First Elan experience

[Uboat]

Hi all,

I had my first country road experience with an Elan. I bought my +2 six months ago, and until now I have only been driving it on straight and dull freeways to and from my workshop on winter roads, which really isn?t what Elan was designed for.

However, last evening, I took my Elan on a ride to the small country roads south of my town. With no traffic, the April sunset in my back, and with birds, cows, horses and tractors working the fields as the only witnesses, I found out what Lotus Elan is about.

I am pretty used to sports car steering, as I sometimes drive my brothers Porsche 911, also at Nurburgring. But this was something else. My man at the workshop told me earlier about the special Lotus-feeling. Cutting fast curves through wheat fields with unlimited visability, I understood what he was talking about. If it is demanding on straight roads, it is even more rewarding when driving actively on country roads.

During the winter, I have been watching Elan-related videos on the Internet, and I am gladly surprised to learn that the sound of my own twincam is very similar to the noise from the Elan race cars on Youtube. Passing farm houses and pastures with horses, windows down, I must admit I had to shift down to third gear and 3500 rpm, and to accelerate just to let them horses and cattle hear the snarling dellortos rev up to 6500 rpm.

Needless to say, the smile is still on my face?

(most of the time, I succeed to forget the erratic gauges, the workshop costs, the electrics?)

[65 Lotus]

Glad to hear you're enjoying it for what it's good for!

I too love blasting down the roads; through the farm country of western Ohio where the high corn in July will shield you from every form of police radar. No traffic; only the occasional woodchuck to avoid.

I tell the wife I'm going Lotus-izing; she knows I won't be back for a couple of hours! The machinery really comes alive in the summer.

Enjoy!