My new Lotus

[fiestycolumbian]

With my brother headed off to college soon and in desperate need of a car, coupled with the fact that I am BORED out of my mind with my 5 yr old '04 Prius, I have been looking at a daily driver for a while.

Seeing as how I am spoiled by the light weight of the atom, I wanted a car as light as possible, but livable as a daily. Cue in Lotus, the small manufacturer from England. Leave it to the British to engineer a fanastic lightweight, great handling car, WITH creature comforts like a A/C, power windows, windshields, wipers, radio, and a BODY(albeit fiberglass)! Everything is a plus coming from the atom!!

I was reccomended by a few friends to find a low mileage 2006 Exige. Doing further research I learnt its the only Exige year with a normally aspirated Lotus-tuned Toyota engine. I am an NA only freak, so the 2006 Exige was my only choice. Turns out Lotus only brought 300 '06 Exiges to North America!! Talk about finding a needle in a hay stack! On top of that, being the absurdly picking person that I am, I only wanted a white one. So maybe 15% of the 300 produced are white. SO basically I was tasked with finding a White 2006 Lotus Exige with low mileage, all the whilest knowing they are maybe 40-50 in existence.

I have been looking for more than a year. FINALLY!! I found a Aspen White metallic 2006 Lotus Exige with only 9k miles!!! right in California. Even better, the owner was an extremely cool person, and offered the car for a great price(34k).

I am in love at the moment. This car is as much fun as an atom. I dont have to take 5 mins to strap in, I just get in and go. I have A/C and a radio and a roof over my head. I have everything I need, and nothing I dont. And I have more drivers leg room than both the atom and the Prius. I couldnt believe how much room there is in a Lotus!! And I get just as many people gawking whilest driving the Lotus, as I do in the atom. Did I mention I dont need a helmet, and can drive flat out in the rain without getting wet!!

Here are some pics:
http://picasaweb.google.com/rachopra/Lo ... directlink

Special thanks to Shinoo, who helped me inspect the car at a local Lotus dealer, and instructing me on what to look for in a used Lotus. Any Lotus questions, please ask Shinoo, our resident Lotus expert.

My atom will be my track car only now(whenever my brutal schedule allows for it).

fiesty

P.S.- Enjoy the Prius Hamster!! Either your welcome or I am sorry!!

[Heywood-Yablowme]

I can't fit in an Exige...well..that's what I keep telling myself.  They are cool   ..and 100% weather duty rated.  I should smarten up..or move

[Mr.Woolery]

Fiesty, you're doing it right!  If I had the scratch, I'd also have an Exige.

[silver]

love em....especially in white.

[dp35]

[quote="fiestycolumbian"]
P.S.- Enjoy the Prius Hamster!! Either your welcome or I am sorry!! [/quote]

HAHAHAHAA!

[Wmcmanus]

Sharp looking car!  Congrats, man.  I'd love to have one of those myself.

[CalScot]

[quote="fiestycolumbian"]
With my brother headed off to college soon and in desperate need of a car, coupled with the fact that I am BORED out of my mind with my 5 yr old '04 Prius, I have been looking at a daily driver for a while.

Seeing as how I am spoiled by the light weight of the atom, I wanted a car as light as possible, but livable as a daily. Cue in Lotus, the small manufacturer from England. Leave it to the British to engineer a fanastic lightweight, great handling car, WITH creature comforts like a A/C, power windows, windshields, wipers, radio, and a BODY(albeit fiberglass)! Everything is a plus coming from the atom!!

I was reccomended by a few friends to find a low mileage 2006 Exige. Doing further research I learnt its the only Exige year with a normally aspirated Lotus-tuned Toyota engine. I am an NA only freak, so the 2006 Exige was my only choice. Turns out Lotus only brought 300 '06 Exiges to North America!! Talk about finding a needle in a hay stack! On top of that, being the absurdly picking person that I am, I only wanted a white one. So maybe 15% of the 300 produced are white. SO basically I was tasked with finding a White 2006 Lotus Exige with low mileage, all the whilest knowing they are maybe 40-50 in existence.

I have been looking for more than a year. FINALLY!! I found a Aspen White metallic 2006 Lotus Exige with only 9k miles!!! right in California. Even better, the owner was an extremely cool person, and offered the car for a great price(34k).

I am in love at the moment. This car is as much fun as an atom. I dont have to take 5 mins to strap in, I just get in and go. I have A/C and a radio and a roof over my head. I have everything I need, and nothing I dont. And I have more drivers leg room than both the atom and the Prius. I couldnt believe how much room there is in a Lotus!! And I get just as many people gawking whilest driving the Lotus, as I do in the atom. Did I mention I dont need a helmet, and can drive flat out in the rain without getting wet!!

Here are some pics:
http://picasaweb.google.com/rachopra/Lo ... N7Ex5-zwgE#

Special thanks to Shinoo, who helped me inspect the car at a local Lotus dealer, and instructing me on what to look for in a used Lotus. Any Lotus questions, please ask Shinoo, our resident Lotus expert.

My atom will be my track car only now(whenever my brutal schedule allows for it).

fiesty

P.S.- Enjoy the Prius Hamster!! Either your welcome or I am sorry!!
[/quote]

You are happy with AC and a radio??? Man....... Fiesty, your turning into a wuss!
Atom for the track only?? Man......you have lost your mind. Are you taking some of those meds you prescribe??

Take it to C&C and nobody will look at it. The Atom still rules.

Just bustin your Chop Rahul! I love the Lotus as well. Nice find.
Shinoo will love you even more now that you will be buying all his lotus stuff

[fiestycolumbian]

Thanks for the kind words guys. As the Brits say "Im chuffed to bits" I found my perfect car.

[quote="CalScot"]
You are happy with AC and a radio??? Man....... Fiesty, your turning into a wuss!
Atom for the track only?? Man......you have lost your mind. Are you taking some of those meds you prescribe??

Take it to C&C and nobody will look at it. The Atom still rules.

Just bustin your Chop Rahul! I love the Lotus as well. Nice find.
Shinoo will love you even more now that you will be buying all his lotus stuff
[/quote]

Haha, dont worry, I will still bring the atom for a molecule meet anytime.

No more money left for Shinoo's stuff, my bank account took a big hit with the Exige, but it was well worth it!!

[benyeats]

[quote="fiestycolumbian"]
And I have more drivers leg room than both the atom and the Prius.
[/quote]

Really ?  I can't fit in an Elise in any way that is comfortable, mainly due to limited leg room but am fine in the Atom, even the one with individual seats that I drove was ok (ish)

Really great looking car and the best choice of colour.  If you make it to the UK we can visit its birthplace, only about an hour from here

Ben

[fiestycolumbian]

[quote="benyeats"]
[quote="fiestycolumbian"]
And I have more drivers leg room than both the atom and the Prius.
[/quote]

Really ?  I can't fit in an Elise in any way that is comfortable, mainly due to limited leg room but am fine in the Atom, even the one with individual seats that I drove was ok (ish)

Really great looking car and the best choice of colour.  If you make it to the UK we can visit its birthplace, only about an hour from here

Ben
[/quote]
Thanks Ben, I will take you up on that offer sometime!

I think the amount of leg space is probably the same for both the exige and the atom. The only difference is in the atom, my knees are much closer to the dash. Its probably due to the cockpit setup of the respective cars.
Getting into the Exige is much harder, it will take me time to perfect that. Clarkson is right, it makes you look "undignified" 

fiesty

[Driver]

I felt like a contortionist trying to get into a friends Elise a few years ago. Not for many big people. Should have a sign on it: Short people wanted. My knees were against the dash the entire time and each time he shifted into 3rd or 5th he banged into my kneecap. But the car was quite nimble.

[benyeats]

[quote="Driver"]
I felt like a contortionist trying to get into a friends Elise a few years ago. Not for many big people. Should have a sign on it: Short people wanted. My knees were against the dash the entire time and each time he shifted into 3rd or 5th he banged into my kneecap. But the car was quite nimble.
[/quote]

IIRC the passenger seat is a lot smaller than the drivers on Elises so you may have been better off driving.

[fiestycolumbian]

[quote="benyeats"]
IIRC the passenger seat is a lot smaller than the drivers on Elises so you may have been better off driving.
[/quote]
Yes the drivers side has more room and its the easier side to "contort" into.

BTW, this car is telepathic! I think the handling at speed is as good as the atom. Its just soo balanced, that it gives you confidence to point it wherever!
It feels good to have 100lbs of downforce at 100mph in the Exige, vs. 100lbs of lift at 100mph in the Atom.

If anyone has heard a recent Toyota Atlantic car, you wont be able discern the difference between the Atlantic car and the Exige sports exhaust. Its really spine tingling epic stuff!!

fiesty

[Gage]

I can't fit comfortably in a Lotus and I'm only 6'2".      You are fortunate.  Congratulations.  They are beautiful machines.

[Caroline]

I think you like your Exige too much...we'll have to throw you out of the AAOC for not loving your atom anymore!

So now you have a white Exige and Spaz has his black atom perhaps we need a new photo shoot with Fesity as a stormtrooper and Spaz as Darth Vader chasing me as Princess Leah in my atom with a couple of Danish pastries in my hair?