Lotus Elise 1.8i

As a child I had dreams about owning one of these and eventually took the plunge 3 years ago....do I regret it? Not at all!!

The car has been reliable (certainly more reliable than the Volvo we also own) and gets plenty of admiring looks.

When driving it certainly illustrates just how inert/dull other cars are - true it's not that fast but if speed is all you are after then I'm afraid you have well and truly missed the point of this car....it's the way it drives, not how fast it goes. You don't drive an Elise, you wear one....it's that connected to you; you drive by telepathy and the driving experience makes you tingle. It makes the MX5, Z3/4, S2000 et al all feel overweight and over complicated!

Future classic.....without a doubt!

Overall what a machine, great value for money, ive had skylinners, gtos nothing like the little car with a big heart

Absolutely stunning handling - very few cars can cover tight or narrow twisty roads quicker than the Lotus Elise 1.8i. Low torque means this car has to be driven up the rev band to keep it alive. Easily the most fun you can have for your money. Can't quite match Caterham & Westfield kit cars but the Elise is more refined and comfortable. It does have a sting in its tail though... literally. This is a mid to rear engined lightweight car which means lifting off mid-bend can induce snap oversteer particularly in the wet. But these chassis dynamics are perfect for dry roads and phenominal cornering grip under power on track.

Make a fantastic second hand buy - most have low milage (only used at weekends) and don't have any fancy electronics to go wrong.

The Lotus Elise 1.8i is the ultimate car for people who despair at the spiralling kerbweights and superfluous gadgetry of your average modern car. Very quick up to semi-legal speeds (a bit flat beyond them), with track car handling which can punish the disrespectful or unskilled.

To drive an Elise hard is a physical experience which brings home how civilised our everyday cars have become. The car's snap lift-off oversteer can be trouser soiling, and the non-servo brakes take some getting used to. But you do get used to them eventually. Cornering capability is gobsmacking.

Reliable, but some appalling build and component quality in certain areas (headlamp brackets corroded and lights dropped into the clamshell, leaks in rain, shocks dead at 25k, alarm died, bolts holding the window mechanism to the door fell out + 1001 other silly things).

As impractical as you would expect. A swine to get in and out of, and its leaky, noisy and draughty. Seat comfort and driving position are good though. We still have a laugh at the comedy "boot" which warns you of a 50kg weight limit but is so small you couldn't get 50kg of stuff in it.

Despite the niggles, it's still a fantastic, frantic, focused driving machine which on the right road will keep up with almost anything and stick a cheshire cat grin on your face. At the end of the day, when a sports car gets this bit as spot on as the Elise does, nothing else matters. Recommended

I rented the Lotus Elise 1.8i for a week for a holiday in UK. First off it's a pain to get in and out while the roof is on since you sit very low down in a tiny cabin and the door is tiny (i'm 6 foot tall by the way - midget drivers might find it better). But once you're inside, the car feels like a go-kart on steroids. Great fun to drive, you can rev the engine up and with the stiff suspension and low seating position it feels a lot faster than it is. The brakes could do with a bit extra oomph though, especially on a car this light and fast. The roof is not watertight, but despite driving for 2 hours down the motorway in a downpour, it didnt let any water into the cabin. It's a bit of a pain to remove/replace the roof to start with, but after you've done it a couple of times it's not too bad. The car doesnt exactly handle like a go-kart though, and while the steering is fantastically light and direct, dont expect to do the impossible and any attempts to swing the back end out round corners will almost certainly end in a spin. Apparently the Mk2 car is better in this respect. The car was pretty reliable during the week - the only problem was that the lockable petrol cap snapped and a trip to the local dealer revealed the replacement was over 100 pounds. Anyway, a great car to drive for a week, and i'd still buy one if I was living out in the countryside with plenty of local A/B roads to drive on.

A fantastic drivers car, superb handling and performance which humbles many a more expensive "supercar". Comands high insurance premiums but is relatively cheap to run, making 40mpg and servicing costs not topping £400 using specialists. The car has scores low on practicality but then if you need this then you should look elsewhere. The roof on my S1 can let rain in and is a pain to take on and off. Getting into the car can be amusing, the boot is small and it's loud on the motorway. None of those negatives bother me though, as the smile factor far outways them! Buy one.

blinding car to drive, fastest i've driven and handling's wicked