Elise 240 Final Edition

[TonyKL]

1 hour ago, 5pence said:

I went for 'evora' silver, I was very tempted with red, when I saw all the different colours on the cars I liked them all (though dodge stir crazy purple i wasn't sure about).  I'm in Northern Ireland so green or orange are a tad loaded and could be targeted (literally) for the wrong reasons! I j guess it arrived in the snow but is being prepped now.

 

That looks F'in awesome!

BTW, mine is the red 250 FE at the back of the line - also ordered in Feb 21.

[PR35H]

So … I’ve got my details from the Archive team at Lotus. There were 59 Sport 240 Final Edition Elise built. The first was given to Norwich City FC charity and the last went into the Lotus museum. Both yellow. So only 57 cars for retail.

Of these 9 were yellow so only 7 yellow ones for retail.

Who else is part of the ‘Yellow Magnificent Seven’? 😁

Edited January 14 by PR35H
Correction

[CocoPops]

Just now, PR35H said:

So … I’ve got my details from the Archive team at Lotus. There were 59 final edition Elise Sport 240 built.

Edited for accuracy...

[Arregueti]

That seems very little. A french dealer alone had around 10! Is that RHD only?

4 minutes ago, PR35H said:

There were 59 final edition Elise built.

 

[CocoPops]

4 minutes ago, Arregueti said:

That seems very little. A french dealer alone had around 10! Is that RHD only?

 

Almost certainly UK delivered, RHD, Sport 240.

Rather than "Elise FE"

[Arregueti]

Yes. That dealer alone had 10 240 and 4 Cup FE!

[CocoPops]

6 minutes ago, Arregueti said:

Yes. That dealer alone had 10 240 and 4 Cup FE!

Thierry Verheist by any chance? He had bucket loads of FE cars!

[Techyd]

The Norwich city one has been won in draw, so that should be included in the numbers really.  One lucky winner that was via bridgeclassiccars I think!

 

 

[Arregueti]

7 minutes ago, CocoPops said:

Thierry Verheist by any chance? He had bucket loads of FE cars!

Lotus Lorraine in Nancy (Groupe Theobald). They seem to be the largest in France now after Marcassus lost the dealership.

They still have 9 Exige FEs for sale, according to their website. But almost all the Elises are gone.

[888mattd]

Hi Folks,

 

I wanted to share this story, as a form of therapy for myself more than anything else.

 

The Elise sparked my interest during the first UK lockdown in 2020 but I made a serious enquiry to Bell and Colvill in the first week of Feb 2021.

We all knew that the Elise was on borrowed time and I was seriously considering ordering a new Sport 220.

Jamie at B&C replied advising me that Lotus were making an announcement the following week and that he would send me the details as soon as the info was public.  Pure coincidence re the timing of the FE models.

As promised, Jamie sent me the details and I spent the day studying the announcement and watching Henry Catchpole’s video over and over.

The following day I gave Jamie a call to discuss.  I decided to proceed and paid my initial deposit.  I was buzzing!  I’d finally taken the plunge on buying my first brand new car.  It was scary but exciting at the same time.

However, as the days went by, the panic set in.  The idea that I was treating myself (having always been so sensible with my cash) was turning into, “this is a selfish purchase”, “think about your young family”, “isn’t there something more appropriate for this money to go towards”. 

I also couldn’t settle on a spec that I really loved and wasn’t sure whether I would get the full new car experience that I wanted given the uncertainty that the pandemic brought.  It was a big deal for me.  A forever car, and I really wanted everything to be perfect.

I cancelled the order knowing full well that there was a good chance I would later regret.  But it seemed the only way to get rid of the cloud hanging over me at the time.

After a week of boycotting YouTube and the configurator, I couldn’t help myself but to dip a toe back in the water.  Naturally now the pressure was off, I had an epiphany re my dream spec.  That was to match a Final Edition to the original 1995 Frankfurt Motorshow car.  To bookend the Elise story so to speak. 

To torture myself further, I commissioned the below renders.  Full Spec as follows;

 

Racing Green (C21)

Soft Top (Dark Green via Lotus Exclusive)

Polycarbonate Backlight Glass

Satin Anthracite Wheels (the wheels shown are black but that’s just because I used the press pictures as a base for the renders)

Two Piece Drilled and Ventilated Brake Discs

Trim Option 2 Alcantara Interior (all leather sections changed from black to cream via Lotus Exclusive)

Bodycolour Interior Pack

Alcantara Steering Wheel

Floor Mats

Alcantara Sills

Lightweight Lithium-Ion Battery

Tour Dampers

 No Radio, Aircon, Sound Deadening or Carpets

 

Hindsight is a wonderful thing but I wish I’d persevered.  Jamie was fantastic and I should have just asked him for a bit of time.  I’m certain that if I’d done so, I would have got the car and the experience that I so wanted.

 

To end on a positive note, congrats to all of you who managed to grab one of these special cars.  Enjoy in good health.

 

Edited January 14 by 888mattd

[PR35H]

4 hours ago, 888mattd said:

Hi Folks,

 

I wanted to share this story, as a form of therapy for myself more than anything else.

 

The Elise sparked my interest during the first UK lockdown in 2020 but I made a serious enquiry to Bell and Colvill in the first week of Feb 2021.

We all knew that the Elise was on borrowed time and I was seriously considering ordering a new Sport 220.

Jamie at B&C replied advising me that Lotus were making an announcement the following week and that he would send me the details as soon as the info was public.  Pure coincidence re the timing of the FE models.

As promised, Jamie sent me the details and I spent the day studying the announcement and watching Henry Catchpole’s video over and over.

The following day I gave Jamie a call to discuss.  I decided to proceed and paid my initial deposit.  I was buzzing!  I’d finally taken the plunge on buying my first brand new car.  It was scary but exciting at the same time.

However, as the days went by, the panic set in.  The idea that I was treating myself (having always been so sensible with my cash) was turning into, “this is a selfish purchase”, “think about your young family”, “isn’t there something more appropriate for this money to go towards”. 

I also couldn’t settle on a spec that I really loved and wasn’t sure whether I would get the full new car experience that I wanted given the uncertainty that the pandemic brought.  It was a big deal for me.  A forever car, and I really wanted everything to be perfect.

I cancelled the order knowing full well that there was a good chance I would later regret.  But it seemed the only way to get rid of the cloud hanging over me at the time.

After a week of boycotting YouTube and the configurator, I couldn’t help myself but to dip a toe back in the water.  Naturally now the pressure was off, I had an epiphany re my dream spec.  That was to match a Final Edition to the original 1995 Frankfurt Motorshow car.  To bookend the Elise story so to speak. 

To torture myself further, I commissioned the below renders.  Full Spec as follows;

 

Racing Green (C21)

Soft Top (Dark Green via Lotus Exclusive)

Polycarbonate Backlight Glass

Satin Anthracite Wheels (the wheels shown are black but that’s just because I used the press pictures as a base for the renders)

Two Piece Drilled and Ventilated Brake Discs

Trim Option 2 Alcantara Interior (all leather sections changed from black to cream via Lotus Exclusive)

Bodycolour Interior Pack

Alcantara Steering Wheel

Floor Mats

Alcantara Sills

Lightweight Lithium-Ion Battery

Tour Dampers

 No Radio, Aircon, Sound Deadening or Carpets

 

Hindsight is a wonderful thing but I wish I’d persevered.  Jamie was fantastic and I should have just asked him for a bit of time.  I’m certain that if I’d done so, I would have got the car and the experience that I so wanted.

 

To end on a positive note, congrats to all of you who managed to grab one of these special cars.  Enjoy in good health.

 

Beautiful renders. My Elise was certainly a heart over head purchase. Life is too short to have regrets though. Despite the pleasure it brings, it is an expensive toy. The young family should always come first. Life is better without clouds. 

[CocoPops]

We all have stories as to why the FE matters.

I decided that I’d have the last of the Elise, only a week after my wife died.

So I got in touch with Lotus and said “I don’t know when but as soon as you do, I want one of the last Elise’s”.

Feb 8th when they were announced, I was straight on the phone.

[jep]

@888mattd there is always another car. Ordering new is fun but frankly meaningless in the long run.

I've had my 340R from new. So what? I'd have enjoyed it just as much if bought 1 year old, 2 year old, 3,4,5 etc....

I test drove Evora in 2009 or 10. I adored it but couldn't buy at the time. 2018 I bought a 2010 Evora, having looked for my perfect spec for a while. It was more fun searching for an old one than specin' new.  I hope to never sell it.

My LF1 was 6 years old when bought. It was like new and perhaps the best Lotus road car I have driven....now sadly gone but great memories.

I had two new Elise S1, long gone. I still have two Elise S1, bought very second-hand. I enjoy them just as much as the new ones. Probably more. And I won't suffer depreciation. 

The right moment in time will come for you. And when it does, you will enjoy it all the more.

Justin

 

[5pence]

Got back from B&C that I visited yesterday and met my car for the first time, as well as Jamie and what a gent, really looked after me. 

The viewing exceeded expectations and I am very happy with what I have ordered. I missed yours @TonyKLas your car was being prepped at the time - though having seem many other Cups there, one of which is red I know it'll be stunning and I'm sure you'll be delighted too.  @888mattd love the spec you wrote especially the seats, really suit the body. 

 

[TonyKL]

Congrats. It’s a lovely car. And 👍 to Jamie who is always hospitable even during hard time. Here’s a pic of mine before it gets protected. 

[Trebor_UK]

Got my Certificate of Provenance through too. Number 41 of 59. 1 of only 2 in solid red and the only one fully solid red (the other had the black pack).

... still waiting for the soft top though 

[CocoPops]

8 minutes ago, Trebor_UK said:

Got my Certificate of Provenance through too. Number 41 of 59. 1 of only 2 in solid red and the only one fully solid red (the other had the black pack).

... still waiting for the soft top though 

And yet your car was delivered before mine? My soft top was delivered last week.

 

[Trebor_UK]

2 minutes ago, CocoPops said:

And yet your car was delivered before mine?

 

Yeah, think so - mine was October. I was like no real rush when I picked up the car but I really want it before the April timeframe as will be wanting to experience the car without roof on by then ... fingers crossed it appears soon. 

[jimichanga]

Anything to the rumour that the quality of the  soft tops is not what it was?

[CocoPops]

2 minutes ago, jimichanga said:

Anything to the rumour that the quality of the  soft tops is not what it was?

Mine appears to be the same as my 2018 soft top.

[C8RKH]

25 minutes ago, CocoPops said:

Mine appears to be the same as my 2018 soft top.

And I bet it's the same as the VX220 one you had isn't it?

 

On 14/01/2022 at 16:48, 888mattd said:

 

 

 

Would just like to say that is THE nicest Elise interior I have ever seen. I love it.

[CocoPops]

Nope, vx one was different.

vx had no lining and the adjusters were at the edges of the cable. The Elise one has adjusters in middle of cable.

[C8RKH]

So they are not interchangeable then @CocoPops?

[CocoPops]

Yeh should be.

modern ones have thick lining in place as well so probably helps with warmth and quiet.

[JG220]

The VX one is much higher quality...