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The New Elise in USA

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dptom

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I attended the Goodwood Festival of Speed last month and met with the Lotus folks. They advised that they had scrapped plans to bring the new Elise into the USA. I have a few questions.....

1. Does this sound correct? The information was from a person working the corporate booth.

2. Is it possible to obtain an Elise as a component car (kit car)? In essence, can I purchase one without the engine and fit something else under the bonet?

Are there any resources in the US that I should check?

thanks
 
i don't have any answers for you but...

i did stalk one this afternoon.

at first i thought it was a mod'd yellow mr2 spyder coming at me, then it passed me and i had to follow it.

WoW! what a work of art. i followed it for about a mile, and decided to turn off. a very nice car. i wish they would import one. i would buy it!
 
There was a company out in San Francisco that was federalizing for street use in the States such cars as the Lotus Elise, Renault Sport Spiders, and I think some other cars too.

I don't know if they are still doing it, heck I don't even remember the company name (although I was on their website once). I imagine you would have to have deep pockets to buy one though by the time this company gets it into your hands.

I'll keep dreaming...

Sherlock
 
actually, i think i stumbled across a link for a company in Washington that is selling them for $65g's apiece... that's alot of jack for a car that's supposed to be affordable.

mid $30's would be nice.
 
We discussed U.S. Elises here a while ago (including some that have been "sneaked" in). Follow this thread:
https://www.britishcarforum.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=3&t=000021


Sun International does the U.S.-legal Elise engine conversions (with a Honda VTEC). Here's the page:
https://www.sunspeed.com/pr_els01.html

Here's an Elise I saw (here in NJ), about a year ago….
elisedelplt.jpg
 
so if the Elise isn't coming to NA and the Esprit is retiring then Lotus is exiting the NA market?
 
Last year at "TVR Woodwork" an Elise showed up with "historic vehicle" license plates (the '01 picture is above, on this thread) . Wouldn't you know it….this year a different Elise shows up with "Repair/Towing" license plates! Here it is. (I've thoughtfully erased the plates numbers……I approve of this type of skullduggery!)


elise02.jpg


elisefall02.jpg
 
However, of interest is that this is the new re-designed Elise. So it is a fairly new model.

Sherlock
 
Yeah...I forgot to mention that the car was said to be a brand new Elise. Looks a bit sleeker than the older car in the '01 picture (and a lot sleeker than the MGAs, the Minis, and my Spridget in the last photo......the car in the left/center backround is a Canadian V-6 TVR, another non-certified car).
 
It's possibly to get an Elise in the states now from Lotus USA. Though the catch is it's supposed to be used for track use only. There are a hand full of people around that have still managed to register them as "special interest vehicles". A friend of mine has an Elise 190R that he uses "mostly" for the track. I've gone out with him a few times on the track and I must say the handling is beyond belief.

check out his web site: www.dpcars.net
 
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