I’ve loved cars for as far back as I can remember and its always been one of my lifelong dreams to own one of the few that I spent hours drooling over as a kid. Thanks to games like Need For Speed and GranTurismo, the Lotus Elise found itself among this group. Arguably one of the greatest driver cars, the Lotus looks the part and more than follows through with its capabilities behind the wheel. On top of this, a good used one could be found for a little over $30,000 at the time so naturally it jumped to the the top of my list of things I was going to buy after college graduation. Soon after finishing school I landed a job at the United Services Automobile Association (USAA) and within a few weeks of working there, I began the hunt for my dream car. A rare car to begin with, I knew it would not be as easy as buying a Honda Civic but what I didn’t know was that getting the car would be such an adventure in itself.

I found my Lotus at a dealer in Dallas through AutoTrader and after hours of research into its history and previous owners, I called the dealer and told them that I wanted to buy it. Sight unseen I made a down-payment right then and there over the phone and sent off the financial paperwork from the bank necessary to buy the car. In hindsight this may not sound like the smartest decision I ever made but I’m fairly certain you’d be hard pressed to convince any twenty-one year old gear-head of such logic. Due to my work schedule and the fact that I lived in San Antonio, I made arrangements with the dealer to meet up with me on Sunday afternoon to finalize the transaction and to take delivery of the car. I also arranged for one of my roommates to drive me up there that morning as a favor. Things were all lined up and it seemed like everything was going according to plan until I woke up Sunday morning to find my roommate severely hung over from the night before.

Sick and getting sicker he apologized for not being in any condition to honor the arrangement we had set earlier in the week and returned to bed. Nothing was going to get in my way and I didn’t hesitate a single second before I was in my room, booking a plane ticket to Dallas so that I could go get my car. While buying my ticket the site warned to allocate around three hours for airport security and since I had not flown as an adult before, I took that advice and booked a noon flight to Dallas. I arrived about thirty minutes later at the San Antonio International Airport and to my amazement I was through security in about ten minutes. It was now about 9:30AM and my flight was not until almost three hours later. I spoke with the lady at the check-in desk who unfortunately informed me that I could not be moved up to an early flight so I got to enjoy watching my plane take off and return before I was allowed to get on it. I remained patient and optimistic the entire time though as nothing else seemed as important to me that day.

At around 2:00PM I arrived in Dallas where within minutes I was riding away with the one of the dealer’s salesmen and after a short drive, sitting in an office chair signing papers on what would soon become one of the greatest purchases of my life. I waited as the man I was working with brought the car out of the warehouse and parked it in front of the office. It was the first time I had ever seen the car and yet somehow I already knew that I had made the right choice. The salesman brought me outside and shook my hand as I still stood in shock of what was actually taking place in that moment. I had never even sat in a Lotus Elise and now I actually owned one. Everything just seemed so surreal as I pulled away and made my way home. I passed car after car filled with people waving, smiling, and taking pictures. One van in particular had a little boy pressed against the rear passenger window with a smile from ear to ear and a thumb pointed high into the sky. I thought back to the days when I was that kid and swelled with pride at what I had accomplished. I knew I did not get there alone and was truly grateful to all those who had helped me get to that point in my life. I looked back at the boy and smiled as I wished a similar fate would befallen him someday.

I made it to Waco before I had to stop for fuel but even then I was still dazed with excitement and disbelief. After a quick fill up, a run into the restroom, and a handful of questions from intrigued fellow patrons, I hopped in to get back on the road. I put the keys in the ignition and pressed the start button but nothing happened. Panic’d I attempted to start the car about ten more times but still there was nothing. I checked the doors, trunk lid, gas cap, everything I could thing of, but nothing seemed to work. I called the dealer back but it was now Sunday evening so of course there was no one there. The fact that I was sitting in a bright yellow Lotus did not help defer everyone’s attention away from my embarrassment either. I sat back and thought everything through before wisely deciding to Google the situation on my iPhone. Thanks to the wonders of modern technology and the members of the LotusTalk Forum I learned exactly what an immobilizer was as well as how to operate the one that automatically engages on a Lotus Elise after its locked. Within moments I had the car running again and I was back on the road. A handful of hours later I pulled into my garage and parked the car, sitting in it for a few moments after to recollect myself and take in everything that had happened that day. Throughout that night and at times through my ownership of the car I would find myself standing in the doorway of the garage, flipping the lights on and off, and expecting to wake up from one of the best dreams I’ve ever had.