I don't think anyone has had their Elise/Exige stolen.

In fact, I believe in the government database that tracks such things, the last Lotus stolen was in the late 80s.

All in all, the theft rate is essentially zero.

Here's the link I was thinking about: http://www.elisetalk.com/forums/showpost.php?p=676177&postcount=65.




Now, the incidences of cars being extensively damaged by other careless driver in parking lots, backing up in traffic, etc. is rather high...

 

I don't think anyone has had their Elise/Exige stolen.

In fact, I believe in the government database that tracks such things, the last Lotus stolen was in the late 80s.

All in all, the theft rate is essentially zero.

Here's the link I was thinking about: http://www.elisetalk.com/forums/showpost.php?p=676177&postcount=65.

Now, the incidences of cars being extensively damaged by other careless driver in parking lots, backing up in traffic, etc. is rather high...

That database is not accurate
I know if a BRG Esprit that was stolen in Washington a few years ago. It was recovered.

 

Yah i figured their might be vandalism due to jealously, or just mishaps due to carelessness. Thats some pretty interesting data in the link

 

I doubt many could get past the car alarm and the immobilizer without spending a day at it..

Many who buy a salvaged Elise with keys have a hard time getting the car running due to the immobilizer, and that is after resetting the fuel cutoff.

 

I doubt many could get past the car alarm and the immobilizer without spending a day at it..

Heck, I don't think many could figure out how to get it into reverse!

 

Well, I hear there's a black market for calm shells.

 

Another point might be that people who steal cars as a "profession" seem to go after cars-- or car parts--that are in demand (or requested from customers) in order to facilitate near immediate turnover (here or overseas). So it's unlikely Lotus cars would show up often on their "marketing" list.

 

Most people that come in the showroom can't figure out how to open the door, let alone get in, hehe.

 

One they get in, they have to figure out how to start it. I've let people drive it, and hand the key - they insert it, turn it, and nothing. That's followed by lots of fiddling with everything.

Meanwhile, I'm just doing this---> rotfl

 

Back in May, someone was selling a salvaged Elise that was a "theft recovery".
-supposedly the car was stripped of tons of carbon fiber parts,.and low and behold, the original owner still had most of the original non-CF parts in his possession so a friend bought the car from the insurance company and rebuilt it with those parts.
But the whole thing smelled of insurance fraud, and the guy selling it slimy on the phone.

I believe cars that thiefs usually target are the Hondas, Toyota's and Fords who's parts they can easily sell to body shops and such. - such as headlamps and airbags.

And I doubt there's any market out there for Lotus airbags,. cause any Lotus that's had it's airbags deployed is.. probably totalled, and won't need a new airbag

Another reason why I doubt Lotuses are stolen is probably because few of us dare park our cars in alleys or isolated locations where someone would steal 'em.

But now that I think about it, -Does anyone here remove their stereo's faceplate?

I remember when pull-out radio's were all the rage for convertibles, had one in my MG.
But does anyone even bother stealing radio's anymore!?!?
I don't take the faceplate offa my Acaplulco stereo,. .. any smart theief would recognize it as being crap!@#

 

I bet the Lotus is relatively easy to jack. There was an interesting article on Wired Magazine about the evolution of car jackers. You've got these brand new vehicles with added security, including transponder antitheft systems, GPS, etc, and they're still successfully stolen. There have been instances where insurance companies have denied claims, claiming it was impossible for the car to be stolen. Google the article, good stuff.


On a side note, I had my 2006 Acura MDX stolen from my garage while I was sleeping a few months back. Some thugs came by the house around 3-4 AM and managed to open the garage with a remote opener. After opening the garage, they had the balls to enter my home & walk into the kitchen where they found my keys. They also opened my wallet & took my credit cards, yet left nearly $100 in cash. Ironically, there was a 20K diamond ring left on the telephone counter & not too far a chest type drawer loaded with extremely expensive silverware.

I get up early that morning to go to work, walk into the garage, and the car is gone. Thankfully, the car was tracked via its GPS unit and was found abandoned on the other side of town. Police came and finger printed the house as well as the entire car, but nothing was ever found. At the time I had a BMW Z4M and it was left untouched.

Lesson learned, have a garage cut off switch, arm the car alarm when you go to bed, & buy a handgun.

 

Some thugs came by the house around 3-4 AM and managed to open the garage with a remote opener. After opening the garage,

One of the reasons that the garage doors are on my house's alarm system (all it took was a couple of magnetic switches and some wire). If you use a remote and open the doors, the alarm goes off. Even if I somehow manage to sleep through the noise, my dog goes absolute berserk at the wailing of the alarm, and that's enough to wake the dead...

 

There was an S1 Elise stolen in Australia a few years ago. There is a story on a forum somewhere online. The car was recovered, but the thieves let a fire extinguisher loose on the interior before ditching it. I do not think that the perps were ever caught.

I remember reading this several years ago, around the time I joined Elisetalk. I'd award the person who found the thread a slice of pie.

 

Berry please!
http://www.elisetalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9570

 

Did those vandals in England that trampled the Elise on video every get caught?

 

wasnt that a merci?

 

I don't think you really have to worry about these getting stolen. Being squashed by an SUV or some soccer mom on her cell phone, yes, stolen, nope. Possible but not likely. Any car can be stolen if the right criminal is after it but these are kind of hard to hide. If someone does steal yours it is probably going to be beat to death and abandoned and your insurance company will get to buy you a new one.

 

I know of one beeing stolen here in the Netherlands (out of a Garage even blocked by a second car). Police revored it about 28 hours later.... No harm was done to the car.

I guess there are more cars crashed than stolen.

 

if it isnt an expensive sedan or suv that can be driven in africa or eastern europe it generally wont get stolen....exceptions are the honda civic as every ricky racer has one and needs parts after crashing it

 

Wasn't there a story about one in California where the crook managed to get himself locked in the car somehow? Seem to recall reading that here but can't recall if it was an actual occurence or a joke.
:shrug:

 

People really don't mess with these cars. I routinely park mine in pretty rough neighborhoods and have yet to have any trouble short of finding a big butch lesbian on my hood... okay that is pretty bad i guess... oh and somebody stole my Sector111 Shower cap out from behind my seats (which set the alarm off though i wasn't there) when i left the top off at Haight/Ashbury... my fault on that one i guess. Stereo is still there... and yes, stereo's are still routinely stolen from cars... just not ours... (knock on aluminum).

 

It's also hard for crooks to turn over a car that's so difficult to get along with; everybody can live with a mundane honda.
Imagine what the pitch would be to the prospective stolen car buyer, its got rollers, manual seats, vibrates like city bus, and no place to put your Big Gulp.