Step Inside
Remember what we said about the interior being spartan? Well, it's also small. Climbing in and out of an Elise can be a complicated maneuver for anyone over 5 feet tall.
 Photo courtesy Group Lotus PLC |
The driver's seat is adjustable -- it can move forward or back. But the passenger seat, which is smaller than the driver's seat, isn't adjustable at all.
 Photo courtesy Group Lotus PLC The Elise features minimal legroom. |
Minimal carpeting and upholstering covers certain section of the seats and the floor. The stock Elise comes with air conditioning and a CD player, but that's pretty much it in terms of driver comfort (Car and Driver, July 2004).
 Photo courtesy Group Lotus PLC The Elise's race-car-style pedals |
Combine the spartan, tiny interior with the Elise's penchant for letting the driver know exactly how the road feels (bumps and all), and you can see that this is not a car designed for the daily commute. Road and engine noise are a particular annoyance (hence the sound-dampening option in the Touring package). Nevertheless, the Elise reportedly is not an uncomfortable car -- it just isn't as comfortable as you might expect a $40,000 car to be. For some, that lack of comfort is part of the appeal. The Elise is a pure performance roadster.
How do you get your hands on one? Read on...
