If you have been following along, you might have gathered I took a liking to the Elise after a series of test drives in December 2008. There was no driving purpose behind wanting a new car, the S2000 was in no state of disrepair and certainly provided plenty of smiles along the way. For the first time I was moving into a new car simply because I wanted to; because I had experienced everything the S2000 had to offer and I wanted to move on.

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.