Do you want a car with 9/10ths the performance of a Lamborghini but without the triple digit service bills? Because in 2005 we finally got a taste of the forbidden fruit known as the Lotus Elise and it was so wonderful that nobody purchased them and by 2011 they were gone from these shores. Find this 2005 Lotus Elise offered for $29,000 near Austin, TX via craigslist. This
post is part of DT's 2016 Birthday Celebration of 100 cars;
enjoy the ride!
The Lotus Elise was introduced in 1996 as the ultimate in minimalist mid-engined motoring bliss -- but the Series 1 Elise was never imported to the United States. We had to wait until 2005 when the series 2 Elise was federalized for sales in the US, which only lasted until 2011. Today, prices for the Elise are about as low as they will ever be (arguably trending upwards), so pick one up before they get out of reach. Find this 2006 Lotus Elise here on eBay offered for $23,500 buy-it-now or make-offer, located in San Diego, CA.
For about a decade, we in the USA had to stare forlornly across the Atlantic Ocean at the lucky devils who had access to the fantastic light weight Elise 2-seat roadster by Lotus. It was the ultimate forbidden fruit and an entire generation was sold in Europe before our prayers were finally answered 2005 with the release of the Federal Elise. Find this 2005 Lotus Elise offered here on eBay
currently bidding for $26,700 reserve-not-met with 2 days to go, located in Houston, TX. 
The Series 2 Lotus Elise was first available in the US market in 2005, after years of enthusiasts, pundits and speeders screaming on the top of rooftops for the small British 2-seater. The federalized Elise was powered by a Toyota engine, but nobody cared because it combined a light weight chassis, nimble handling and telepathic steering for an unmatched driving experience. Today the early examples are relatively cheap on the used car market and won't cost Porsche money to maintain. Find this 2005 Lotus Elise
offered for $21,000 buy-it-now or best offer somewhere in the United States via ebay.