So tempted.

I believe they are actually easier than an Elise to get into. Because while the roof line is lower, so is the seating, and they basicly spray the padding on the breadvan floor, then stick some cloth/leather/vinyl on top.

You could, but it wouldn't be a Lotus. And everyone should own a lotus at some point. Just like Alfa used to make their own fantasic engines, and every petrol head should have one, even though other things let down their reliability, Colin Chapman was famous for making that handled, and when they went, went quickly, even if the engines could be a little fragile (just don't buy a Proton to get a Lotus badge).

I was unfortunate enough to have access to an Elise for a short while at ~20 and it has rather spoilt everything else since then (well in the driving fun stakes) probably a good thing it was only for a very short time as the doors have a habit of falling off on them apparently. That was followed shortly after by a

164 cloverleaf one of the most unpleasant cars I have driven due to it having electric seats with a mind of there own.

It was somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember "Depresion" saying something like:

Buy it; you'll love it, when it's going right. You'll utterly hate it when it breaks, whether through mechanical or electrical failures.

They're old cars now, and should be carefully gone over electrically with every joint inspected and cleaned, every mechanical part listened to and evaluated for likely failure.

A high days and holidays car; not one for day to day use - you'll end up wishing you hadn't. Shit, even when they were new, they weren't exactly up there with VWs for reliability.

The big three problems are that I cant' garage it, I already have more than a drive full of cars and I'm give or take fourteen grand short of the asking price. Not that I'm the type to let technicalities get in the way of a good idea.

If you decide you really can't live without one, or just want to find out more, these are the guys to speak to

They were summoned to Lotus to explain why they had "Banks Europa" instead of "Lotus Europa" badging on the cars they restored. So he drove from The Northwest, to the Lotus testing ground, and took the Execs out in his own car, then drove it home. Afterwards he recieved official approval, as he was "producing the Europa in a better than new form, and just how Chapman would have wanted it to progress".

Not bad hey.