Mattmerce made the Ford and Dodge aspects, and since my strength is mainly in foreign sports cars and not domestics, I'm going to tackle the British Sports Cars of Colin Chapman. In particular, the Lotus Seven...

Courtesy of Lotus Cars of North America and obviously, of the UK as well.

(1957-1972)-The Lotus Seven began as an uprated version of the successful Lotus Mark 6. Steel tube frame with aluminum bodywork, later with glass-fiber nose and fenders. A variety of engines were used. Low, light, very quick, incredible handling and a winner of enumerable club races. Lotus discontinued production after the introduction of the Glass-Fiber steel backbone framed Series 4.
http://img9.exs.cx/img9/6180/seven.jpg
SERIES ONE
No. Built: 243 approx
ENGINES: Ford 100E, Climax FWA, BMC "A" Series
Gearbox:Ford 3, BMC 4
Brakes: 8 inch front drums, same in the rear
15 inch wheels front and rear...

And that's just the 1957 year ones...If you reaaalllly want the full Seven run...
http://www.lotus7register.co.uk/

And now the newest, light weight Lotus race-ready road car:
The 2005 Lotus Exige:
http://img16.exs.cx/img16/1206/05exige.jpg

Almost all of us know the stats, 190 bhp, 1,925 lbs...
4.9 seconds to 60, and it'll go 147mph flat out...

These two show that while Lotus has indeed gone from an engine in a tin cigar tube to a truly usable car for day-to-day (more elise than exige). The major points of lightweight, pure handling and feedback have not been lost in over 45 years of sports cars manufacturing.

Ill still take a 7 or most knock offs, dad had a welsaw that wieght 700 pounds and put out 150hp. It wasn't practrical but it was damned fast. He sold it up in brisbane to a guy whos got a JPS Elan, an S1 Elise an Aplina, a Europa in bits and hes building up his own racing car with the engine out of an R1. A while ago i was looking at Europas and found the Type 47D GDK which was an S2 Europa with a 4.4 liter Rover V8 :shock: . Killed Ferrari Daytonas and basically everything else on the road. Some guy is rebuilding now but wont give detailed pictures because he doesn't want replicas. F*ck him, when i get rich ill try anyway. 300hp+ in less than a ton :twisted: .

i love the lotus Exige. How much does it cost new?(us dollars)

I think its 60 - 65k in US dollars. IF it comes to the U.S. shores.

300hp+ in less than a ton :twisted: .
May I just say that that would be sick. :twisted:

Anyways, I like how these "Aspect" topics are starting to pop up more. I think they're very relivent and good for the forum. Bravo people and these anti-game topics.

As for the 7 compared to the Exige, I'd take the 7 or a replica. Less than 250 made :shock: , thats a collectors dream. It would be great for the track but hell to drive in an everyday situation. Could you image a car like that bumper to bumper, no you can't. Or at least you should try not to.
That is where the Exige comes in. A nice, light, well-mannered, road-going car that will get you there with as much fun as the cars weighs(a ton :) ). Not to mention some of the best looking black rims on the market. :P

Plus you don't get wet when it rains.

I've always seen the exige, and the elise as awesome pure-performance cars.. and thats what they are. I'm not that much of a collector, so I'd go for the Exige.. that new Toyota VVTi engine brings performance to a new level :twisted:.

And, the US Elise will cost about 40k or so.

I've always seen the exige, and the elise as awesome pure-performance cars.. and thats what they are.
I was comparing them to the 7 and that makes them look well mannered and road-going. Compared to mostly anything else, your right. They are down right little monsters. :twisted:

If you look at that link you'll see the seven wasn't nearly as rare as it seems to be.

My choice?? I wouldn't be caught dead in an original Seven, only a replica. And even then I'd still take the Exige, it's just more modern...And I've made a personal vow that the only open wheel car I'll ever drive on the highway will be a verrrry heavily modified one...Think F1 modified... 8)

I've also got a couple more "aspect" topics in the oven...BURNING!!! OH NOES!!! :lol:

I'd take a Lotus Esthi.

To those of you that don't know this car, it is an Elise with a 420bhp RS4 engine, made by some crazy germans.

I think they made about 25, and it is the only factory aproved tuning for the Elise 8)

i like Lotus Exige... but i don't think that this car isn't safety...

This is a great topic for me, modern Lotus 7's like Westi are so cool, and I will get one very very soon, and the Exige, its amazing, I have been in a road test in a dark metallic blue Exige driven by a Lotus test driver, that was the most fun and best car I have ever been in, I want... no, I NEED one!!! :twisted:

I've always seen the exige, and the elise as awesome pure-performance cars.. and thats what they are. I'm not that much of a collector, so I'd go for the Exige.. that new Toyota VVTi engine brings performance to a new level :twisted:
Same here, the Elise/Exige actually defines the term "sportscar" for me. A pure driver's car made just to have fun with, nothing less, nothing more.

The other good thing about Lotus is the fact they will soon bring out a new Esprit with a Toyota V8 engine.