Elise 111R and Exige S2 driven (UK) (Long winded)

[rswestling]

Good day,
My firm recently assigned me to the UK office. Having been a long time fan of European autos, and Lotus in particular, it did not take long for me to find a dealer outside of London who offered test drives. So Sunday morning I drove out to Merrit Lotus in Amersham and after writing down my name and phone number was given the keys to a Saffron Yellow Exige. They have set out a test circuit which has only one speed camera, so you can pretty much go as fast as you deem safe. The first thing to be learned was how to get in. Yes it really is that difficult. Once you get the hang of it, it's not bad, but since the Exige has a fixed hard top, it does require a fair bit of flexibility. The next impression was the solid feel of the steering, very direct. The engine also has a very sweet tone, which is good since it is right next to your ears. I pulled out onto the street end found myself waiting in line at a roundabout behind a new MINI. I was looking directly at the MINI's bumper. Once in the roundabout I was able to accelerate out onto a side road and bring the car up to speed. The kick of the cam switching over at about 6200 is so addictive. The change in sound, the immediacy of it, it is wonderful. It is like a drug. The Exige also feels very solid, by 120 it feels like it is on rails and the road, which is so close, is just a blur. The steering stays neutral, it is not light. The ride is remarkably smooth. The whole package feels, well like a racecar on the road. I'm not a great driver, especially not in a right hand drive, but this car, and the Elise, make you feel like you know what you're doing. After driving the Exige I drove an Elise. The amazing thing is how different they feel. Same chassis, same engine, similar body, but very different. The tyres are different, the suspension components are different, and the Elise is lighter. And that is exactly how it feels. Right away, still in the parking lot, the Elise steering felt lite, almost like power steering. I'm not saying this is bad. Actually for regular drivin it might be better. The Elise feels lighter all the time, at speed there is less downforce, and you feel it. I could not tell if it was faster, or better handling due to the lighter weight, but I would assume it is slightly faster. Either way they are both fantastic. For all of you with Elises on order, you are very lucky indeed. It is incredibly fun, and that seems to be the whole point. After several days of consideration, i decided to go with the Exige. I made this decision for several reasons; 1. you can't get it in the US, 2. It is bad ***. 3. Well actually there is no third reason.
So I ordered an Exige, in Old English White. It will take 3 months. As many of you can agree, I can't wait. If you read this far, thanks. Oh, and by the way, getting out is even harder than getting in. But the dealer showed me a very effective way which will also work for all you Elise drivers: (written for US drivers) left leg out, right hand on a pillar, left hand on b pillar, twist left foot so that body is facing back of car, step out with right foot. So there you have it.