Roving I Recap: Midwest Road Trip, in a Lotus

PA to MO

Our family has a new baby - a 2007 Lotus Elise Type 72D. It's 1,984 pounds, 149 inches long and it marks our 25th car since we were married, 10 years ago. Over the years, we've gone to some lengths to get cars: endless hours in dealerships dealing with salesmen in loafers and one saleswoman, also in loafers, flying one state over and driving back one afternoon and finding out a seller falsified the title and then tried to cover it up. Good times. 

But, so far, getting this car takes the cake. It involved extensive travel over one very long day. And, luckily, I didn’t have to go. So, you’re in for a treat today – another guest post from my wonderful, car-obsessed husband, Scott. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll shake your head at our insaneness. Enjoy!  

“This is stupid.” 

“What, waking up at four in the morning on a Saturday or driving a Lotus half way across the country?”

“Both.”

My wife Julie was not happy about taking me to the airport that early so I could catch a flight to pick up my most recent car purchase, a 2007 Lotus Elise Type 72D. I would be flying into Newark and driving the car nearly 900 miles from Macungie, PA back home to the St. Louis area. This was not my original plan. My search for a Lotus started back in July when I sold my 2006 Pontiac GTO, soon to be followed by the sale of my second car, a 2005 Mazdaspeed Miata. Both were great cars and fed my need for raw power (the GTO) and handling (Miata). However, the Lotus Elise had always caught my eye from its arrival to the states in 2005; it’s just that my wallet could never afford it. I have gone through my fair share of cars, attempting to find my perfect car. Short from building one on my own, I believe I have finally found my perfect driving companion in the Elise. While most new car buyers check every option box possible, I prefer most items to be left off. No heated seats, ok. No cruise control, I’ll survive. No power steering, yes, please. I like it raw and the Elise delivers. 

The Elise has been available in England since 1996 and some would say it was the replacement for the Lotus Elan, although I do not agree. To meet tough regulations by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Lotus would be given a three year exemption due to the lack of meeting headlight restrictions and no bumpers. In 2007, Lotus would make minor tweaks to the headlights and add 2.5 mph bumpers to the car. Unfortunately, these changes would not be enough for the NHTSA and 2011 would be the last model year for the current Elise. What I love so much about the Elise is also what brought it to its end. Light, raw and totally impractical. I would find out what these three words mean while driving half way across the United States. 

I barely slept the night before as I was eager to see the car. I arrived at the airport early and was one of the first to get on the plane. It was a small plane with less than 19 rows. Luckily it was less than half full, but my ticket had me sitting in the last row, next to the restroom. I was hoping this would not be a tale tell sign of how this trip would work out for me. As I began to get comfortable, a middle-aged woman was putting her items in the overhead compartment just a few aisles from me. She bent over to take a seat and slammed her head right into the overhead compartment. She appeared confused, turned around to the other side of the aisle and began to sit and slammed her head once again. And I thought my day was off to a bad start because I was sitting next to the crapper. The plane took off on time and I dozed off looking out the window at a beautiful sky filled with all the primary colors.

Two hours later I was at the Newark Airport where Art, the current owner of the car would meet me and drive me back to his home in Macungie, PA. I have been talking with Art for nearly a month and as I mentioned before, it was not my plan to drive the car home. After purchasing the car in early September, I made arrangements to have the car transported from Art’s home to mine using Reliable Transport. After waiting over two weeks and no confirmation from Reliable, I decided to give them a call. They told me that they were having difficulty getting a truck to that area. The gentleman on the phone promised that he would continue to work on the situation, but it would probably be in my best interest to look for other transporters. I could read between the lines and I knew I was in for a road trip. I called Art about the situation and he laughed. 

“Kind of ironic that a company called Reliable couldn’t help you, huh?” We both had a chuckle and made flight arrangements to pick up the car. 

Art was waiting out front in his wife’s red Audi A3. I threw my backpack in back and we were off. Art is a true Lotus enthusiast along with an interest in Porsche and Ferrari. He is a walking dictionary of knowledge about Ferrari 308s and even Testarossas. So much so, Art is often asked to judge pristine examples of Lotuses and Ferraris at coveted car events. I asked him what has been the craziest car he has had to critique.

“I had a guy pull up in his Testarossa with tinted windows, huge 22” chrome wheels and neon lights. Testarossas are usually hard to judge. You have 12 red Testarossas sitting there that are all the same and perfect. You could flip a coin to pick the winner and no one would know any better. Not this guy. He had the balls to show up and park his car right next to everyone. It was great.”

The stories continued as we made the hour long drive back to Art’s home. We both shared the cars we have owned and Art discussed his options for his next purchase, either a 1983 Lotus Turbo Espirit Investor's Edition or a new VW Golf GTI. While the general public would cross shop a Honda Accord and a Toyota Camry, enthusiasts think from the heart and not the brain. I understand his dilemma, as I have been there before. We pulled up to the house and the garage door opened, revealing my new car. I checked the car over and everything was perfect. After gathering all the paperwork and some small talk, it was approaching 11:00 am. Art, his wife, Nadine and I decided to go get Mexican for lunch at a nearby restaurant. Thank god I was taking this road trip by myself. After lunch, we took a few photos, shook hands and promised to stay in touch. I hopped into my new purchase and started out on the long drive home.

Scott, Art and the Lotus

Stay tuned for Part 2 of Scott’s adventure and, of course, the big reveal of baby Lotus! 

Roving IQ: Fiat 500 - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Photo: Fiat USA

During our trip to Italy, we rented two cars in two different locations. And both times we ended up with a gray 2011 Fiat 500, an automobile staple in pretty much every part of Italy. I didn't drive one mile of either car, but from a passenger's perspective, it was fairly comfortable and allowed enough room to slightly recline the seat and ample window space for me to easily gawk at the stunning views out the window. My car-obsessed husband Scott spent a considerable amount of time behind the wheel and apparently gathered some pretty strong opinions about our tiny but functional mode of transportation. 


Introducing Scott, in his second automotive-focused guest post! 

"One of the most stressful parts of any vacation can be the mode of transportation one chooses to use. Whether it's by plane, boat, train or automobile, you can travel in luxury or borderline squalor.  During our last vacation in Italy, we experienced vices and virtues of all of the modes of transportation listed above. Aside from the ten-hour flight to and from Italy, Julie and I spent most of our time in a new 2011 Fiat 500. Keep reading for the good, the bad and the ugly on this Italian favorite.

Before I get to the good qualities about the Fiat, here's a little history lesson. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? You may be asking the same question about the Fiat 500 and its direct competitor, the Mini Cooper. Both were created due to the need of small, practical and efficient cars in a post-war economy. The Cooper came off the assembly line in 1959, two years after the Fiat 500 was released. The Cooper and the Fiat 500 were originally powered by motors that were smaller and less powerful than the motor you will currently find in my riding lawnmower. From 1957-1975, Italians and many other Europeans counted on their Fiat 500s, along with their trusty Vespa scooters as their main modes of transportation. Even today, you will see an entire family packed into their small egg-shaped, 1960-something Fiat driving down the cobblestone roads in Rome or up and down the hilly roads in Positano. In 2007, the Fiat 500 model returned to Europe, following the re-release of the Mini Cooper and the Volkswagen Beetle and has just recently gone on sale here in the States. 

THE GOOD: You never know what you are going to get when you rent a car in Europe, literally.  When we met up with Julie’s cousin John and his family in Greve, we took a few moments to look at each other’s rental cars.

“What car did you get?” he asked me. “A new Fiat 500. You know, they just came out in the US.” He looked at me with a stumped look. “What did they give you?” I asked. “Some diesel Ford. It’s alright,” he replied back.

It was actually an Opel, but I didn’t have the heart to tell him. I mean really, how many Americans know Opel, or Lancia, or even Fiat, for that matter. Well, you better get to know them, especially Fiat. Here's why: Fiat currently owns a majority percentage of the Chrysler Corporation and will be supplying the chassis and powertrains for many of their future cars that are smaller, lighter and more efficient. Size is definitely the first thing that draws your attention to the Fiat 500. The car blends in with the other compact cars in Italy, where great gas mileage and the ability to park in tight places mean everything. However, if you are driving down a typical suburban neighborhood road in the United States, many onlookers will think that you’re driving a go-kart. But truthfully, size is one of the greatest things about this car. From the driver’s seat, there's plenty of shoulder, hip and legroom with space to spare. Pop the hatch in back and you will have a generous amount of space to store your luggage, multiple bottles of Italian wines (red of course) and a couple of bottles of Olive oil and Balsamic vinegar. 

Even loaded down with a lots of luggage, the 500 handled quite well. It was eager to turn in on sharp corners with fairly minimal understeer and the rear end would track closely to the front. If pushed hard, the rear end would slightly step out for a brief moment. Quiet fun in a front-wheel drive car. The steering had a nice weight to it, but when the car was being pushed hard, the steering feel would go numb and offer little feedback. I’m sure this doesn’t mean much to most American tourists, but I’m not sure if I can overlook it. So we have a willing chassis, but how about the motor? Read on.

THE BAD: The motor. Although it’s fairly smooth and quiet, it just doesn’t have the zip to be driven on the long, flat and boring stretches of asphalt we call our American highway system. If you want to enjoy it on twisty canyon roads, you better be ready to keep the motor singing near its 7,000 rpm redline to wring out all 101 horsepower from its 1.4 liter four cylinder engine. Luckily, the five speed manual transmission is fairly willing to work with you as you row the gears. I couldn’t even imagine driving this car with an automatic.  

I could nit pick the somewhat cheesy, hard plastic interior dash and other interior bits, but I also think they add to the charm of the car. However, I cannot overlook the motor in the Fiat 500 and for me it is the deal breaker. If you are power hungry as well, wait for the Fiat 500 Abarth model that will offer a turbo charged motor and nearly 150 horsepower. 

THE UGLY: I know you are expecting me to say its looks and its gaudy dashboard, but truthfully, the only thing ugly about this car is how the American public will receive it. Has America wrapped its mind around smaller, more efficient cars? I’m getting there, but I still like cars that are loud, have a healthy appetite for high-octane fuel and scare the neighborhood kids when I start them. Many Americans feel they need twenty cup holders, air-conditioned seats and enough cubic space to haul an entire basketball team, even if they only have one child. I really don’t care for the Fiat 500, but it makes perfect sense. Do we really still need huge, gas guzzling SUVs to haul around our seven-year-olds to soccer practice? Chevy and Ford no longer think so and that is why we have seen a major shift in their marketing plans and their current line ups. They no longer brag about hauling capabilities but gas mileage, and this is where the Fiat 500 shines. The Fiat 500 has been moving Europe from point A to point B for nearly 50 years, and I can guarantee that it is also up to the task of moving Americans from point A to point B with charm, efficiency and practicality."

Our Fiat 500
Outside of Radda in Chianti