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Red Crossfire Coupe...It's the guy in the dark red Lotus ELISE

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Old 04-13-2009, 09:49 PM
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Default Red Crossfire Coupe...It's the guy in the dark red Lotus ELISE

Hey all,
On Friday, April 3rd I was driving down from NY to VA following 78W to 81S. Along the road a dark red crossfire coupe with a man giving me and my buddy a thumbs up rode with me for a little bit. I figure I say hello and surprise them as I am a crossfireforum member and I used to have a Crossfire. I was in this car:

 
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Old 04-13-2009, 10:00 PM
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Default Re: Red Crossfire Coupe...It's the guy in the dark red Lotus ELISE

Originally Posted by golfdude
Hey all,
On Friday, April 3rd I was driving down from NY to VA following 78W to 81S. Along the road a dark red crossfire coupe with a man giving me and my buddy a thumbs up rode with me for a little bit. I figure I say hello and surprise them as I am a crossfireforum member and I used to have a Crossfire. I was in this car:

Hey Golfdude, almost forgot about you! So you turned in your Crossfire?

Do you find the lotus to be uncomfortable??
 
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Old 04-13-2009, 10:58 PM
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Default Re: Red Crossfire Coupe...It's the guy in the dark red Lotus ELISE

I love that Lotus! You lucky duck! Somehow I imagine it's even tighter in the cockpit than the Xfire. Is it? How is the fit?
 
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Old 04-14-2009, 05:43 AM
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Default Re: Red Crossfire Coupe...It's the guy in the dark red Lotus ELISE

Nice car Golfdude! I drove one a while back in Scotland. Right drive, of course. A bit too tight for me, but a whole lotta' fun!
 
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Old 04-14-2009, 09:24 AM
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Default Re: Red Crossfire Coupe...It's the guy in the dark red Lotus ELISE

Nice car Golfdude, there's quite a few of those that show up at our weekly cruise in. Very nice ride!
 
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Old 04-14-2009, 09:30 AM
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Default Re: Red Crossfire Coupe...It's the guy in the dark red Lotus ELISE

Golfdude,

Beautiful Ride!!

I would like some info / comparisons on the Elise vs. the XF and seeing as how you are the only guy I have seen that has had both, I figure you are the best to ask.

A friend of mine has an '05 elise with the touring package (power windows, nicer seats, etc) and I have driven his many times. When I bought the XF, I strongly considered one, but think it is a little over the top as a daily driver haha. Please let me know what you think the primary differences, or pros and cons if you would be so kind. Thanks a lot.

John
 
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Old 04-14-2009, 11:14 AM
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Default Re: Red Crossfire Coupe...It's the guy in the dark red Lotus ELISE

No offense man, but that is one butt-ugly car. The good news is that we all have different tastes. I guess I'm just partial to Crossfires.
 
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Old 04-14-2009, 12:40 PM
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Default Re: Red Crossfire Coupe...It's the guy in the dark red Lotus ELISE

Cant complain....atleast you went from one unique car to another.
 
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Old 04-16-2009, 06:59 AM
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Default Re: Red Crossfire Coupe...It's the guy in the dark red Lotus ELISE

are you also on lotustalk.com? ive been lurking over there looking for a used Elise or Exige

very nice!
 
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Old 04-16-2009, 07:00 AM
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Default Re: Red Crossfire Coupe...It's the guy in the dark red Lotus ELISE

one more question... which red is that?
 
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Old 04-16-2009, 07:42 AM
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Default Re: Red Crossfire Coupe...It's the guy in the dark red Lotus ELISE

Your lotus is beautiful, they make one of the best looking cars on the road. Love it!
 
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Old 05-08-2009, 10:55 PM
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Default Re: Red Crossfire Coupe...It's the guy in the dark red Lotus ELISE

Wow! I feel like an a$$! So sorry everyone but work has been crazy and I haven't had much time to breath. But I'd like to address everyone now. I thank everyone for posting. Here's my responses:

Unfortunately, this is NOT my ride. It is a client's of mine. The Crossfire's lease was up and now I'm in an X3 3.0si. The BMW is actually more fun than I thought it was (hell, it has an extra 1,000 revs to the Crossfire's 3.2 liter V-6)!

Former NXMX5...I'm totally a lotustalk member My screenname is "iwantanelise." I hope to see you there. The color of this one is called Canyon Red.

Nevertheless, despite not owning a Lotus Elise for extended periods of time, I feel that I have enough experience with these cars to give you accurate advice. I've autocrossed one, I've detailed too many to count, and I've even taken it to details (this ability is important to me). I've had 2 Elises for over a week at a time (one of them having an aftermarket supercharger installed on it hehehehehehe), and this was my "third" which I drove for about 1,000 miles of highway between CT and VA.

Below I will compare the Elise with the Crossfire...
 
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Old 05-09-2009, 12:13 AM
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Default Re: Red Crossfire Coupe...It's the guy in the dark red Lotus ELISE

COMFORT
The Crossfire is certainly a grand touring car compared to the Elise. The Crossfire is quiet on the inside and you can easily listen to the radio in complete enjoyment. The Elise on the other hand, was quiet terrible at highway speeds. The radio needed to be blasted to hear it simply because the wind buffeting was insane with this particular Elise. This was because this Elise had a fully custom made gullwing roof (in other words, the soft top was converted to a t-top). The panels were not completely flush with the windshield housing and this helped create additional wind buffeting at speed, to the point where I couldn't tell if the windows were open or not (no joke). This gullwing roof truly limited my enjoyment of this drive as the wind noise was terrible. With the factory soft top removed and the sun shining in your face, the vehicle is transformed into a wonderful sunny day gem that doesn't seem as noisy as with the top on (because noises from inside the car are free to escape into the air). The sound of the Elise's engine from the cockpit is much louder than in the Crossfire, and you can hear every rock that the sticky tires kick-up onto the aluminum tub beneath your butt. With an exhaust the Elise's engine overtakes most every other sound, including the radio. Interestingly, the Elise has a practical cupholder, the Crossfire does not! The Elise has a surprisingly large storage area behind the seats, but a lack of a true center console means my right arm can't rest, unless I put it on my passenger's leg. You sit shoulder against shoulder with your passenger. Shifting into fifth most passenger's left knee was brushed. I've had 5'11 215 lb men sit next to me in the car, but they didn't like entering and they looked ridiculously cramped sitting in it. I was fine in the passenger's seat when I've been driven in these cars. My only complaint is that the passenger's seat is NOT adjustable and you sit so low in the car that it strains your ankles to put your feet flat on the ground and the footrest is too far away for me to comfortably use it (I'm 5'8). On the driver's side, an Elise's pedal box is set right of center, which is something you notice once you start driving. The Crossfire's pedal position is normal to the point where you don't notice the positioning. What really hurts the Elise in my opinion is the fact that the driver cannot relax their feet comfortably. In the Crossfire, and in any other car, you can stretch out the foot that's not pressing a pedal and rest it in a comfortable position. The only place you can put your left foot when not in use is on the small footrest that gets tiring after a while...there's no space to comfortably put your foot elsewhere.


RIDE and HANDLING
Enough about the roof, let's talk handling. The Crossfire had good handling, with lots of grip and minimal understeer when driving enthusiastically in the twisties. But, it is no comparison to the Elise. The Elise is quicker upon turn-in and extremely communicative about what the tires are doing with the road. Every bump on the highway translated to a "kick-back" of the steering wheel, which reminded me of riding quads when I was younger.

Interestingly, my autocross experience has given me a new understanding of this car. Frankly, if I was assigned to chase a vehicle in front of me, I'd probably choose the Crossfire over the Elise. Why? The Elise is very weird in that when entering a corner too fast the front can COMPLETELY loose traction IMMEDIATELY. This hails to the Crossfire which will turn into the corner and THEN understeer. The Elise will simply not turn at all and then understeer. Luckily I learned this at a huge parking lot. Of course, I will say that I've never driven a sport-pack car on a track but I've heard this tendency is fixed with this package. To me this seems like fine example of a slow in, fast out car. My driving skills need improvement though.

Surprisingly, when pushing the Elise to the limit, body roll is much more than expected. The lighter weight allows for softer suspension settings, which makes body roll more prominent. The sport pack probably does a better job here.

The ride on the Elise with both suspension packages is smooth until you get to a bumpy road. Whereas the Crossfire has better dampers to cushion the hit, the Elise's lack of suspension travel makes it easy to bottom-out. Driving this car you have to be well aware of the front end. It's lower than the Crossfire so I am extra careful about spotting potholes and such. On some roads the vibration coming from the Elise was so bad that you can hear it through my voice when I hold a note. Vibrations and jitters are a constant in the Elise, whereas in the Crossfire they are virturally non-existent.


BRAKING
No comparison, sorry. The Elise is lighter and the front end does not dive as much as the Crossfire, giving it better control under heavy braking. The quicker steering of the Elise may unsettle the car if you are jerky with the wheel. And, at all speeds this car seems to have better engine braking than the Crossfire (also due to low weight)


ENGINE/TRANSMISSION
The Crossfire's engine is a mid-range animal. I loved the pull you got from about 3,000 rpm all the way to 5,000 in 2nd and 3rd gears. This engine has TORQUE. The Elise on the other hand, does NOT, at least not to the same extent as the Crossfire. If you really have to push it, the angry soccer mom in her minivan flooring it will keep up with you if you are not above 6,200 rpm's. Below this, torque is above average simply because of the low weight, but it's not an overwhelming characteristic as in the Crossfire. It's a top-end powerplant. But, on the highway the Elise had more top-gear puill than expected, easily getting to higher speeds despite the torque-less engine. Light weight has it's advantages! On the other hand, both cars get great fuel economy. I used to get 30 mpg on the highway in the Crossfire, and probably between 33-35 in the Elise, amazingly.

The Crossfire has a short throw shifter that requires minimal movement of the gearstick. On the Elise, the gearshift does have a farther throw, but it's still a good piece. The Crossfire's movement is more rubberized and muted, whereas the Elise is sort of cheap sounding during the shift and mechanical. I've grown to like the Elise's gearshift action over time though. You shift the Elise using the palm of your hand and the movement of your arm, whereas in the Crossfire it's a simple flick of the wrist. I say the Crossfire's is better from a movement standpoint, but I never had to perform a slow 1-2 gearshift to smoothly change gears in the Elise. This is because the Elise's flywheel is much lighter, allowing quicker, more fun upshifts and downshifts. The pedals are much better placed for heel-toe as well.


TRUNK
Lastly, I have to say I am able to fit an amazing amount of stuff in the Crossfire's deep trunk. Surprisingly, I was able to fit a decent amount of stuff in the Elise as well, just not as much as the Crossfire. The Crossfire can easily hold the height of 3 stacked 5-gallon car wash buckets filled with detailing supplies. The Elise can only hold the height of one 2 gallon bucket. But, with the Elise you can put stuff into it's hips. Half of the trunk is hidden from view...it's all in the hips! I was able to fit a stuffed, standard size school book bag into the trunk without anybody seeing it...it all tucked neatly in the hip. I am happy to say, I am able to carry enough detailing equipment sans 5-gallon buckets to detail a car. I'd need to put some things in the rear compartment behind the seats as well, but I don't mind.


OVERALL
Frankly, it's a tough decision for me. The Crossfire is a fun, torque-happy, comfortable sports car you can drive every day without a hint of getting tired. On the other hand, the Elise's difficult ingress/egress, combined with a bumpy ride and noisy wind buffeting will eventually wear you down after extended periods in the car (at least that's what I realized). I've always wanted to own more hardcore cars than the Elise, but after driving one for a full day, I realized that comfort is more important than I thought. What really got to me was the fact that when I enter the Elise, my hand would support my weight on the side sill as I enter and exit the vehicle. After doing this multiple times during the day, my hand started to hurt, and I know it was because of the entry/exiting of the Elise. I've never had that problem in the Crossfire.

So, for those looking for an Elise as a daily driver, here's what I would ask yourself:
1. Do I like torque? You'll miss it in the Elise
2. Do I like attention? The Elise will get absolutely more attention everywhere you go, to the point where people will interfere with your life because you'll have to spend YOUR time during the day explaining the car to curious people.
3. How long is your commute? The longer the drive, the more you wish you had your more comfortable Crossfire
4. Do you get off work tired? If your line of work makes you physically exhausted, I do NOT recommend the Elise as a dd, as it is not a car that you can sit back, turn the music on, and listen to it in peace and quiet.

At the same time, the Elise will put big smiles on anybody who comes near it, rich, poor, young, old, men, women. The Elise will have you the driver grinning like a little boy when met with a curvy back road. And frankly, on a sunny warm day when all you want to do is drive, nothing quite makes the drive more fun than the Elise (with the top off, of course). And this is simply because all of the inconveniences are erased from your mind when all your doing is enjoying the act of driving.

Now it sounds like I'm saying...GO GET AN ELSE. But frankly, you can have 99% as much fun in the Crossfire. The only area where in my opinion the Elise is better is in absolute handling, styling, and attention. And seriously, the usable torque band of the Crossfire trumps the rare occassion where redlining the Elise is needed. Now, once we add a turbo to the Elise, end of story

Any questions? Please feel free to ask. Elise or Crossfire? It's up to you.
 
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Old 05-11-2009, 08:30 AM
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Default Re: Red Crossfire Coupe...It's the guy in the dark red Lotus ELISE

Very nice write-up Golfdude. I got to take my friend's blue elise out this weekend for a few miles and it reminded me how much of a pain in the a$$ it is to get in and out of, even with the top off, and I am not a big person LOL. I think I will stick with the XF for now and opt for a exige in a few years when you can acquire one and still have something left in the account....
 
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Old 05-11-2009, 07:11 PM
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Default Re: Red Crossfire Coupe...It's the guy in the dark red Lotus ELISE

Hey Golfdude
It was great to see you on the forum, miss seeing you around here in VA.
I still hold you responsible for getting me into a Crossfire! THANKS!
Your Lotus write up is terrfic - but if I were to get a Lotus to play in - it

would be this! 1973 Lotus Eurpoa JPS twin cam.

Even if they don't run most of the time!
Glad you hear your busy - enjoy the ride!
 
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Old 05-11-2009, 08:45 PM
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Default Re: Red Crossfire Coupe...It's the guy in the dark red Lotus ELISE

That is a very sharp car. It's such a shame that the red car is in the way!!!!

Monty
 
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Old 05-12-2009, 12:41 AM
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Default Re: Red Crossfire Coupe...It's the guy in the dark red Lotus ELISE

Correct me if I am wrong, but the reason that 99% of informed people (well, me at least) that WANT an elise (and a used one is like $30K so many of us here could afford it if we truely WANTED it) but never get one is becuase they notoriously do not have functional air conditioning. Owning one besides using it as a track car, a few glorious days a year, or in some Heaven-on-Earth local would be pretty miserable from what I have been led to believe.
 
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Old 07-26-2010, 03:53 PM
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Default Re: Red Crossfire Coupe...It's the guy in the dark red Lotus ELISE

Mr. Burns: LOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!

MAK: I'm telling you man if you want one I can find you one!

Boiler: Exige or Elise, buying used is the way to go!

Grimmd: I've never had the heat or a/c go wrong on an Elise or Exige. I think the inability to get in them as well as their hardcore nature make them unsuitable for most drivers.
 
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Old 07-27-2010, 12:10 AM
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Default Re: Red Crossfire Coupe...It's the guy in the dark red Lotus ELISE

Originally Posted by MAKIII
Hey Golfdude
It was great to see you on the forum, miss seeing you around here in VA.
I still hold you responsible for getting me into a Crossfire! THANKS!
Your Lotus write up is terrfic - but if I were to get a Lotus to play in - it

would be this! 1973 Lotus Europa JPS twin cam.

Even if they don't run most of the time!
Glad you hear your busy - enjoy the ride!
I spent the better part of a half hour playing "catch me if ya can" with one of those Europas back in 1972 on a secondary road that ran West to East between Tampa and Daytona Beach. I don't remember the route, but we found a Drag Strip on it.
Anyway, it was Spring Break, and I was in my AMX. We were over 100 mph quite a few times, I could put a few car lengths on him from 60 to 100, but I'd slow down a little for some curves (since I'd never been on this road before) and he'd reel me back in.
My buddy kept reminding me (at least 3 different times) the guy only had a 4 cyl. and finally I had to pull over to get gas for my thirsty 390. At least the Europa driver gave me a thumbs up as he went by.
When we stumbled upon the Drag Strip, I went in picked up a class winners trophy and we went on our marry way to Daytona.
Good memories.
 
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Old 07-27-2010, 12:25 AM
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Default Re: Red Crossfire Coupe...It's the guy in the dark red Lotus ELISE

+fireamx...Great read there bud! Thanks for sharing.
 
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