With the sales, 2 small asian friends in the rear seat.
Overall experience is pretty good but not what I am looking for.
(I am looking for a pure performance machine with some luxury.)

First impression, the rear seats are useless, unless, you plan to drive 10-15 miles only. My friends are small, even so their head still touches the rear windsheild

2nd, the interior is pertty nice not as bad as cnn rated it. They were overly harsh I believe, but then again its a 30k dollar car they were probably expecting more.

3rd, the lack of power. I think its because I had 3 other people in the car with me. It did not pull nearly as hard as I would imagine for 280hp, 270lb torque. I might need to try out a MT.

4th, stock suspension were decent. I know the skidpad is around 0.91 but the tire squeeled when I took a sharp turn.

Questions: How's the acceleration with just the driver. Does it pull nearly as hard as the 350z. Also, how far more can you push the car's grip after the tires starts squeeling. That is before it loses grip and starts sliding.

The G35 is still in my options ... but I think the elise might better suit my needs.
http://www.pistonheads.com/lotus/def...p?storyId=7810
Thank you all.

 

The Elise is not yet available and will be at least 10-15K more than our G. You are not comparing apples to oranges. My small asian friends fit fine in the back seats.


04 G35C DG
Prem Aero Perf
V1
Blizzaks
R splash Guards

Long Island, New York, USA

 

have u tried manual shift mode? I felt the same when I test drove one but when I tried the MM, it was an easy decision.

Black NismoV35

 

i found this page with some decent hard data on the Elise.

<a href="http://www.puresportscar.com/specs.php">
Lotus Elise Info</a>

here is my take on it:

1. it's not bad looking, different and a little rx8ish but not bad.

2. looks like around 40k+.... or more with options..clearly you are paying for the Lotus name here. I suspect it will sell for over msrp when available.

3.3/36 warranty is not good for that much $$... who even sells these things? Since its a semi exotic, maintenance and parts may be difficult/expensive to acquire.

4. it looks pretty fast

5. as someone stated above, it seems lacking on interior luxury... seats that are not 100% leather, optional "Electric Windows"

6. I don't care for the rims... seems small and ugly to me.

7. stereo with the ability to play mp3's is a real plus.

8. small gas tank, depending on MPG that may be a problem.

9. Yokohama tires are nice.


03 6MT coupe, red/willow, premium, aero, splash guards, alum pedals, clear corners, 15% tint

 

And exactly where in the Elise were you going to put your two asian friends?

 

get a crotch rocket w/heated seats. there you go, performance and a hint of luxury (heated seat).

or spend 80k+ on a quick benz, but i wouldn't.

 

Another option is to get the G35 sedan and put a supercharger in it

--Steve

 

You might also try the MT to see if you get a different feel/ driver type experience. The MT is going to run closer to its potential before the break-in period than the AT.

There is a noticeable difference in performance when you have more than two people in the car simply because the car really shines in its upper RPM range v. the lower RPM range.

2003.5 5AT
<font color=black> Black/Willow Coupe </font color=black>
Premium Package
18" Tire/Wheel Package
K&N Filter, Z-Tube, EGK

 

How does an Elise compare to a G. Go figure? Go get the new Yamaha R1 180hp. Faster than most racing GP bikes....

 

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr>

How does an Elise compare to a G. Go figure? Go get the new Yamaha R1 180hp. Faster than most racing GP bikes....

<hr></blockquote>

But where would he put his two asian friends, not to mention the salesman?

It's here!!! '04 G35 Coupe DG/G/5AT/Leather/Premium

 

if u had three other ppl in the car, that's gonna slow u down a significant amount i would think. given that the car is already pretty heavy, having another 400 to 500 pounds extra (salesman and ur friends), should make a difference. just like with that elise...if it could fit another 3 ppl, that thing would be slow as hell. only fast cuz it weighs nothin. my EVO is fast as hell, but when i have 3 other ppl in their, i can feel it! g35 is plenty fast IMO.

 

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr>

With the sales, 2 small asian friends in the rear seat.
Overall experience is pretty good but not what I am looking for.
(I am looking for a pure performance machine with some luxury.)

First impression, the rear seats are useless, unless, you plan to drive 10-15 miles only. My friends are small, even so their head still touches the rear windsheild

2nd, the interior is pertty nice not as bad as cnn rated it. They were overly harsh I believe, but then again its a 30k dollar car they were probably expecting more.

3rd, the lack of power. I think its because I had 3 other people in the car with me. It did not pull nearly as hard as I would imagine for 280hp, 270lb torque. I might need to try out a MT.

4th, stock suspension were decent. I know the skidpad is around 0.91 but the tire squeeled when I took a sharp turn.

Questions: How's the acceleration with just the driver. Does it pull nearly as hard as the 350z. Also, how far more can you push the car's grip after the tires starts squeeling. That is before it loses grip and starts sliding.

The G35 is still in my options ... but I think the elise might better suit my needs.

<hr></blockquote>

First of all, retest the car with only a salesman or alone. Douglas Infiniti in NJ let me test a 6MT coupe twice at considerable length all by myself. I didn't end up buying the car there since they didn't have one in the pipeline with the options/color I wanted (and Ramsey Infiniti did), but a sincere tip of the hat is certainly due to them anyway.

Second, remember to gauge the power while you're up in the torque band. This is a pretty high ended engine; the power off the line is MUCH less than above 3.5-4K RPMs.

Third, try a 6MT. It's got more immediate throttle response and delivers more power to the wheels, but not dramatically more. The AT in this car is actually really excellent.

Fourth, drive a similarly equipped 350Z under the same circumstances as the GC. I did, and found little if any perceivable difference between the two in the (admittetdly short) drive.

Fifth, my coupe handles like it's on rails. Again, try testing it again with as few people in the car as possible. Two back seat passengers would likely throw off the chassis balance considerably (although I've never driven the car hard with four people on board so I can't speak from experience). Also make sure to check the tire pressures on the test car (should be 35 cold psi all around). Dealers are notorious for not getting that right. New cars usually come off the truck maxed out to at about 45 psi, and properly inflated tires when left unchecked for a while will drop quickly, especially in cold weather. I've noticed very significant loss of cornering power at as few as 3 or 4 psi down. Also, you won't get the true measure of the car's handling unless you're driving a car equipped with the 18" wheels and Pilot Sports in WARM weather.

Regarding the rear seats, I'm 5'7" and can ride there comfortably as long as I'm not sitting bolt upright. I've taken 2+ hour drives with my nephew and his friend in the back seat. He's about 5'2" and his friend is at least my height, and both reported they were completely comfortable. Also, when the seat is folded the car has outstanding cargo carrying capacity when you compare it to other cars with its performance capability.

Lastly, as others have pointed out, the Elise really is an apples and oranges comparison. Compare that to a Boxter or 350Z or S2000. The G coupe is more fairly compared to a 3 series BMW, Audi A4 or Lexus IS300. Compared to those, for my money anyway, the G35C wins hands down.

 

Thank you all!

I was comparing The lotus to G35c because they were within 5k price difference. If I do get the lotus I will keep my current commuter.

 

Where are you going to find another new performance+luxury car in the $30,000 to $38,000 range -- outside of a BMW 325ci -- that would beat the G35, all categories being considered?