Why don't you see more Lotuses on the road?

Question

I'm not a big car guy or anything but it always seemed to me like a car as cool looking as a lotus elise or exige would be quite common on the road.i almost never see any though.I know they start at like $50,000 so I don't understand why I see so many Corvettes on the road that cost even more than one.

Answer 1

`Cause they`re sh*t.

Answer 2

Becuz it`s not very practical car for American life style where you have to drive quite a lot. I see many in Europe though

Answer 3

The main reason is because of practicality. The Elise is slightly more practical than the Exige which is really designed for track work with its semi-slick tyres. The Elise is fine to "pop to the shops" in but its intent is really to be a weekend car and to blat down country roads.  

Answer 4

Because the Lotus is an import and not widely distributed in the US. In fact I think I only know of one of two Lotus dealerships across the US.

Answer 5

Everybody has minced around the point.

The reason that you do not see more Lotus cars on the roads in the US is because Americans in general don't know a good car when they see one!

They lost a lot of their appeal to me when they went to Toyota power trains. Now that a firm from India owns them, I am more uncertain of whether or not they can maintain the high standards they used to have.

Answer 6

my sister had one and its actually the only one ive seen on the road.  It had metal floors, uncomfertable seats, pretty small but it was really cool.  also she had an elise and those are very hard to find in canada and the states since it is an import.  another thing is that when getting in you must climb over this metal bar and it is very akward.  another thing is that you absolutly can not drive it in the winter

Answer 7

There are Chevy dealers everywhere.

I have never seen a Lotus dealership.

Only 50 of them are shipped to the U.S. every year.

The Corvette is known for its back breaking ride, and the Lotus is even harsher.

And the Lotus does not come with cupholders or leather or carpets.

In America, people care more about what they get in the car.

I don't care about that so I would buy one.

Also, not many people know what that car is.

Answer 8

Actually they are extremely small cars so this makes going in and out of them extremely hard and frustrating and making you look like an idiot. On the other hand, the maintenance and repair cost for such cars are relatively high compared to those of a corvette partly because the corvette engine, the LS1, has a very large array of aftermarket parts and has inexpensive maintenance costs.

Hope I Helped.

Answer 9

well here in Britain...

Answer 10

Lotus can be bought on looks alone, but the main selling factor is driving pleasure. Lotus are built to the same design principle as they were in their heyday by Colin Chapman - Small engine bonded to a  very lightweight stiff chassis.  Colin wanted to prove to the world of racing that power is not essential to winning, and superior handling was.

Because of this buying and driving a Lotus is a great experience because its like driving a road going race car. The whole feel of the car is magic, very direct handling and great acceleration. However, because of this there are some cons involved.

Lotuses by nature are very low and small inside, which is not practical. Things like a cd player and even carpets can be optional extras in attempts to shed extra weight. The ride is very stiff and direct - fine for your weekend drive in the country or a trackday but not fine for you daily commute to work unless you want a broken back. Cars like the Elise have no practical storage space.

So you answer is because they are not practical to own and use every day. They are more suited to the driving enthusiasts. Also, as mentioned by Sarah S, there is a lack of dealerships in the U.S though advertising has more of an affect on demand. Theres one about a 10mins drive from where i'm writing this in the UK.