I agree, these are really nice cars, just be prepared for repair cost. Have heard all parts carry a steep cost. Lived in the area where the headquarters is/was. Loved to see them zipping around.
Regards
Dave

 

This guy is a new member who happens to own one. Might be worth having some lotus banter with...

 

Oh my word that is fucking dope.

 

I have an 05 with 53k mi. The ENTIRE body is fiberglass. I have stress cracks, especially on the front lower clam, and yes the entire front end and rear end is one piece! It's very expensive to repair , replace, remove. The plus side of fiberglass is it doesn't dent, or rust. I liken driving it to riding a motorcycle. I'm always on the defensive since most vehicles can't see the car since it is so low and expensive or hard to repair the body. It's a fragile body. It's all aluminum frame so no rust there either. It also takes a long time to get parts when you do order them. I had to order some small plastic parts and it took a month. It does have a 2zzge Toyota engine so parts are easy in the drivetrain area. Reliablity has been excellent with no issues! It's a 10 year old car, but it seems the values are steadily rising due to the rarity of them. I have never seen a purple elise. Only black, orange, green, yellow, white, blue, silver and red. I have both hard and soft top, but prefer the hard top. Most do not come with a hard top. I got mine for a little over $30k with 50k on the odo. Good luck!