Newbie Alert

Just like to say hello to everyone as a new face to the forums.
After much deliberation, searching and planning, this weekend we put down a deposit on a new Ardent red Exige.
I still can’t believe that next weekend (all being well) We will be sitting behind the wheel of such a stunning machine.

My good lady and I had been looking for something to replace our Cooper S for a while now. We’ve owned a couple of MINIs and as a result made a whole bunch of great friends from organising and attending runs. Still we had always looked at the Elise and Exige and thought to ourselves, one day !

We thought about everything out there that would fit the bill and we always came back to the same conclusion… Lotus

Well the real clincher was bobbing over the channel for our very first le-mans. We were with an old pro… ermm perhaps I should rephrase that… a seasoned le-mans attendee and as a result knew about the classic british welcome. He’d been urging us to get an Elise for the holidays but we needed more time to think.

We had no idea that lotus would be out in force, so when we turned up we were like little kids in a sweetie shop. It was great to see so many cars and every one seemed to have personal touches added.

Back in dear ole blighty we finally made a decision, life is far too short, get a test drive booked. We did and two days later headed out in a 111R, traffic everywhere and an accident on the showrooms usual run meant a bit of improvisation.

So I’m sat in the passenger seat and Steve our sales guy is going through the motions explaining and answering questions.

I’m happy as larry as we are bobbing along through busy traffic. Steve explains the car is almost warmed up, he pulls off out of the traffic onto a country road and says, I’m now going to demonstrate the 2nd cam. We will hit approx 6500 revs and the car is going to change a little.

Well of course you all know this and its probably pretty ‘yawn’ but 6500 pops up and I experience my first Borp line!!! Ohhh my Mr Sulu we are off. Now I’m giggling like a girl and urging Steve to pull over cos I really have to play.
So we pull over, I half drag, half fall out the passenger seat and hop in the other side. It must come with practice surely?

Straight away I am hit by how right the driving position feels and I immediately feel at home. 10 mins in and I’m totally hooked, ready to sell body parts if necessary.

Back at the showroom there is only one decision to make. A 111R and an Exige sit side by side, both decked out in Ardent red. The little practical angel sat on my left shoulder with its clear voice of wisdom says, get the Elise, top down for those summer days and it will surely fit the bill better as a daily driver. The little devil sat on my right shoulder is prodding me with his trident and whispering into my ear, bah get the Exige you know want it, you NEED it. And he is right, I so want it.

So the missus is sat on the fence, loving them both and refusing to make the commitment.

Put a sold sign on the Exige please Steve !

When Einstein came up with some rubbish about relativity and time being a constant he obviously never had to wait a week for an Exige.

Sorry for such a long rant but the excitement has to come out somehow.

Hope that we can make it along to see some of your pride and joys in the not too distant future, would have loved to have popped down to Croft when you were there last as we live Oop Narth.

Mr Giggly

welcome along… have fun and lots of grinning will be had …

good to read your story… keep us all in touch with your impressions when you get going with it.

WELCOME! And congratulations for setting the record for the longest first post, it’s nice to see that much passion before you’ve even got the car.

If you think the test drive felt special, get the thing on track and you’ll be amazed!

Ian

welcome to lotus ownership you will never want anything else.get it run in and book a track day you will have plenty of these

Hello.

Good choice.

My friend picked up a new 111R on Wednesday so we went for a drive around Cornwall on Saturday to put some miles on it.

Its a great looking car but parked next to my S2 Exige I know I made the right choice. The Exige just looks so much more agressive.

Whats the spec of the car and which dealers did you get it from?

Let us know how you get on once you collect the car. The running in period is a killer though. You need huge self restraint not to just thrap the ar5e off it!

Well done Mr Giggly, always good to see someone so happy about their upcoming car.