Of all the cars I've had, the only one I actually miss and wish I still had is my 1997 R-reg Elise Mk1, in regular 1.8 Kseries form with 118bhp-ish. It wasn't the fastest thing in the world (although a 6sec 60 time wasn't bad at all) but the way it made every time I drove it an experience is something that transcends outright speed or power.
I learnt the Nurburgring in that Elise - yes it's mid-engined, and therefore will snap into oversteer a lot less progressively than our BMWs for instance, but the limits of grip are higher, and more importantly the level of feel about what the car is about to do is higher. In the wet, it can be a handful but that's mainly down to the tyres more than anything. I never found the car dangerous to drive, and that's because of the tactile response you get when driving.
Have been thinking about getting another one - seen one on the approved Lotus site (only way to go IMO) 2003/53 Elise 135 Touring + Sports packs, 17k miles, full service, £17995
However, have bought something else in recent days.......
