First Gear

So now I've had the Elise for two Months. I have to admit, the car is every bit as fun as it looks. This post is about some simple ways to have fun with a lotus. I'll start with the obvious ones

1. Look at it. Once you have one, there is a serious temptation to seek out restaurant seating that affords a view of your car. Reading the owner's manual is also a great excuse to sit on the front stoop where you can see it.


2. Drive it. This one applies only to well maintained roads. The car does a fabulous job of giving the driver feedback about the road. If you are driving on crappy surfaces the car will tell you all about it. It's not bone jarring, and one *does* get used to it after a couple weeks but I'd like to require certain road crews to drive a lotus on the roads they maintain. That said, given a half decent road, the mere act of driving is transformed into pure pleasure.


3. People Watch. It's such a hot car that people stop and stare. I had one 16 year old kid nearly fall off his bike trying to watch me and cycle down the sidewalk. Parking it somewhere obvious and then sitting in a cafe across the street provides quite a bit of entertainment... And you get to do #1 at the same time :)


4. Give people rides. This of course is a mixture of 2 and 3 through the lens of 60+mph exit ramps, and is even more excellent if the passenger is an attractive member of the opposite sex... Even if they are married, or just a friend, the rest of the world doesn't know that! Really, most people look at you like you've got it all... and if the attractive person is your girlfriend then they're right :) (at least within the visible parameters).


5. Wash it. Yup, that's right, the once mundane and tedious task becomes a joy and a challenge. (Believe me the break dust IS a challenge). Once you get it clean... you really feel like the effort was worth it.
   

Those are the mundane everyday things at least. I've been so busy doing them that I've basically had most of this post sitting in draft for a month :) The car is obviously capable of competing in a variety of automotive sport events...

Next: Solo Bro