6:35 "This car actually accelerates. It's not the FR-S!" Cuz it isn't a nanny-padded brick like most modern cars. Lotus: when you look at a Miata and still say "Too heavy."

6 жыл бұрын

...but the Miata has working A/C and electric mirrors ;)

@GrayFox370

6 жыл бұрын

I wouldn't take anyone seriously who thinks a FRS accelerates.

@JAnx01

6 жыл бұрын

Why do you need electric mirrors on your sports car?

@ZDY66666

6 жыл бұрын

Spartan120 they don't say that too much anymore since the reform. But I like the new era of Lotus more than the exige days tbh. The aero are still ridiculous and the cars are still relatively light

@177SCmaro

6 жыл бұрын

Spartan120 The Elise makes a Miata look like a normal sized car.

Your love of this car seeps through so much. This car is you, personified.Congrats, Todd!

Part of me wants to say "Keep right except to pass".

@anonymousstormchaser

5 жыл бұрын

He was passing the whole time though

@tolga1cool

3 жыл бұрын

@@anonymousstormchaser 2:37 and onwards........

Congratulations Todd! Wonderful car and I'm sure it feels great to have one you've wanted for so long.

Really happy for Todd, nothing like owning your dream car.

I really like your new car, Todd. I've been an Elise fan for years and finding your channel a while back and listening to your praise of the car has really increased my interest even more. Have fun with it!

I take the same road to Vegas, and yes, that canyon is absolutely gorgeous! The video can't do it justice.

What gorgeous scenery, especially descending into that canyon! Thanks for sharing that terrific footage!

Normally I hate ads, so much so that I use (and love) Adblock, but I have to admit seeing a genuine ad that is relevant to the channel is incredibly refreshing. Also bonus points because you guys actually use / benefit from it.

There was a calming ambiance about this video. I felt like picking eye sand as I watched the sun on the morning horizon. Those canyon shots were great eye candy.

Your laugh sounds almost evil... its brilliant! @4:33, Its like you and your the tiny lotus are taking over the world with every overtake 😂

Congrats Todd. Welcome to the Lotus Club! Enjoy feeling the road with the legendary lotus steering. 😎

Welcome to Elise ownership. I've had mine since it was new 11 years ago, I love it! Headliner fix (I just did mine): 1) Remove hardtop from Elise, place on table with proper cushioning as to not scratch up your painted hardtop 2) Use 3M adhesive remover. 3) If you choose to - after prepping the surface can use Bedliner spray like I did and it turned out great. I didn't bother to replace the fabric. Looks better without in my opinion.

Congratulations on the car! I simply loooove the elise, specially on yellow! Hope you keep it for a long time and that it gives you a lot of happiness! And don't forget to make a ton of videos about it! Looking foward to future videos!

Would love to see more videos like this, general life/roadtrip etc. Also loved the forward facing dashcam shots.

That's so cool you finally got one. Saw you marking out and jonesing for an Elise in your Pacific Highway video. Super cool you finally got one! Congrats!

Congratulations on your purchase! Enjoy it in good health for many more years to come.

As a long time viewer (3 years or so) the dream has finally come true, awesome, congrats Todd and enjoy the car!

That was lovely. Thank you for sharing.

Congratz Todd. I am glad you got one of your bucket list cars. I have always loved those too. Add lightness :)

@EverydayDriver Todd, EXCELLENT choice. I own a 2006 as well. I bought in Texas and drove it back to Illinois. The Elise is beyond comparison. A 4C is probably it's closest modern competitor, but you've got yourself one of the most special cars ever sold in the States. I look forward to more videos of it. Enjoy.

just love this car because it is a pure drivers car which just comes with the basics and nothing more

Perfect Car on a Perfect Highway, GOD Bless America!!!

That mountain drive had an unreal view . Would love to drive through that canyon looked fun

Todd, I am thrilled for you! This is what you have begging the heavens for. Congrats.

Congrats on the Elise. Hope you and your son have some great memories in it.

"This is the speed God intended..." Love it!

@wolfgangwolfgang5180

6 жыл бұрын

Luckily we have the Autobahn in Germany. Believe me: THAT's the speed God intended :-) But I would give that away any day for a nice stretch of very curvy road in the mountains. Love your video and the sights. You should try and find some passes across all those lovely mountains. An Elise is fun on the straight but undescribable through corners.

That scenery and sky was breathtaking!

@EverydayDriver Welcome to the club. Drove mine 2500 miles across country from Missouri to Oregon! Its funny noting the similar complaints I had about mine. The little lumbar bladder slowly loses air, and no cruise control over a long stint was a concern at first. Other than that, no complaints. On a side note, was that the road just uphill from Fairview UT in the Manti La Sal? Awesome area!

Congrats Todd! I recall you speaking so highly of the Elise on one of the very early reviews you guys did. It's one of the reasons I bought mine. I think you really undersold this car. I owned mine for a year and, outside of squeaks and rattles, I had 0 issues with the car. People have a misconception about these that they're unreliable simply because well, those people don't know a damn thing about them and assume #exotic. Once you realize all the important bits are Toyota you quickly realize how brilliant this car is. Enjoy it man, hell of a machine!

@iheartgs400

6 жыл бұрын

EatSleepDrive exactly it's literally a motor and transmission from the last generation 2000-2005 Celica GTS.

@gego3602

6 жыл бұрын

Actually the older (pre 2005) models where not bad cars even if they had rover engines. If you (like me) live in europe the pre toyota-engined cars are both cheaper and a lot lighter (750kg vs 860kg - 1655lbs vs 1896lbs), that's quite a lot when it comes to cornering in such a light car. Also the rover engine in various versions are quite common in europe and all "issues" they had have long been solved, including external thermostat, larger head bolts, re-designed head gasket etc.

@pchwang

6 жыл бұрын

Not to mention it depreciates less than a Jeep Wrangler Sport!

@abuelb

5 жыл бұрын

My 2zzge Celica has 378k+ miles and still runs to redline. This lotus Yamaha engine will last that many miles and more.

1: so happy you have it and are already sharing with us. 2: shockingly graceful exit/birth 3: that new logo looks fantastic, lol

I'm so glad you finally got your Lotus!

Immediately sort out the toe link with an aftermarket brace and linkage, as well as the oil cooler hoses! "Fairly common issues"

I bought a black 2006 new w/Touring Pack and Sport Pack. It was love at first sight and bliss for twelve years and 22,000 miles. You are right in that you must drive it 100% of the time. It demands your attention. If you get distracted you'll find yourself in the next lane or two lanes over. There is no dangling of the left hand over the top of the wheel and resting the right hand on the shift lever. You had both hands on the wheel except to shift, then you put it right back. This is how I judge if someone is a serious driver or just a big talker. You passed the test, Todd. Few others will understand your comments in this video and in #2. You have to own at least one type of Lotus or another to get it. Nobody has described an Elise better. Keep up the good work, drive quickly, and keep smiling.

Nice detailed road review! I've driven my Exige from San Francisco to southern Cal and back for track days. Adjustable suspension set at nearly full soft really makes this car perfect between road and track. Throw in a good set of ear plugs and it's great for long hauls. For coastal or mountain roads, the driving experience is as close to a motorcycle or dedicated track machine experience as you can get while still having a manual, a roof, audio, and air conditioning.

Always been my dream car. Fell in love with the bright green one as a kid and have lived them ever since.

Epic film, stunning roads and scenery

Todd - yours is a base suspension car with the smaller front wheels (175s), and less sticky Yokos. The crazy sticky dangerous in the wet R comp Yokos only came with the sports suspension option (lighter forged wheels, wider at the front (195s), stiffer suspension). Congrats on the purchase. Look forward to seeing more videos, and/or seeing you on Lotus Talk.

About time, congrats!

Congratulations from a fellow Elise owner!

Awesome video, please do more of these.....

Hi Todd, sad to see the 86 go, I loved all your reviews. But I also love the Elise an this one looks specially good (always liked that color). Good luck and have fun with it (for sure you will)!

congrats! now we need an Elise vs Cayman video!

Awesome video of Cedar Canyon and Brian Head in Southern Utah! Cedar City is my hometown. Great canyon drive.

So glad you got that. Love the end scene pic.

I bought a 2005 Elise last October. My first road trip was driving it about 2000 miles home from San Jose to Kansas over 3 days. It is an amazing little car.

Your video really makes me want to buy one now. Well done!

Congratulations on your new ride! I would love to have one. I too have mirrors that must be hand adjusted in my ride, but it's no big deal. You set it once and you are good to go.

Congratulations, Todd!

Just invested in an S1 Elise and this video summed up the car and what it's for perfectly!

"This is what this car is made for." Gotta laugh. A grand tourissimo is made for interstates and autobahns. The Lotus is a sports car made for twisty mountain roads.

Nice purchase! I can't wait to see future updates on it. Have you done any reviews of cars on either alpine loop or highway 12 in Utah? They were by far my favorite roads that I found in my 3 years in Utah.

I've been looking at Elises for the last decade or so as well. I probably am in the best position I'll ever be to daily on now. I will be watching closely. Just traded a diesel truck and bought a GTI. Baby steps.

Congrats! Well deserved.

From a Brit who had driven through Ut and Wy, top marks on a great review. And, no, no-one needs cruise control and if everyone drove with the awareness you display when driving your pocket rocket there's be way fewer collisions.

I DD mine for over two years, with zero AC. Keep an eye on the oil cooler lines if they haven' been done, and check the radiator for leaks.Incredibly solid cars, for what they are..

I bought mine in Vero Beach Florida and drove it up to New Jersey! Elise road trips ftw.

Congrats on the Lotus!!

Love the new car Todd! I concur with your steering rack comment - after driving my Fiesta ST as my primary car for a year, I am now ruined and find myself not giving other cars enough input to get them placed where I'd like through the corners. It's kinda hard to re-learn.

Congrats on getting the Lotus! I still love the FR-S, but I've also wanted a Lotus for about a decade.

From one yellow Elise owner to another, well done. There is no going back :-) Yellow & Black is the classic Lotus colour combo.

Congrats on the Elise Todd!

You have to adjust the side mirrors from the outside. You have to push the mirror in toward the car to effectively disable the spring loaded safety feature, and then tilt the mirror. Also any tire unbalance has the capability to really shake the car, because the car is so light weight.

I owned a red 2005 Elise two years ago. It was my primary vehicle. When I was young, I raced go-carts and the Elise was the closest thing affordable that replicated that quality of handling. Once you're able to climb aboard (or more accurately fall into) the cabin, you are greeted by one of the most minimalistic interiors of any road car. It's actually comfortable if you under six feet tall. I live in New Mexico so the a/c leaves a lot to be desired. I raced the car at a local road course and was amazed by how quick the Elise was and glued to the road it was. I learned a few things during my 2-year ownership-- (1) the Elise makes a better weekend driver than a daily driver; (2) getting in and out of the Elise requires youthful dexterity. Egress looks more like the Elise is giving birth to its driver. Elise ownership was a great experience, but I eventually traded it in for a C6 Corvette.

Lotus is so criminaly overlooked and underrated. They are great!

@josephandreuccetti8043

5 жыл бұрын

TheHidalgo99 I started researching more and more about what’s a good car. After owning a MX5 and looking at S2000 prices along with MR2 and Porsche pricing along with evo/STI stuff. I often wonder how the hell this car is so over looked. Aside from “small” problems they really don’t have anything off putting. Hell they seem to be far cheaper than BMW/Mercedes owner ship. Everything has gotten to be so so heavy! I think the only thing that compares to the lotus for a all around car would be a Alfa 4c and I have a feeling those are going to be terribly expensive to keep running because Italian.

Yesterday, I was moments away from booking my plane ticket to pick up my 05 Elise from Oregon. After watching this, I'm glad I decided to have it shipped! Yet I'm even more excited now to get my hands on it. Thanks Todd.

@nemesisxxprime

6 жыл бұрын

Sami Matar make sure you got an enclosed truck

@SamiMatar

6 жыл бұрын

David I'm sure it's generally safer for the car, but do you have a specific reason?

@nemesisxxprime

6 жыл бұрын

Sami Matar yes, done a lot of transporting over the years... Weather issues, rocks flying up , etc, most people with fragile or exotics pay more to prevent such things by getting an enclosed cabin instead of the general open stacked ones. Of course it's completely up to you but you run a higher risk, especially with weather and these lotuses having a common water leaking issues, you might have one sitting thru rain for long periods of time or getting dinged by flying rock chips.

@SamiMatar

6 жыл бұрын

David gotcha, thanks for the heads up David!

That last shot next to the Cayman shows how small the Elise really is...amazing really - congrats on the new car and i want one. I can live with manual mirrors for go-cart handling.

I had the same issue as you, probably not nearly as bad though. 6'2" with a NC Miata. I found the best way of getting into the car was to literally fall in, both feet out of the vehicle, then turning and bring my feet in. Getting out was somewhat of a reversal of that. The one foot in, push off exit that I saw you do can work, but sometimes i'd hit my hip on something.

Reminds me of when I took my '97 MX5 from Sacramento to Flyin' Miata in Grand Junction CO. Best solo road trip ever. Road trips in normal cars are more comfortable but not nearly as fun as in little sports cars that aren't at all meant for it. My Miata handled it like a champ and that was through July heat in the northern Nevada desert, Utah salt flats, and high desert of Colorado. Never used the a/c just unzipped the rear window, half opened the side windows, kept top up and had pretty decent airflow. Top went down in cooler locations or at night. Managed over 30 mpg. Legendary drive can't wait to do it again. Maybe in an Elise myself!

@VBshredder

6 жыл бұрын

in 2009 i took a brand new RX-8 from VA to AL - solo, one of the most enjoyable driving trips i've had - highway 20 seems like 100mph is the norm.....had a lot of fun with nearby younger enthusiasts on that trip who wanted to see it go.

I own a 2003 Toyota MR2 Spyder that I drove 1,200 miles home. It's a cousin to the Elise, so I know how you felt on this long drive. I remember my butt and back hurting after 12+ hours behind the wheel.

Congrats on getting the Elise.

Finally got one. Congrats!

Congratulations to the new car!!!

Super congrats Todd!!!!!

I noticed the mini-van that you passed at 3:45. Upon further review it turned out to be a Smart Car. I guess the Lotus is small!

Congrats man!

Yeah I've never pictured the Elise as much of a long haul road trip car. Very interested to see subsequent videos on the long-term ownership of this one. Driving it in the rain, driving it in traffic, etc. Not just canyons and track days seeing as if I recall correctly this will be your main vehicle as your wife has the Porsche Cayenne.

You and Paul are my favorite sports car testers after Chris Harris .I never feel like you guys leave me with any questions after you drive.I feel I was there. And it just saves me time. Always entertaining ,but not in that overly stupid as some try to hard way too hard to be ,entertaining.

@EverydayDriver

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks for saying this - big compliments! We're glad to have you with us and connecting with what we do. Thanks for watching!

@MindDezign

6 жыл бұрын

EverydayDriver I owned my own sports car ,restoration shop , successfully ,for 20 yrs .Specializing in full restoration of only ,sports cars,race cars and kit cars. My passion has never changed,current ,personal builds are two restomod Datsun Z cars ,a '73 and a '78 back dating and up dating ,to be twins as much as possible to match weight and power. Just for the pleasure of road driving.A lost art in these days of LS engine swap ,and 4 mpg 500-700hp motors . Yes they will be daily drives one for me one for my step daughter. She always had a modified fairladyZ Z in her video game garage. Her dream car she told me.So I surprised her with her own. Keep up the enthusistic work.

When you adding the Evo X to the garage lol. I remember you saying how much you loved it

You can retrofit cruise control (and traction control) on 2006+ cars, which were optional back then. You just need to install the switches and then reset the ECU so it find them.

Congrats on the purchase!

Congratulations!

I enjoyed the colors shifting every other transition.

Nice congrats.. I drove my exige s from DC to upstate NY(suitcase in passenger seat), did a track day at Monticello, went to training at Mercedes for 2 days with my steering wheel in hand (quick release) and then drove home ...lol. really wasn't bad had my leg up and propped on the door sill.. sudden downpour at 1 point was scary as well as NY/NJ potholes in a lotus

What a great view down the hood! What I love in a car.

You guys do have some nice driving roads. Enjoy the yellow mid engine beauty.

This was 2 years ago? Why didn't I see this video before now? Well I hope you're still enjoying your Elise. It looks like a lot of fun in the canyons. Great color choice for that car. If I'm ever driving up in the hills around PC, I'll keep an eye out for it. It shouldn't be too hard to spot. ;)

Congrats! Beautiful ride and high on my list. Always wanted an orange with black wheels. Which Dunlops is it running now?

Congrats!

I love that scenery. Makes me want to take my S2000 up to Mt Rainier on a weekday, or take the Ridgeline to Coulee Dam.

Nice purchase. Hopefully I will get one of my own soon.

Beautiful car to look at

Amazing. Has to be a dream come true.

If some how my STI gets totaled. Always wanted a Lotus Exige. Great video.

Congrats! that thing is sweet. You are a tolerant man dealing with that headliner haha. I would have ripping it off before Vegas

I love the canyon at the 5:35 mark. Its right in my backyard. Cedar city utah!

That canyon in Arizona looks amazing! I bombed through some canyons in Colorado in my e46 m3 and it was great fun!

If I pull the trigger on this Elise I have my eye on it will largely be your fault! Thanks in advance :) I´m 6´3ish but you showed me that won´t be a problem. I'd have to drive it around 800miles to get it to a port, again, according to you, not a problem :) I do remember that canyon though. Drove through it back in '93 in a '82 Mercury Capri pos, but the canyon was gorgeous. Thanks for this great drive through it.

Great video Todd! I'm eagerly waiting for more on the lotus as I'm looking for one my self. But since i live in europe I will go for the ligher and cheaper rover engined ones, for example the 111S which have the 160bhp rover vvc engine.

I did enjoy the video. As a brit, great to see this Lotus in some stunning American scenery. However I have to say, An Elise needs very different roads to feel what it was made for. More corners and up and down the gears !