First and foremost, I have a supercharger kit on order for the Elise. Assuming all goes according to plan, it’ll take the car from 190hp/133tq to 280whp/175wtq. It’s getting a few other upgrades but that’s the important bit. Because this is a significant upgrade I expect it may have some downtime along the way. I’m a terrible mechanic so I need a way to get to work in the morning.

The second reason was that I’m simply sick of driving the Elise everywhere. I’ve been going out a bit more often lately and it absolutely kills me to park it next to other cars for fear of inconsiderate jerks. This is probably the part where most people convince them they need to sell it.

So what I needed was something that could still be considered fun but much more practical. Only when it is compared to the Elise is an RX-8 considered practical. The back seats and trunk are a big step up from what I had before and I still have the fun of a RWD car with a 6-speed. I considered a few other cars but I kept coming back to the RX-8. I had an FD RX-7 a few years back and I promised myself I’d be back in a rotary-powered car someday.

I’ll admit this car makes almost zero sense to most people. When considered as your sole sporty car, it falls flat in a lot of areas. My main complaints were that it weighed far too much for the power it was putting out. When you already have your sporty car, however, this car becomes amazingly brilliant. I’m not trying to play speed racer in this thing. Relative to the Elise, it’s quiet, smooth, can easily seat three (four in a pinch) and has a trunk big enough to hold a piece of luggage or two. The gas mileage sucks but I live close enough to work that it doesn’t matter much. The engine’s sound, the amazing gearbox and RWD make this car a ton of fun.

It’s a 2004, just ticked over 45k miles and it has the GT package with navigation. The interior is fantastic with the black leather and despite being a bit dated, the navigation works very well if you’re not expecting it to work like Google Maps. The previous owner added a Dension iPod kit to the car and while it’s a huge pile of garbage I have an old 4G iPod that works well with it.

Hopefully I’m done buying cars for 4-5 years. Let’s start a pool now on how long everyone thinks this engine will last.

So one year in, how has the car fared? Remarkably well, if I’m honest. It has only failed to start due to a dying battery that I was completely aware of and had a brief stint in the middle of summer with no air conditioning. When the weather turned cold this past fall, if you can call 50 degrees cold, the ECU developed a stumbling idle and intermittent throttle issue before the engine has warmed but it was nothing that I couldn’t learn how to drive around. Otherwise, it has started when I wanted and returned no less than 29mpg in the process. It is known that some of the cars that leave the Lotus factory have a few more squeaks and rattles than others and thankfully mine seemed well sorted when I picked it up last year. I have asked a lot of the car in regards to the daily driving and it has not let me down. I cannot count the extra miles I’ve walked from parking in the very back of every parking lot but a fiberglass body and paranoia will do that to you.

It’s an odd feeling to have the money (and usually, the appetite) for a better, faster car and finding yourself absolutely content with the car as it sits. Despite the Porsche 997 GT3 retaining a fair bit of value, it is now easily within reach and yet I’m not seriously tempted to pursue the notion. I certainly can’t make myself any promises of keeping the car for a number of years but it is refreshing to still find the car as interesting as the day I bought it.

I always told myself I would never add forced induction to my daily driver and certainly never to a car to which I was still making payments. Thanks in part to a treacherous travel schedule that included an untold number of overtime hours and a slightly unfavorable interest rate I was able to pay the car off within eight months, a fact in which I am most proud. The other rule I have forced upon myself will be coming to fruition soon.

The Elise has served its daily driver duties well and I quite enjoyed the ability to drive it year-round. As I have begun to find my way in this city, I find myself subjected to the rigors of the real world. The world ten miles from my house include work, grocery stores and friends all connected by well-kept roads and overly large parking lots to accommodate my paranoia. The same cannot be said for life outside this range. Streets flood, parking lots at clubs are small and the car knows not subtlety but only screaming at the top of its lungs for attention. It certainly has its place and I won’t pretend to regret the compliments I receive but it is simply not a car that should be subjected to SUVs, minivans, and the people that drive them. Soon it will be replaced with what I carefully refer to as a beater. I have never shopped for a car that had even a bit of practicality and always knew with great focus what I wanted from a driving experience. Finding a suitable car with four seats and a trunk in my self-imposed price range proved to be quite difficult. My mind changes almost daily so I won’t attempt to suggest I have made a decision but there is a model in mind and hopefully in the next few weeks it will take over “real life” duties and the Elise relegated to the occasional drive to work or weekend fun.

It’s a bit sad in some ways but I’ve grown too fond of the car and I’d rather save the miles for something a bit more mundane. Unfortunately I will no longer be able to boast about my one and only daily driver but I occasionally have to remind myself that I didn’t buy the car to impress others, it’s just a common side effect. There is good news, however. Soon I will follow through with my plans to install a supercharger to the Elise. On the face of it, one might say it’s a bit foolish to spend a decent sum of money on a system that has not been experienced. But it can also be said that not much else about this car makes sense so why begin now?

The list of upgrades planned with surely be included (hopefully) in an update come this March. For now I have installed the BOE Silent Touch exhaust that eliminates the rear panel and features a single, rear-facing exhaust tip. The muffler itself is from Coast Fabrication and is meant to handle the increased power levels of Eaton’s TVS supercharger and can be rebuilt if tracked heavily. Due to the nature of the stock Lotus ECU, any power gains will be negated by the software pulling timing and adjusting air:fuel ratios. The main benefit, outside of the always-subjective sound quality increase, is the 24 pounds lost off the rear of the car. At ~$800 it is the cheapest way to drop weight from the car save for the incredibly heavy stock battery. With the Sport Package wheels and tires mounted and subwoofer removed the car should now weight in at ~1926lbs.

Included is just a collection of pictures gathered in the last three months. They include my work on the car, a Lotus owner’s meet I put together in November and a proper canyon run with the rotary club in San Bernardino.

The combination of work and summer in Phoenix has prevented anything interesting happening in the last few months. Out-of-state travel would be required for any track days and even then I would have to stay home for more than a week to make that happen. With a car so finely set up by the previous owner (limited-slip differential, lightened flywheel, ACT clutch, etc), there isn’t a whole lot that needs to be done to the car despite my desire to tinker a bit. One aspect that was killing me was the tires being used for daily driving and interstate travel. No one needs R-compound tires to get to work (or across state lines) and with that in mind I sourced a set of “base” wheels and tires on the Lotus forum for $500. While just sporting extreme performance summer tires as opposed to barely DOT-legal slicks, these tires will allow me to run guilt-free miles.

I have grand plans in mind for a supercharger project next year. As with any car with better handling characteristics than straight-line speed that acts as a daily driver, the mind begins to wander towards more power. When I owned the Miata I long fancied a supercharger kit based off the Jackson Racing MP45 setup originally intended for Civics and the like. At $3800 sans intercooler and only an additional 40whp it was probably in the running for most expensive forced induction kit factoring the horsepower per dollar. Regardless, it caught my eye. Reading various Miata.net posts detailing the problems people had, along with fully realizing my mechanical ineptitude, I vowed to never add forced induction to my daily driver. This will undoubtably require a sane, somewhat sensible car that will pull daily driver duties. As with the choice made last January, the cars in contention for a daily driver vary weekly. Two particularly fun weeks were deciding I didn’t necessarily need a 315hp Elise but just the stock setup and an Aston Martin V8 Vantage. They’ve tumbled in price lately and I wasn’t able to find many tales of woe from people using them as daily drivers. Right now though the (slightly more) sensible side has won out and I’ve decided something in the $15-20k range would suit my needs just fine. Lately the two choice I’ve been going between are the Mazda RX-8 and the BMW M3 (e46).

My last foray into the rotary world was troubled but interesting. I always thought I’d be back though, even if it meant a slightly boring alternative to the twin-turbo classic. I always thought the RX-8 was a bit underpowered for its chassis (and certainly its competition) but that was operating under the assumption that it was acting as an only car. With a supercharged Lotus in the wings, all of a sudden a four-seater 220hp rotary sedan doesn’t sound so awful. And before anyone complains, I don’t believe for a second the 13B-MSP makes 232hp. If you look at the various stock dynos posted on various sites, even 220hp seems generous. Never mind that though, it makes a wonderful noise, the shifter is fantastic and the interior is far nicer than anything at that price point has a right to be. The e46 M3 is under consideration as the 2002-2003 models are beginning to show up for 20k with 55-70k miles. While that’s a few more than I’d like, it’s hard to argue with an inline six that makes 333hp and revs to 8000RPMs.

Whether any of this happens will depend on a variety of factors which include intelligent minds being available for help (I’m a terrible mechanic), whether I’m still in Phoenix next year and of course whether my company is still willing to pay out the silly number of overtime hours I’ve come to expect. It should be fairly realistic to start shopping for a daily driver in late winter/early spring of next year and begin the install sometime in the summer (which makes perfect sense given the temperatures here in the summer).

To quote someone on LotusTalk.net in regards to why someone would want to supercharge an Elise or Exige, “The Elise looks like a supercar and accelerates like a BMW.” I’d like to change that.

Sometimes I wonder if I purchased the wrong car, simply because the closest public road that might be considered fun is over 150 miles away. Perhaps the 7.0L Corvette Z06 would have been more fun to drive from stoplight-to-predictable-stoplight with its torque figure almost four times that of the Lotus. The real shame is the lack of a single car that can fit my every mood or desire. A 997 CarreraS comes suspiciously close with a decent power:weight ratio, well-regarded road and track manners and comedy back seats for that rare occasion. I’m almost glad I purchased the Elise when I did as the 997 C2S has dropped in price lately thanks to the introduction of the 997.2 and I might have been a bit more tempted.

Several months ago, on a whim, I decided I needed to revisit some of the twisty roads of California which were previously conquered in the S2000. Thankfully I did not give the 300 mile trip much thought as the Elise proved to be absolutely punishing even on the relatively smooth roads of I-10. Gone are the days where I give more than a moment’s thought to my car’s gas mileage but I’m always amazed when this car pulls out 32mpg averaging 85-90mph. Upon arriving in Riverside I was reminded how difficult Elise ownership could be with the terribly bumpy roads and massive amounts of highway traffic. It served as a pleasant reminder that Phoenix affords comfortable Lotus ownership with its wide lanes, smooth roads and a commute that manages to avoid the highway. It was obvious that my eventual return to California will require me to do a sanity check and purchase a more comfortable daily driver.

There’s nothing like waking up in the morning and knowing you’re about to attack the twisty canyon roads of the San Bernardino Mountains with two of the best sports cars ever made. Accompanying me in the Lotus was a 1993 Mazda RX-7 and judging from the pictures it might look a bit familiar. This is in fact the RX-7 I owned in Kansas but now in the more capable hands of a true rotary enthusiast.

The drive towards the coveted roads was a more refreshing wakeup than any cup of coffee could ever provide. Between the deafening roar of the four-cylinder inches from my ear and the exhaust gasses from a turbocharged car running a bit too rich making me lightheaded, I was ready to explore the limits my R-compound tires would afford me. Because it was early March and the opening roads were generously covered by trees a fair amount of snow was still on the sides of the roads. While it made for interesting pictures, it was less than ideal to drive due to the wet pavement and copious amounts of sand and salt on the road. Still, if one has confidence in their machine a wet road can be just as fun at low speeds. Unfortunately I am new to world of mid-engine cars and lack the complete confidence I felt with the 50:50 weight distribution of the S2000.

Once we hit the high point of the mountain we stopped for a moment to give the cars and rest and to allow enough traffic to pass to ensure we had a fair amount of clear road. Upon leaving I took the lead as handling would be the focus of the next section of road. I was a bit disappointed that the Elise seemed a bit slower in a straight line to the twin turbo RX-7 but as I was about to prove, few cars on the road can keep up with it when the road rapidly changes direction. Thankfully traffic was light in both directions so I have no qualms saying I did not exactly abide by the posted speed limits. After the first few sets of corners I became absolutely focused with the task at hand. Four hundred miles of driving led up to this point and one slow car might ruin it all. I was mindful of the RX-7 behind me but with every corner the Japanese wonder fell further and further behind. As I grew more confident I pushed the car harder and harder. Double the speed limit. Add another 5mph. Another 10mph. The car absolutely would not give up. The grip the chassis and tires provide is staggering. There were corners I needed third gear to continue accelerating where the S2000 would struggle to reach the VTEC cam in second gear. This drive proved to be the direct comparison I needed. The only unfortunate realization I came to on this drive was that exploring the limits on a public road in the Elise is not just a felony; its limits are so high it will require a highly technical track to exploit its capabilities. Regardless, never have I felt so exhilarated than when I finally caught up with traffic and allowed myself to come down from the high of properly driving a Lotus. A fun aside, the hardtop will stay behind in the future as the chassis flex in hard cornering caused the bolts to loosen and provided a bit of drama on the drive back.

There is no doubt that the most fun I’ll likely have in the Elise will be on a proper racing track. This trip proved many times over that I should start preparing the car now for the fall track season in Phoenix. It also proved that I can no longer ignore the importance of having fun, interesting roads that are close to where I call home. I will forever have issue with the state of California as long as they continue their budget woes and exorbitant tax structure but as a friend once told me, one drive on the nearest twisty road is all you need to forget it all.

One of the reasons I grew attached to the Miata was it represented a radical departure from previous driving experiences. There was a large mental barrier to overcome in telling yourself you don’t need a large trunk or a backseat to get by. A two-seater convertible is certainly different than a large percentage of cars found on the road today and I enjoyed it massively. The S2000 was just more of the same, really. It was better in every way but at the end of the day I was still getting in and out of a relatively small car with a tight interior and a top that came up and down in seconds. It was a logical step that didn’t require a whole lot of thought and thus lost some of the magic that initially came with taking ownership of the Miata.

This time around I needed something that ramped up the excitement to levels that forced me to question my own sanity. The Lotus Elise is by all accounts the least practical production car you can buy outside of an Exige (”fixed” roof Elise) or an exorbitantly priced exotic I’m not recalling. Judged by normal criteria, absolutely no person should ever buy a car like this. It’s loud, difficult to see out of, difficult to get in and out of and the suspension is bone-jarring even in base trim. The entire body is made of fiberglass which is fantastic at keeping the weight down but absolutely rubbish in normal, everyday circumstances as a slight bump in the parking lot or a mild fender bender requires tragically expensive repairs or replacements from England. All of this would combine for one of the worst cars ever made if its performance didn’t outweigh the negatives by a factor of three or four. Sweet Jesus did Lotus deliver on that one.

My car progression over the years might appear somewhat logical but I’m beginning to liken it to a drug habit. You start out with something fun, recreational and isn’t likely to get you into too much trouble. As the years pass, however, your thrill-seeking side begins to push the boundaries a bit in search of the same euphoria from before. With my overwhelming love of the drive, the Elise was the only thing that could imagine holding my interest for more than a year or so. I have not driven any of the popular kit cars available today but I know of no production car that provides the feel and feedback of the Elise; it is simply without peer. I fear there will need to be an intervention in a few years or I’ll start driving an Ariel Atom to work.

On paper the car appears to be down on power at 190bhp until you look at the curb weight: 1984lbs. Knock off another twenty if you go with the sport pack as the forged alloy wheels save unsprung weight that is absolutely critical in a lightweight car. At the first turn of the steering wheel you notice the car’s lack of power-assisted steering. Once above parking lot speeds you realize why this done: It simply does not need it. Less weight and frankly, one less thing to go wrong. The car itself is quite simple. Engine and transmission from the last-generation Toyota Celica GT-S turned around and placed behind the driver for a mid-engined layout. Power is sent to the rear wheels and a spartan interior keep the driver focused on the task at hand.

In various publications the Porsche Cayman S and the Lotus Elise perform similarly enough on paper to consider them very close rivals. With a near identical power:weight ratio and a mid-engine, rear drive layout the outcome favors the Cayman more often than not but largely depends on the track. The ride itself is forgiving enough to make you wonder just how they managed to make it handle so well. With Cayman prices tumbling as of late it was a tempting proposition but even if I were to disregard how difficult it is to find the perfect options combination, it was just a bit too soft and refined for my current tastes.

The lone salesman at the Scottsdale Lotus dealership emailed me not too long ago saying, “We may have just bought your next car.” There was an immediate sense of dread as I knew there was a decent chance my wallet was about to get a bit lighter. Shortly after, though, I became obsessed and for the next two work days I simply could not focus. It was nice to finally be excited by the prospect of owning another car.

The entire process of the trade-in and purchase was painfully easy. There’s a distinct difference between a small, exotic dealership and your local volume Chevrolet dealership. I will be the first to admit I did not get a fantastic deal on the trade-in but I am thankful I’m in a place where a grand or two here or there isn’t a huge deal as the convenience factor is substantial. Having sold somewhat niche cars private party in the past I was in no mood to attempt selling another one, especially in our mildly depressed economy. The purchase price of the car was average for a dealership but considering the modifications done to the car I’m not in a position to complain.

The car has just about every option you could tick off for a 2005 Elise (and some might argue that’s not a particularly good thing for a car like this). Both the touring and sport options were checked in addition to the hardtop so the car has fancy items like carpets and power windows along with a stiffened, lower suspension and the forged alloy wheels. The previous owner had some factory special options installed as well. Though not officially on the order sheet, a limited slip differential and traction control were installed which were not options until the 2006 model year. Lotus insists the car does not need one as they designed the car properly in the first place but I am no driving god and I believe the LSD will serve my driving style better than an open differential would. Some carbon fiber bits in the interior and a black leather center console give the interior a different look while the lightweight battery in the trunk saves 14 pounds. This weight savings is then negated by the upgraded sound system which includes component speakers up front and a JBL Stealthbox in the passenger footwell driven by an Eclipse amplifier mounted in the trunk. While I initially thought the prospect of decent audio in an Elise was missing the point, I later realized that having a vastly improved audio system over the S2000 just exemplifies how bonkers this car is. The previous owner also had a lightened flywheel, ACT clutch and the taller 6th gear from the C60 transmission installed. The clutch feel is noticeably improved over stock without being a leg press and the taller 6th gear (that would likely never be used on the track) provide cruising RPMs that almost make it seem like a normal car. 80mph is just a touch over 3000RPM and the only car I’ve owned that was in the same ballpark was the RX-7, the Miata and S2000 were buzzing above 4000RPM at that point.

The only reason I stopped driving the night I brought it home was due to the immense back pain I was experiencing. This car is amazingly fun to drive even at low speeds. The car’s interaction with the driver makes it an absolute joy to simply wind through a few gears to the next stop light. That weekend I put over 250 miles on the car (for an average 32mpg, impressive) as any time I looked outside and saw sunlight I felt the overwhelming desire to drive to nowhere. I’m absolutely convinced I’m going to see a spike in my electricity bill simply from turning on the garage lights to stare endlessly on the car. There’s not one ugly line or angle on it.

Here’s to the next four or five years.

In the past, the basis for buying a new car was much simpler. I was either extremely passionate about one particular car and didn’t bother to test drive anything else (Miata, RX-7) or just wanted more of the same but better in every way (S2000). Finding a replacement for the S2000 was an unfamiliar situation, however. There was absolutely no pressing need as my car was in excellent mechanical shape and I wasn’t overly drawn to another car, I simply felt I was done with the Honda and ready to conquer new territory.

It’s rather unfortunate that Mazda has not continued development of a rotary-engine sports car. And sticking the same engine in the Rx-8 for seven years with only a very minor facelift does not constitute continued development. It is one of the most unique driving experiences and they’re content to let themselves be outclassed year after year by the competition. I’m still very passionate about the rotary but the only one worth owning these days is going on fifteen years old and as I proved quite handily, I am not the able-bodied mechanic required to keep it on the road. I believe Mazda has the ability, resources and even most of the development there to make it but I imagine the market for a $40k+ Mazda sports car is not.

Back to the matter at hand. While I place a high value on the performance a car offers, style is certainly a consideration as well. I want to look at my car and every time think, “Wow.” My requirements were relatively simple. Keep the weight down, two seats (as more than that and it was certainly an engineered compromise) and fantastic handling with a defining characteristic that sets it apart. Over the last year I spent a time fawning over a few cars that fit this criteria, and in no particular order:

Porsche Cayman S

BMW Z4 M Coupe

Chevrolet Corvette Z06 (C6)

Porsche 997 C2S

Lotus Elise

Porsche 996 Turbo

Only now do I realize Porsche showed up three times on that list which is odd because two years ago I couldn’t stand anything they made. It started with the Cayman S. A downright gorgeous car and one of the few mid-engine coupes on the market under 100K. This engine configuration tends to be of the exotic nature but in the Porsche it actually manages to be quite practical. With the standard Porsche frunk up front and a decent boot thanks to the hatchback, it somehow managed to be the most practical car on the list. Unfortunately it never felt any faster than my RX-7, which was a terrible sensation when I was looking at a brand new example for about $65,000. Inside it just felt a bit “blah” with its Boxster interior and since the car’s performance was limited by the marketing department as to not compete with the base 911, you couldn’t help but wonder what might have been if they’d given it a fighting chance. It’s one thing to design a car so a limited slip differential is not needed (Elise) but it’s an entirely different matter to omit one because you don’t want it to be faster around a track than your brand’s bread and butter Carrera C2. Only now are they letting the platform breathe a bit with the new DFI 3.4L, PDK and a LSD but I’m not quite sure it’s worth $70K+ when the 2006s are going for high 30s and give you 90% of the experience.

I must admit I had an unexpected amount of fun in the BMW M Coupe. It is certainly a love it or hate it design and obviously I’m in the camp that enjoys the clownshoe look to it. Despite having more power than the Cayman it ends up being a wash with the extra weight. Being that the E46 M3 was ~3400lbs I was expecting the M Coupe with fewer seats and identical engine to weigh much less than its 3200lbs. Regardless, the engine was its most distinctive feature and that is never a bad thing. 8000RPMs from the steel-block S54 inline 6 is an unholy sound and it was almost enough on its own to get my checkbook out. The interior was much nicer with wonderful seats and a trick RPM color gauge that changed the redline as the engine warmed up. Even the flip-up navigation LCD was endearing despite owing much of its style to cars made earlier in the decade, if nothing else because the aftermarket had an integrated iPod solution. Fortunately the dealership did not accept my low-but-reasonable offer on the car as its value on the used market tanked when the economy went south. Still though, I doubt I would have complained much about owning a brand new M Coupe as it is the most exclusive car on the list with just under 2000 models imported to the US in three short years.

The 996 Turbo was certainly an odd consideration for me as it’s nearly everything I didn’t want originally: heavy, all wheel drive and a twin-turbo engine (I’ve been burned before). The car just looks stunning. I am no fan of the 996 with its fried-egg headlights and outdated interior when it was introduced but the Turbo added just the right amount of flair to make it drop-dead gorgeous. It was with this car that I realized the 996 and by extension, the 997, is one of the few body styles that looks better the more crap you tack on or holes you cut in the body. The massive intakes on each side are the missing visual link for that body style; without them the car just looks like it’s missing something and is simply bland without them. It seems the more expensive the Porsche; the more likely it is you’ll be sitting in a silver one. During my exhaustive search for one it was difficult to find one that wasn’t white, silver or black. Not bad colors mind you but I tend to like my cars to stand out a bit in everyday traffic.

The test drive was quite the experience. I was driving a 2003 with all black interior, surprisingly a difficult option to find but I found it much more pleasing in person than the numerous pictures I saw online. The power was immense and only aided by the superb all wheel drive that rocketed the car off the line. It was certainly a pig in the corners however, which limited the fun for me a bit. The GT1 engine can certainly be considered legendary by now with its race-proven pedigree and its usefulness as both naturally aspirated and turbocharged applications. I will admit the main reason I began entertaining the idea of a 911 was due to my social situation at the time. I found myself going out six nights a week instead of one or two towards the end of my stay in southern California and I always had to leave my car behind due to the lack of seating capacity. It would certainly be novel to be able to take a few people along for the ride. Ultimately the reason why I don’t drive four-seaters became clear after begrudgingly agreeing to be the designated driver and watching friends vomit violently both inside and outside the car. I am certain a four-seater of some sort is in my future but I am in no hurry to start that unfortunate mess.

The Porsche 997 C2S was basically the modern alternative to the 996 Turbo. I think we’re getting to the point where the 996 Turbos are going to start being a reliability nightmare in the next couple of years and 997 S was my second choice if I went that route. From the A-pillar forward the 997 is much more aesthetically pleasing and the interior manages to look pleasing without being the rounded plastic mess that was the 996 interior. The 355hp 3.8 C2S is over 250lbs lighter than the 996TT at 3130lbs which helps it feel much sportier while sharing a similar power:weight ratio. It was my hope that the new 997.2S would devalue the 997.1S but it simply didn’t get where I wanted when I was ready to buy. Much like the Cayman, it was a compromise but for a slightly different reason. I absolutely adore the 997 GT3 but I’m in no position to afford one while maintaining a reasonable standard of living. The 997.1S represents a “baby GT3″ to me but unfortunately I would be constantly reminded of what I did not have and would serve to dilute the experience of owning a GT3 years down the line.

The Chevrolet Corvette Z06 is an absolute monster. I don’t usually enjoy writing in such a blunt fashion but this car absolutely demands it. On paper there’s a lot to love about it. The all-aluminum 7.0L LS7 V8 (427 cubic inches) is one of the most amazing engines ever placed in a car. The exclusive aluminum frame is used only in the road-going Z06 as race restrictions prevent them from using it in the C6.R. The hand-built engine has enough exotic materials and race-derived parts to make any car nerd drool. It even has a few nifty technology bits like RFID entry which allows you to simply walk up to the car, open it and start it without the keys ever leaving your pocket. The heads up display on the windshield is brilliant and if given more than a twenty-minute test drive I’m sure I’d almost never need to glance down at the gauges. It is amazing I’ve gotten this far without mentioning the power. From now on it will be referred to as POWER as words fail to describe how the LS7 motivates the car down the road. Disregarding my recent test drives, the RX-7 with its 230lb/ft had the most torque of any car I’d driven and with it’s respectable weight and 4.10 final drive ratio it certainly had sufficient motivation. That said, I was ill prepared for what 475lb/ft had in store. The RX-7 had enough power to be dangerous in the wet; this car was dangerous on bone-dry pavement. The car broke traction in second gear at 3000RPMs. With traction control on. It is an odd feeling to be truly frightened while having a huge grin on your face simultaneously. The sensation is just epic, there’s no better word for it.

As glowing as that might sound, there are a few drawbacks that ultimately soured my opinion of the car. To say the car was numb was a bit like saying workplace ethics presentations are dull. There was absolutely no steering feedback and while I’ve read the 2008+ Corvettes were improved in that regard, it really had nowhere to go but up. This new car was to be my daily driver so it had to be fun at 20mph and 120mph. The suspension was stiff but somehow felt more suited to a cruiser. I felt like I could take a long trip and not feel the least bit tired from it and that’s exactly what I didn’t want. I already felt the S2000 was too soft and there are plenty of people in the world that already think that car is too much for everyday driving. The dealership experience should not be discounted either. It took over 45 minutes to finally sit in the car and by that time I was thoroughly exhausted by the whole process. It should also be mentioned that since the car is in the top echelon of what GM has to offer your car will be serviced by the same technicians that are working on the $13,000 Cobalt in the next bay. Hardly confidence inspiring. It must be stated though if none of the above items are of bother, the Z06 is a fantastic bargain on the used market. When I test drove in December it was $47,000 at a dealership and private party sales are well below $45k with low-40s not too far off.

This finally brings me to the Elise. On the particular day I went to test drive these cars save the BMW I started the day at the lowest horsepower and worked my way up so the experience wouldn’t be dominated by straight-line acceleration. Turns out I was judging by the wrong metric as I started the day with the best handling of the bunch; the subsequent drives all failed to live up to this tiny little car. With its 1.8L Toyota inline 4 making 190hp, it’s not going to win any quarter mile tests (though it does manage a respectable 13.2 @ 101mph) but that’s not entirely the point of the car. I test drove a 2006 Krypton Green Elise with the touring and sport packages. The lack of power steering is the first indication one is given that this car is not of the ordinary. While manual steering racks are traditionally left for low-end economy cars its use in the Elise was deliberate as the 1960lb car has no need for assisted steering. Getting in the car required some elaborate acrobatics and immediately proved this was not a car to be driven daily. Nearly every creature comfort is an optional extra. There is almost zero sound insulation from the engine sitting inches behind your ears. And the first light I came to had me next to a mid-90s Camry (before sedans had 4×4 ride height) and I found myself looking up towards the driver next to me. I was hooked.

Traditionally it is prudent to keep a stern face in the presence of a salesman as obvious enthusiasm can later be used against you. I could not care less in this car, however. It was just the right combination of performance, style and insanity. It is impossibly small inside and the most luxurious item the car features are power windows. Normally a car manufacturer asks the customer what they want; with this project Lotus asked what the customer could do without. You don’t need cruise control just like you don’t need a remote trunk release or DVD navigation. Four wheels connected to a steering wheel, and engine behind you and a gear leaver somewhere in arms reach is all you really need to get from point A to point B. This car defines what driving is meant to convey. The raw sense of connection to the road and the belief you don’t need 400+hp to make the most of the driving experience. Lotus has always been a car manufacturer for people who love to drive and it took an actual test drive for me to finally realize this. Perhaps it is the slow progression from the relatively mundane but practical Eclipse I began with to the comically sized Miata and S2000 that enabled me to consider the Elise as a legitimate candidate for not only a daily driver but also my only car.

Four and a half years is a long time for an enthusiast to hold on to a car. The Miata was starting to get up there with the miles at 77,000. It still drove great but some much-needed maintenance such as a refreshing of the suspension components was coming up and there was an issue with the steering. Instead of spending a small amount to fix it I decided I should just move on to bigger and better things.

I had been with the company for less than two months and I began my search for a replacement. I didn’t spend a lot of time deciding. Without a full understanding of just how soul-crushing the difference between pre-tax and post-tax income was, I began to look at a brand new 2007 Porsche Cayman S. At $65,000 it was hilariously out of my practical price range but I was considering it because I focused solely on the monthly payment. Being single and having no debt, a monthly payment of $1100-1200 was technically feasible. So one Sunday afternoon I took from Temecula, CA to visit Hoehn Porsche in Carlsbad. What a sight for 23-year old. Having just come around to Porsche’s design language, I was in awe of the various flavors of 911, Caymans and “that one cool looking 911″ at the top of dealer’s stairs (looking back it was a GT3).

It is important to keep in mind the current cars I owned at the time as it provided the direct basis of comparison for the test drive. In a nutshell, the Miata was nimble and precise and the RX-7 was face-meltingly fast. The first thing I noticed in the Cayman was the shifter. After spending a bit of time in the Miata, shifting in the Cayman felt like rowing a boat. The acceleration was nice but it only felt as fast as the FD. Not great for a car that would be stretching my budget, and even worse when it’s not blowing away my $14,000 car. As with every Porsche I’ve driven, the best moment I’ve had in them was thinking, “Wow, I’m driving a Porsche.” I remember thinking the engine being behind you was a neat trick and I liked the two trunks. I had a good time driving it, but not $65,000 good.

Later that day, on a whim, I decided to hit up the Honda dealership on my way back home while the Cayman experience was fresh. While my roommate owned an AP1 S2000, this was an AP2 model with less than a hundred miles on it. Right after I remembered how brilliant the shifter was, I was immediately surprised by how soft the clutch was. It made the Miata feel like it had a heavy-duty clutch and of course the RX-7 with its aftermarket Exedy clutch was like doing a leg press every time you shifted. Nevertheless, the salesman and I took off with the top down. The car felt absolutely astounding to drive. The S2000 experience is so unique; I’m yet to drive a car that combines the steering feel and raw suspension while being so compliant in everyday driving. The car inspires confidence and pushes the driver to explore the limits and after blasting around town I had a moment of clarity while doing 85mph on the freeway. I was having a lot of fun. I know that it’s best to play your cards close to the chest around a salesperson but I just couldn’t wipe the grin off my face. And in that moment of clarity I realized it’s an absolute waste of money to spend $65k when you’re having this much fun in a $30k car.

A couple weeks later I found the car on Autotrader that ended up being best birthday gift I ever bought for myself. The previous owner had purchased it one month prior and despite being a 2006 model it only had 121 miles on the odometer. It looked factory fresh and while it’s possible I could have paid less for it, I certainly didn’t pay too much for it. When I finally completed the break-in period (longest 500 miles ever) I began the real fun. I discovered my favorite aspect of the car: Wind through first gear, into second up to 8,300RPM and let off the throttle. The howl coming from the engine in the VTEC cam as it climbed down from redline is a sound I’ll never forget. By 2006 most of the niggling faults had be fixed and I still maintain the S2000 has the best shifter I’ve ever driven and I highly doubt it will ever be topped. If only because in addition to the carbon fiber synchros, the car only had to deal with 162ft/lb torque and could be refined in perhaps the way a gearbox built to handle 300+lb/ft cannot.

Sadly though, I dearly missed the Miata. I built an incredible connection to that car and I had a hard time warming up to the S2000. In every aspect except weight it was the better car. Both as a daily driver and a track monster, it was simply a Miata taken to the next level. Eventually I warmed up to it but the S2000 was too much of a logical extension of the Miata. It seemed like the boring, safe choice that just didn’t inspire me like the Miata did.

I had some great times with the car though. I went on quite a few canyon runs in the San Bernardino area with the local rotary club and even participated in my first track day. It was there I discovered what my new hobby should be as it was an exhilarating thrill to drive the car to its absolute limit in a controlled environment. Unfortunately, the track days were far and few between and I grew immensely bored of the car. This was a difficult conclusion to come to as I knew it had “enough” power, had plenty of luxury items such as a power top and cruise control, comfortable seats, was endlessly pretty and most of all I could easily, easily afford it. I just wasn’t into the car all that much.

In the end, I was just in an odd place for the 18 months I spent in Southern California. I can’t imagine myself keeping the Miata during that timeframe as I was ready for something more but almost as soon as I took delivery of the S2000 I was looking to what was coming next. I suppose this kept the S2000 as I originally intended, an in-between car that would have to do until I could afford better.

My last day with the S2000 was a bit sad. I washed the car before heading out to the dealership and as I handed over the keys I left a twinge of remorse but I was quickly elated by what was next. I would be served well to not dwell too much on the past now, but learn an important lesson from knowing a car will not last me that long. I had the car for just over 18 months and it cost quite a bit of money to flip the car in such a short time. While sports cars are more an act of emotion rather than financial sense, the line must be drawn somewhere.

I beat that car for all it was worth and it never once complained, never once left me stranded. The Honda warranty was fantastic which included a brand new top being installed the day before I traded it in which, sadly, I was not able to enjoy. I will look back fondly on the car and remember vividly the difficulty I had trying to find something that would live up to the experience it provided.

The third generation Mazda RX-7 was certainly an ambitious project. While the other Japanese “supercars” of the day were relying on twin-turbo V6s to propel their hefty weights about, Mazda instead focused on making the car lighter and more agile. As with almost every rotary-engined car, weight had to be kept down in order to keep up with the competition. The FD RX-7 was down anywhere from 45-65hp compared to its rivals and an even greater torque deficit. Still, the complex sequential twin-turbo setup (a production car first) was the most powerful factory-tuned rotary to date. The R1 model was 650lbs lighter than the Supra Turbo and almost 800lbs lighter than the 3000GT VR-4. With oversized brakes and sheetmetel that seemed to hug the frame, Mazda created a sports car like no other. Its sequential twin-turbos were used to create power in a smooth, ever-increasing fashion not unlike a N/A rotary with the first turbo engaging at 2500RPM and the second at 4500RPM and both going strong all the way to its 8100RPM redline.

Thirteen years later though it was not difficult to understand why the car’s resale value was not that of its main rival as the Supra Turbo routinely went for more than double the cost of a well-sorted FD. The RX-7 was a maintenance nightmare even under its three-year original warranty, add another decade to that and you’re asking for trouble. In the two years between learning of the car and actually buying one, all it usually took was a glance at the pre-purchase inspection guide on rx7club.com to convince me I was not up to the task. When I found the perfect RX-7 that was thirty miles from my house (certainly an oddity for northeast Kansas) I jumped on the opportunity after proclaiming the famous phrase, “How hard could it be?”

I was completely enamored with the car after the test drive. You could have put me in a Ferrari at that point and I would not have been any more excited about the prospect. The paint looked good minus a couple spots where the clearcoat had been repaired, the interior was in excellent condition for the age and it seemed mechanically sound. Looking back it is simply amazing I went through with the purchase given how little I knew about working on cars, let alone an overly-complex turbo system with 76 vacuum hoses, each one integral to the process. To put it simply, they are a labor of love and only the truly afflicted can understand.

The car had 46,500 miles when I bought it and was on its second engine at that point. The previous owner had purchased it with a blown engine and swapped in a remanufactured 13B-REW (not at all uncommon with these cars) making some modifications to allow better airflow and cooling. It came with nearly every modification I wanted but after I had the car for a short time I felt I had to make my mark. An upgraded, all aluminum radiator was installed which significantly dropped coolant temperatures and a programmable aftermarket ECU was purchased from a shady Japanese vendor. As with any turbocharged RX-7 though, no story is all smiles.

I discovered the car didn’t take to idling very well after being run hard shortly after bringing the car home. It was a problem I chased down to the day I sold it and ultimately prevented me from enjoying my time with the car. My paranoia about its reliability stemmed from the fact that I was going to college at the time and for a majority of my ownership I was unemployed. Normally that would be stupidity of biblical proportions but I was living off the GI Bill and in Kansas that’s actually possible so it was simply stupidity on a monumental level. Because I couldn’t afford an engine replacement and didn’t want to blow what little spending money I had on consumables like brakes, tires and turbos I spent my days in constant fear of something going wrong. I never left the house without a small toolkit, coolant, oil and a cell phone. Problems such as a small oil leak which caused smoke clouds to come from the engine bay or an idle problem after a hard run kept me from driving the car outside the city limits. While I made the best of my self-imposed paranoia, one can only have so much fun with a sports car in Kansas if they can’t leave the city limits.

To its credit, however, the car never left me stranded. Only once did it fail to start and a simple tightening of the battery connectors brought the car back to life. It’s hard to tell whether my obsessive nature was the reason it never gave me any grief or if the car was in good enough shape for it not to matter. Regardless, I loved the car as much as I hated it. I was deeply saddened when I came to the realization that despite its technical superiority to my daily driver, I would never have as much fun in the RX-7 as my Miata. This moment came on a freezing cold December night when I decided to take the Miata and its snow tires out for some dori doriftu action. There’s nothing quite like finding a large, empty parking lot and doing huge powerslides at 30mph in the snow or doing a General Lee powerslide around a snow pile at the end of a cul-de-sac. The freedom to drive a car to its absolute limit without worry of mechanical failure is what keeps me happy with a vehicle. A little personality certainly doesn’t hurt but hundreds of tiny failure points make it difficult for all but the most mechanically inclined from enjoying the ownership experience.

The rotary community is alive and well, evidenced by the active communities all over the country. Bi-annual rotary meets were held in Lawrence, KS and had everything from stripped out SA/FBs, bridgeported widebody FCs and RX-8s complete with a factory warranty. The BRAP BRAP of the bridgeported 12A was a sound I will never forget and highlights why rotary fanatics love the engine so much. The stripped out FB with an EFI 13B was quite the experience as well (and not having tags or registration heightened the excitement of the drive).

Unfortunately when the time came for me to move to California I was not able to take the car with me. Ultimately it was a faulty trailer that prevented me from hitching to the moving truck and forced me to leave the car behind. In the following months I was hit with a few expenses it did not seem financially viable to bring the car back and I began the painful process of selling. Luckily I was able to sell the car to a friend and fellow rotary fanatic and it is now in his capable hands.

I had one last opportunity to spend time with the RX-7 when I offered to help drive the car back to California. Annoyingly the car made the 1600 mile journey in just over a day with no issues and despite not having fifth gear. The car burned just over a quart of oil, a small amount of coolant and returned an average 22mpg in fourth gear. There was only a brief period during the trip that the nearly bald tires caused issues at highway speeds in the rain and other than sleep deprivation on my end the entire trip was as uneventful as you’d want in a cross-country drive with an FD.

I would love to end the story with an overall positive note, that the positives outweighed the negatives but in the end its downfalls were just too great for me to overcome. I want my cars to be 100% all the time and on older cars this is just not possible without severe financial outlays.  I do not regret my time with the car as it was a dream realized and taught me the little I know about performing my own vehicle maintenance. Every once in a while I look at the rx7club classifieds and glance at what is available but ultimately I think I got the FD out of my system. Life is too short to own the same car twice and I have a lot of ground to cover.

I hope to return to the rotary again one day but it depends entirely on Mazda moving the RX brand up market and returning it to its sports car roots. The RX-8 is a fine tourer but in this decade’s horsepower wars it weighs far too much for the Renesis to motivate. The RX-8 platform is the perfect candidate for the next rotary sports car however. I still maintain hope that it will be built as the foundation is already there. If the Miata’s chassis were stretched and given a fixed top I don’t think it’s unreasonable that a $40,000+ price tag could bring enough lightweight components to keep it at or under 2600lbs. With either a turbocharged Renesis or a N/A 20B I believe it would have the performance to justify the price tag. When the economy eventually recovers to the point where a low volume halo car once again makes sense, I will be first in line at my local Mazda dealership with a deposit for the first one off the truck. Given the odd choices Mazda makes at times and its stubborn perseverance with rotary projects, I think it’s simply a matter of when.

That article left quite the impression on me at the age of seventeen and likely saved me from taking on the American tradition of big cars, big engines and straight line speed. When I finally got around to car shopping in early 2003, I had narrowed it down to a Z/28 Camaro and an NB Miata. It’s probably a good thing I never bothered to test drive a Camaro, the acceleration is intoxicating. Someone once told me straight line speed is the first thing to get boring in a car and I later found that to be completely true. After returning from three months of temporary duty in Turkey I bought my Emerald Green 1999 Miata cash at the age of nineteen. From that point on I allowed the car to define me and slowly redefined what everyone else thought of the Miata.

It’s easy to forget as an enthusiast that the Miata has the stigma as a gay man’s car. I found myself at constant odds with my coworkers regarding the issue (and it didn’t help that my coworkers were enlisted military, not the most open-minded group). The concept just seemed so foreign. For me, I looked at it and saw a 2300lb RWD car that had a limited slip (see that, Porsche?), a fantastic short-throw gearbox and just enough power to get out of its own way. The convertible top was just icing on the cake.

The car served me faithfully for over 4 1/2 years with only a failed slave clutch cylinder in that time. It spent 2 1/2 years with me in Roseville, CA, 2 years in Lawrence, KS while I went to school and just a few months in Temecula, CA when I began contractor work. It saw autocrosses, spirited driving and several feet of snow at times. Never once did it leave me stranded and everything I’ve learned about cars to this point started in some basic form with that Miata.

There’s no doubt I’ll own faster and more expensive cars in years to come but I doubt I’ll ever have the same connection as I had with that car.