so far, a running report on how it tackles such a long journey, and the final verdict - has it finally won over this first-time Lotus owner?
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I saw how your Lotus looked like a refrigerator. Tips for getting a car quickly warm inside. Start the engine and lower both front side windows by about 3-4 centimeters and set the fan to maximum blow. This means that the old cold air disappears and new and warmer air from the heating fan enters the passenger compartment. If the windows are closed, it takes longer before the old cold air in the cabin gets warm.
With kind regards from snowy Kiruna Northernmost city in Sweden) and we have -17 degrees Celsius
.
Thanks! How long does one keep the windows open for? Until warm?
@@andrewnorris5415 Yes until the car gets warmer BUT you should not sit in the car in the meantime. On the one hand, air flow is then not hindered for the good of the body.
God tip, Ingvar
That works on my Saab 99 too!
@@nickrichardson7451 This works on all cars and depending on whether it is an injection engine, carburetor engine and diesel engine, it takes different lengths of time. As I said, an effective way to get old cold air out faster and for the car to get warm with new air that is heated. This is not a new invention, we in Sweden have been doing it since the 70s.
Might be the worst car in your garage for GT duties in winter but I'll wager it would be more fun than any of your other cars in the Alps in Summer with the roof off. Hope you keep it long enough to experience it at its best before moving it on.
Agree with that
@@TheCarGuysTV OK Pista Spider would be beyond glorious in the Alps but possibly too fast to enjoy to the full in speed conscious Switzerland? Boxster Spyder nicer to get there in but having done a trip with a 981 Boxster S and Elise SportsRacer (111r) the Elise more than made up for it in the mountains. Boxster clearly superior all-rounder but the Elise was exquisite in the turns, lighter on the brakes, more delicate, responsive, communicative and precise. Felt more like skiing than driving! Lotus should have done every press trip on the Susten Pass.
@@TheCarGuysTV Apart from the 1000 mile drive to get there 😬
Nothing like a road trip! Thank you, Damian. Happy 2022 to you, Jason and all involved with the channel.
Happy new year!
hmm.. Having owned a Mk1 in standard form which was modified gradually through to Honda Type-r Spec. for 7 yrs, and then moving on to a 2006 Exige S followed by a base 1.6 Mk3 Elise.. for me it comes down to the fact that the 'hotter' versions of the Elise are essentially too track focussed which meant you lost that wonderful compliance which made them so entertaining on road. I took my wife on our honeymoon in a 1.6L 136hp Mk3 2010 base elise on a European road trip with an additional boot bag for extra storage and managed a three week trip through the Alps.. I'm 6ft.3 by the way and never did I feel uncomfortable. That last Elise with just 136hp was more fun than the Exige S I had (which I had covered 30k miles in in 3 yrs). Wish I still had it.. I hope yours continues to grow on you, but I have my doubts. Great to watch nonetheless!
A lovely, well written, knowledgable post. I’m a Clio 182 Trophy owner and your post chimes.
Glad you enjoyed it, Cowan - thanks for your great stories
@@TheCarGuysTV You're welcome Damian😉
Great conclusion Damien, you kinda nailed it. Having owned an S2 Exige Cup 240 for 2 years, I can confirm that 90% of the time on the road it was quite horrible. Full harnesses, a cage, dampers set up for the track, very crashy ride and no sound deadening. But, when you get to the correct set of corners you just forgive it for everything and fall in love with it all over again. It's a rollercoaster of a relationship, and winter time is the hardest part; Just save your conclusion until you've had a full summer with the car :-).
😂brilliant love the middle aged man rants - spot on!
Glad you enjoyed
Great video Damian - Brave man doing all those miles. Looking forward to another year of banter and content from two real enthusiasts.
Cheers, dude
I’ve been fascinated by your review of the car-coming from someone who special orders Ferraris from new, and has owned cars like the F40. Given the Elise is 100% about driving experience, it was a surprise to hear your reasons for buying: to say you’ve owned a Lotus, its heritage, and not wanting to miss out on one before they’re gone.
Coming from a Ferrari-level experience, I expected the purchasing experience to be a train wreck for you, and it was. I figured you’d dislike the car itself too, given your reasons to purchase (driving experience not being high on your list). So I was equally surprised to see you had gelled with it!
In any case, I think your perspective is a unique and healthy one for Lotus to hear, having perhaps catered to existing Lotus fans the past few years, who love the cars so much it’s easy to overlook other aspects like the purchasing experience a broader pool of buyers will expect. I’m glad they took notice, and expect with Geely’s backing they’ll continue to invest in not only the cars themselves, but the whole ownership experience, from purchase to service. I’ve seen they’ve already streamlined buying Lotus parts here in the US. As an owner of multiple Lotuses, it’s cool to see you “got it,” and will be eager to follow along with your continued experience. Thanks for sharing, and looking forward to more!
Thank you for that well-informed and interesting appraisal, Nightshift. A couple of things jumped out at me:
In terms of customer service - I always feel there's no excuse for bad service regardless of the value of the brand or its cars. The Ferrari customers experience should be no different to that of Lotus. And in many cases it's the little things that make the different, not big expensive gestures.
In terms of my perspective on buying a Lotus - I agree wholeheartedly that my perspective may be useful or at least more interesting that someone who is a Lotus fan. For me, it's a clean sheet. I have no preconceptions. I mention the good and the bad, no matter how small, and I take delight in bringing it all to the screen as if the Lotus Elise was a brand new car. That's the joy of it for me - to me - it IS a new car.
It is also true that for Lotus, this gives them the chance to hear views from someone who is used to supercar brands, but new to the Elise. I hope, that some of these comments will help ensure Lotus launches and sells the Emira and other future cars more effectively to customers like me.
As regards colour, perhaps the addition of Norfolk yellow “GT40” stripes up bonnet, over roof and rear engine cover may help 🤔
Good to see, thanks.
“Victorian lanterns”, LMAO 🤣, I love your commentary, thank you so much, that one had me laughing for a while. Fantastic video.
You’re most welcome, Wally
@@TheCarGuysTV 😃👍🏻
A new video yessssssss.
Thanks for sharing this. I’ve watched a lot of your content, this made me a subscriber.
Awesome, thank you!
amazing video!! thanks for bringing such good content to us!
Our pleasure!
Absolutely bloody brilliant honest review, one of the best 🤘
👍🏻👍🏻
Great episode. I used to drive my S1 in the snow, no issues, except the front wheels used to lock easily, which sadly my girlfriend at the time worked out when she stuffed it into a tree. Strong chassis though, a 4x4 then ran into the back of it, while still in the tree. It just needed a new body. The doors survived.
That must have been a VERY BAD DAY!!!
@@billmarsh3767 not great, but at least she wasn't hurt.
Great Vid. Also very pleased to see that as mentioned the visit to Lotus was a way for them to make up for the poor service by the dealer, you still provided us with a honest and frank view of the car and all it's pro's and con's.
Glad you enjoyed it, Simon
Great video, love these road trip type ones 🤙
👍👍
Love the honesty
Thanks, Stephane
Love them x
You made me laugh at least half a dozen times, plus convincing Lotus lore at the end. Well done
Thoroughly enjoyed this. I think bits of engineering like this are quite endearing 🇬🇧
Oh Damian, you had me at "full revs"
The 'physical torture is just the cherry on top!!
Nice take along And happy new year.
Cheers - same to you
I had a series 2 back in the day and agree totally with all your comments.Great Flawed car..
Got to say as a fellow Final Edition owner I LOL’ed at “EXTRA BASS” 😂
I thought you'd like that
I collected my 240FE from Silverstone Lotus this morning. Aimee, Robert, Matthew, and John in the workshop, all made me feel really valued and spent a lot of time with me. They were the same with other customers, so I have no complaints regarding my experience of customer service. The car is a gem and it is great to be back in an Elise, 22 years after selling my series 1, ( for a new Vauxhall Corsa with airbags, ABS and free insurance for 17 year olds.) My son shared the driving home on this unforgettable day.
I do hope you keep yours Damien as I so much enjoy your appraisals and constructive criticism which has I am sure, been noted at Hethel.
Sounds like a brilliant day, Jonathan , I’m really happy you had a much better experience than I.
Another vote for great customer service from Silverstone Lotus - Aimee as kept me in the loop throughout my long wait for my Elise to come out of the factory (one of the last builds). Now that day is only a week away and I’m really looking forward to the hand over experience and the drive home.
I feel your pain. I owned an Exige S for over 10 years and had many of the issues you've mentioned. One piece of advice I would give, is how to get in and out.
I think I'm probably a similar size and shape to you and found it difficult to bend in half too. So I used a different method.
I would crouch down and then 'post' my top half in across to the other side of the car, grabbing the sill on the other side with my left hand, then I could bring in one leg at a time. No need to fold !!
Out was the reverse. Lean onto the left-hand seat, put BOTH legs out of the door (one at a time), and then using the steering wheel and the seat, slide out into a crouching position.
After a few goes, I made this look almost normal, fast and not something that would draw a crowd. Good luck
Wayne Rogers - that is most certainly a method I have not heard of before! You may have invented something new there, Wayne.
Great video. Looks like a great trip. So glad you've warmed to your Elise Damian. I bought my early S3 Elise in September last year to do track days this year and love it to bits despite all its compromises. There is nothing like it and it is so special. Mine gets lots of attention whenever it's out. The poor illumination of the headlights were a bit of a shocker compared to my Evora and Leon FR. Some owners have upgraded to LED headlight bulbs - could be something to consider. I found the same thing you did about the brakes. Apparently its so they are progressive rather than aggressive, especially on track. I also found that on the forums the Lotus owners are a friendly and helpful bunch. We certainly are passionate about are cars. Welcome to the Elise club 🙂.
Great to have you aboard, and I’m glad you liked the episode
Really enjoyed that video 👍 Glad you’re starting to like the Lotus.
Thanks, Ben
Another great video! I also have a Final Edition, had always wanted an Elise but never even drove one before picking it up and driving 260 miles home in it. I was nervous at first but within an hour I loved it. Totally agree about the radio, first thing I did was turn off the demo mode and just have it showing the clock! Agree your colour is awful. Think yourself lucky to already have the temporary roof though, I’ve had my car a month longer than you and haven’t even been given a date when to expect the soft-top!
That make me want to take my very yellow S1 off sorn and drive the thing. Glad you’ve bonded a bit more with it. Thanks for the video.
Go for it!
Just watched this video in full ,,,,, your videos really are so bloody good , and you tell people Exactly what they need to hear about !!! Absolutely brilliant,,, other you tubers can learn a lot from the car guys !!!!!
Glad you enjoyed it
Worth watching just for your radio rant!
Thanks
Great production Damien , the quality shows 👍
Much appreciated
I told you to go blue and Green would be m6 last choice but with the hard top on, this is growing on me (doesn’t bother me anymore basically). Great to see the long drive, on my S1, seating never hurt my back, just my bum could be sore because of really limited padding but those are better now. Agreed on the lights/wipers, they should really have sorted it.
Once you start getting the roof on and drive in the summer, the attachement to the car will step up one level. Enjoy.
Nice review Damian. I think the colour is just fine....
Thanks! 👍
Great car I bought mine new exactly 20 years ago & I still have it - the radio was crap then & I don’t use it; mileage is 18000 miles & total reliability; awkward to get into but you new that when you bought it; this is a cracking fun car on the right day
Thanks for sharing
Apply some rain-x to the windscreen, i owned three Elise based cars and found that a couple of coats of the solution fixed the smearing problem and improved the wiper performance.
Great tip, thanks
Honestly, I can't help but feel that Lotus "made it right" because of your channel. I don't feel the rest of us would get any "Lotus love".
There’s no indication of that. My channel is tiny, we don’t have any PR position with Lotus. The sales side of the company heard/saw what I went through & reached out. I also believe the dealer backed it up.
Lotus, like any good company, doesn’t like to hear it’s customers had a bad experience.
Not true in my experience, I had terrible warranty issues with my S1 back in the 90s but Lotus worked through the issues (14 dampers in a year?!?) and I still own the car today. I had my 18K service done at the factory and was really looked after.
Great idea to do it in winter, but if you can enjoy a roadtrip in winter in the Elise, then you’ll love it in the spring/summer/autumn with the roof off.
Really enjoyed that episode. A mate of mine has the Vauxhall VXR lookalikey and around Anglesey (and getting there), was one of my best experiences in a car, and I wasn’t even driving! Sublime 😍
Do you mean the VX220?
@@TheCarGuysTV That’s the one, thanks. Same car really!
I know you've mentioned the brakes in all your videos. It's fantastic on track. I did track days monthly and i didn't change the brake discs for 4 years. Never got brake fade either.
In Australia, the air con is beyond useless. Made for British summers in guessing
I replaced the radio in my car for the same reason
Amazing car. i love my Lotus Elise s220 CR.. 250 cv x 900 KG, MY 2016
regarding braking it is true it seems that it does not brake but if you press hard the pedal brakes and brakes well. the fault is ours that being used to much heavier cars that have more powerful brakes .. I have never had problems stopping. during the most demanding braking you have to keep both hands on the steering wheel because in case of uneven ground the car goes sideways it follows the road same thing on overtaking especially on trucks the air movement could make you go sideways
Glad you're enjoying it after the difficult start. Big fan of these after doing the Lotus License driver coaching at Hethel, brilliant experience and they really do take the punishment on track all day. Love the green myself, all too rare a colour but appreciate taste is subjective.
Glad you enjoyed it
Not a car but a bloody good toy.
Complaining about the stereo when I caught BBC R2 on the screen of your Pista 😆
Good that you have are at peace with your purchase. Have many years of driving pleasure. Rev hard and prosper
Superb video. Showing the good and bad. And giving an honest summary. Next. Upgrading my Elise for the Evora final edition leading to the emira
Thanks for your kind words
Thanks for sharing your experiences Damian- we are living a bit vicarious through your experiences! I am happy that you are learning to like/love your Elise. I think that the bottom line is that Lotus have done the important bits well- handling, gearchange, response, steering, etc- which is why you buy one. The daily living stuff not so well which limits its daily useability compared to a Porker. By the way, I like your green and it looks good on the S1 that was parked next to it at the factory-the yellow is a bit strange and the carbon cool. I feel the Elise has been the spiritual successor to my Elan (no radio to concern myself with). Even though the engine layout is different the DNA is the same-what a landmark car. Looking forward to your updates-Cheers.
Glad you enjoyed it, Mark
It's a shame about the color; bite the bullet, maybe sell off an over performing watch/timepiece, and paint it a green that does it justice and makes you smile. You guys are the best, and the most underrated auto TH-camrs in the game. Wishing you a great 2022, and keep on putting out great content! Can't wait to see what is new this year with TheCarGuys and the WatchGuys!!!
Cheers from America
Thanks for those kind words, Greg - great having you watching from across the pond.
Get a proper nav slide out screen alpine unit.. shame lotus did supply with it..
Sounds like a hassle to drive..
Nice to watch it drive in comfort with a cuppa mind.. stay safe guys. Epic rant ..love it.😎
So glad you really like the Elise. I was surprised you didn't go for the Evora. A colour Scheme similar to Jim Clark's Lotus 25 would be nice. :)
Excellent review. 👍
Thanks
Great video, great review - I drove a Vauxhall VX220 on track and an S2 on the road, and on the twisty's you can not beat an Elise - superb! On modern motorways it's small, revatively under powered, cramped and as you found lorry-track hugging. As there are few motorways within an hour of your home, keep in on the twisty B-roads and I'm sure she'll be in the garage for a while, but probably not permanently - Good Luck!
Any Boxster or Caymen would beat an Elise, what an Elise does best.
@@Mexxx65 As the owner of a Boxster, and remembering it's at least 300Kgs or an extra 1/3rd more weight kerbside than an Elise, still personally think the Elise would beat a Boxster on a twisty B-road. The Boxster is more of an all-road machine, it's not as good on the twistys but far more capable on what today are normal roads like dual carriage ways and motorways.
GR Yaris vs Lotus Elise plz....I somehow doubt the Yaris will have an easy time against the Elise...oh and preferably with Jason :)
It's not a natural comparison, I have to be honest.
"...Maybe someone at Lotus knows more than I do about colour-matching..." No, my friend, they don't.
Thanks, good watching as it highlights the issues that look to have all been sorted with the Emira. The KEF stereo speaker system is controlled by the digital screen. I have contacted KEF to find out more.
Hopefully, you will still have the Elise by the time I let you drive my Emira for comparison - in terms of quality and how it suits a different market segment. I suspect your will prefer the Emira's grown up nature and I am not getting the dark green 😂
I am v interested to compare the 2, or an Evora at least, and see what's been fixed.
@@TheCarGuysTV Yeah, big play on it being a LOT different to the Evora but the jury remains out for now. Either way, to me, it looks like a stone cold bargain. Perhaps only the 296 being as good looking.
@@TheCarGuysTV from what I saw of the Emira at the Goodwood FOS the car is based on the Evora 2+0 chassis architecture, i.e. VVA chassis tub plus front and rear subframes, albeit modified and improved. So to me dynamically the Emira is not "all new" but an evolution. Lotus didn't want to call it the Evora S3 as they are starting with a clean slate and on a conquest to be more mass market.
Now the interior of the Emira though, to me takes a massive leap forward. Gone is the after market ICE/sat nav and electromechanical instruments. The systems are integrated, so it's bang up to date with a digital LCD dash and all the usual conveniences you can find in a modern hatchback like an integrated ICE (the aforementioned KEF system) with sat nav, Apple CarPlay parking sensors etc. Lotus have put a lot of development work into the user interface. Elise compared to the Emira will be like a very mature cheese versus new chalk. The Emira will be like the Evora - more of a GT, but very capable on track.
Comparing Elise versus Evora there is a choice of Evoras, but depends on which Evora you choose. I have a Launch Edition that is NA (it's one that is stock save for a 3rd cat decat and a Lotus sports exhaust back box - you are welcome to try it once it is out of winter hibernation) then there's the Evora S, which has more grunt and had a slightly stiffer suspension, then there are the Evora 400s, which are different beasts so I've heard compared to the original "series 1" Evoras. The 400 and GT410 Sport are closer to the Evora S than the more track focussed Evora Sport 410 and GT430 Sport.
Really enjoyed that, thanks. I drove an S2 Elise many years ago on road and at Castle Combe and found I had to duck under the top of the windscreen to see out. The stereo in yours looks like something Argos would sell in the 1980's. Agree on the colour, too dark, yellow would have been better (realise the configurator mislead you).
Glad you enjoyed it!
A great critique Damian! It may be my screen but although I dislike that 3 series color,I love the color of your car
I'm heading to Southhampton next week. I picked a great time to fly.
I've fixed the stereo issue in my S2 Elise in 2 steps. 1/ remove faceplate 2/ buy a Bose portable speaker. No tool needed! Bonus point, you can move the speaker to different cars that have crap audio, like many Ferrari's :D
I use that solution in my NSX 😂😂😂
Shout out to the Renault Vel Satis driver at 10:02
3:30 The weather effects were good, until the moment you got nuked 😄
Yeah, I couldn't find a good snow one
@@TheCarGuysTV no probs, it added to the fun. I like how YTers are rough and ready. Just gets things done, no polishing or wasting time, if do something easy, do it. I like how they edit out parts of convo so it jumps or put a pointer on the screen to someone who walks by to make it fun. Easier than doing it all again. You do not have the same budgets or time as others and people understand that. Adds to the charm.
Interesting trip and you summed up the good and bad points pretty well. Once the spring is here get another set of wheels (Rimstock Forged are the Lotus wheels) with some grippy tyres like the Yokohama AO52 or Toyo R888. If you think that the grip is good now - you'll be super happy on a different tyre. Also - yep I hate the colour!
Thanks, Tony
Great episode Damian; thank you. Will you be adding a sticky front number plate or fixing something more obtrusive?
Sticker I reckon
Nice road trip 👍👍👍👍👍👍
Thanks, Jimmy
My wife and I took my S1 Elise on a trip from Lancashire, through France, into Switzerland and back again over 10 days. It was a wonderful trip, the only problem being the wine purchased in France boiled in the boot.
Such is life.
Great story, thanks for watching, Adrian - I can totally see that happening - even my undies were toasty at the end of the trip.
Same, 3600-mile European road trip (including Stelvio) in an S1 and the only thing that went wrong was the number plate came undone in the heat and slid off!
Carbon Lorraine RC5 pads will fix the braking. Definitely change head unit for something else. They have always been rubbish. I’ve changed to a flip out Pioneer (reverse camera, telephone integration etc) but others have changed to a modern unit with a built in cradle. Sub woofer is a must and gives the rest of the speakers a second life. I’ve gone as far as ‘heated’ carbon fibre seats. Wiper needs changing to a Bosch if you want 95% coverage. There’s also a cheap really upgrade you can do for more intelligent intermittent wipe speed. There are so many mods you can do (lighting, reversing, exhaust noise etc) but sense you won’t be keeping it long enough….. if you do I’m based in Poole and can demo/talk you through them.
Good tips, thanks
Hey! It's a Lotus! What do you expect? They have never been perfect, there are often strange ergonomics that make them difficult to get on with and annoy you when you least expect them to! I remember my first drive in a Series 1 Lotus Elan back in the 60's where, once I had set the seat to a comfortable position, I found that the gearstick was up somewhere around my armpit and extremely difficult to deal with! It didn't help that it was at a track experience day at Brands Hatch and I got marked down for 'a lack of mechanical sympathy' because of it!
When you consider that Lotus through the years have robbed the parts bins of whatever manufacturer they were dealing with to save the development costs of doing it 'in house' they've not done bad. It's a Lotus, it handles like a roller skate and on twisty roads it can outrun most of its contemporaries. Be glad it's not a 25 year old Moscvitch!
I'd agree, the review comes across as someone who has no understanding of what they were buying, and bought the car for all the wrong reasons. If you care about the stereo or interior bits in an Elise, you've wasted your money.
I really don't understand your position, guys. You act like I should have ignored all the niggles I found with the car because "I should have realised what I was buying" - what kind of a comment it that? You want a video where I don't mention anything I dislike?
Surely, if you are bothering to watch the episode at all, it's because you are interested in my honest spontaneous thoughts about the car, from someone who has actually paid for it, as opposed to being given it for free for a bit?
The whole point of TheCarGuys channel is that we honestly talk about the cars we are driving because we are not beholden to any manufacturers, and we are not trying to get free stuff all the time.
And guess what? That involves talking about the good AND the bad in a balanced way.
Obviously, I didn't buy the car for the stereo, the windscreen wipers or the headlights (who does that?) - so you think I shouldn't mention those things?
So you’re selling it then!?😂😂😂✌️❤️. Great to be bright along sir!!🙏
You wanted till the end?
Another Lotus vid I enjoyed watching, great work Damian, a swap to braided brake hoses might might pedal feel better. My offer still stands if you want to drive my S2 Exige as a comparison to how much more civilised ( if thats possible) your Elise is.
Thanks for the tips!
Well summed up when you said "on the right roads..." i think as a driving experience its superb when everything falls into place and the negatives were well highlighted - candles for headlights has been a complaint for decades! well done! You can take off the stereo faceplate when not using the stereo and pop in the aluminium elise logo faceplate that the track cars come with that don't come with a factory stereo - looks better!
Couldn't agree more.
Obviously, since this isn't a Cup car you don't get a faceplate, so I don't have the option to do that. I bet it does look better though.
My cousin owned a Lotus Europa back in the 1970s a lovely car when it was working
Which I’m guessing, was not often? 😀
Personally, I really like the green exterior colour, but the mismatching yellow accents in the interior is criminal! I think you need to give it some time in the sun with the roof off, driving around a winding road to get maximum benefit.
Really enjoyed this Damian, informative,engaging. Not too keen on the music though, feels like some other TH-camrs(just my view)
What you have preferred?
Tramlining happens on my S2 if there is toe on the front wheels. Good for track but not for road as it makes it more twitchy over bumps.
It seems like some of the interior quality has dropped since the S2 in places. The buttons aren't like that, they feel hefty and have a positive feel to them and have aluminium surrounds.
To be honest, I'm not a fan of the newer Lotus cars. Love the Elan and the Esprit. The Eclat is an oddity which I'd probably enjoy owning just for s&gs. The Evija is something just out of reach. Never really liked the Elise, Exige and 'iffy' on the Evora. Personally, I think I'd like either the final run V8 Esprit or a 1991 SE only taking it for some good tuning.....front splitter, larger/wider tyres/wheels, modern breaks/suspension, larger turbos/intercooler (ATS Racing: 400-450hp) with a Porsche Cayman transmission to handle the power.... ;-)
Forgot to mention, if I could locate a Lotus-Carleton this side of the pond......whoa...
Keep up the posting. Best from Canada.
Fascinating review proving my long held theory that a little Elise & Caterham can give more reward than spending +£100K on a flash +1,500KG Fezza/Porker/Lambo, the latter more often about being flash & ego rather than pure driving rewards. I massively agree about the Elise being driven with the hood down whenever possible - often overlooked as open top motoring adds such a huge dimension to the act of driving. Enjoy!
Thanks, Drew
Great honest report Damian - I feel your disappointment with the colour and had a similar experience with the Fire Red and instantly knew it wasn’t for me. Luckily this was a car from stock and therefore my Dealer and the Factory were brilliant in allowing me to configure and place an order for a new Elise to my own specifications. I’ll watch with interest if that green grows on you enough?. 🤔
Glad you enjoyed it, Roy and thank you for watching. Seeing the S1 in the same colour did help, but like you say, when you know in your gut, you know.
Love a bit of Planet Rock in my car….😎
Who doesn't? :)
Great video as allways 👍
Talking about Elise...not really my thing, GT3 Touring all day/night long, actually probably my favorite car in your collection✌️🏁
Update on that car v soon
Mat Watson: "Here's five annoying things about the Lotus Elise 240 Final Edition."
Damian: "Here's five hundred annoying things about the Lotus Elise 240 Final Edition."
😂😂😂 I like that
Nice video. I would have liked to have seen more of ‘inside’ of the factory or even servicing your car. Still…nice video!
Servicing was definitely not something that's filmed, and to be honest I didn't feel like filming the factory as I was more interested in seeing it myself.
I still think the Alpine, especially the new upcoming GT variant (S motor & brakes but the normal version suspension setup) is the perfect little sport car for me. Ordered mine. It should hit home beginning of April…I might head down to Limewood for a little comparo ;)
Great vid. Noticed no number plate on the front. It looks great but I have never had the bottle on my cars. Have you ever had an issue? Might be an interesting discussion point. Keep on keeping them coming👍
I was fined in France once.
I might have to stop watching your videos, i keep noticing more issues with my final edition exige when I do 🤣
Although, you did make me very glad I didn't option the "EXTRABASS" radio 🙂
😂😂😂
Glad you're starting to gel with what is now a classic Lotus model. Looks like a fun road trip and visit to the factory. Did you order an Emira while you were there ?.
Er, no
Sounds like a wonderful car. I would expect it to be having owned an S1. I think it offers something that very few other cars offer in this day and age. And if you think a GR Yaris is a patch on an Elise, that says a lot…
Cheers
I was a real lotus man after seeing the Elise unveiling in 1996 i finally fulfilled my dream and bought one in 2006 then an Exige in 2008…got a 911 now…really wanted to love the Emira but didn’t tickle my fancy…maybe something in the future will bring me back…
I'll be interested to know if you go back.
Great vlog as usual. In case you are not aware Toyota are revealing a limited edition GR Yaris on Friday.
Sounds interesting
I’m sorry but that stereo would be a deal breaker for me, although not exactly the reason why you buy this type of car. Looks just like the Sony I fit in my Rover 214SEI more than 25 years ago 😂.
Great road trip video Damian, cant wait to see what this years content is.
At least your headlights turn on. 😂
😂😂😂
Fun video. What was the solution to that button panel that kept dislodging?
A replacement
I just had a 4 hr road trip with my s3 elise 👍
Pardon 😀
What video is next? Cornering speed of a 2CV? Cross continent in a 1980 Defender? Picking up a three seat sofa in a Mini Mayfair?
Why take a 650 mile road trip (mostly on motorways/Dual Carriageways) to see if you like an Elise? It was never made to do it? Get up a 6 am on a dry Sunday morning and go somewhere epic for breakfast- then see if you like it.
The fact that you did this with the car and still came out feeling better about it just shows that it's a more rounded proposition than it's given credit for.
All your complaints are valid though, wipers, lights, stereo, brakes etc. On a longer drive, forget the stereo and connect your phone to some earbuds.. better sound, less noise more relaxing. And plan a route without motorways, or even A-roads!
A roads were included on the route as you see from a lot of the footage, but the maps were used to show the direct route for the purposes of clarity.
I’m not some clueless twenty-something, I do actually understand these things 👍
Cheers for your comments, Peter
@@TheCarGuysTV Clearly you're not clueless, apologies for any disrespect perceived. I hope you enjoy and fall for the brand as others have. hugs and kisses 😃
I have a 2004 JCW Cooper S that's been lowered and the back seats out for weight savings---is it a long distance car? Depends on how long I can smile and laugh. My other car feels dead in comparison. $9000 Canadian for this level of vehicular fun is a real bargain. I thought about the EMIRA and can afford it but for now--bang for the buck- I can't see changing yet. Like your videos.
Sounds like he loves the car
That surprised me at the end Damian I thought you were going to say I’m selling the bloody thing…i get the feeling you only had those comments at the end because Lotus were good to you…👍…love the channel anyway
Given the number of manufacturer/dealer bridges I have burnt I’m not sure I’m capable of doing that
I just put LED bulbs in my mk7 gti which had halogens. Night and day, and I worry less about hitting a deer