Perry White: I want the name of this flying whatchamacallit to go with the Daily Planet like bacon and eggs, franks and beans, death and taxes, politics and corruption.
Superman: I'm here to fight for truth, justice and the American way.
Lex Luthor: We all have our little faults. Mine's in California.
Superman: Is that how a warped brain like yours gets its kicks? By plotting the deaths of innocent people?
Lex Luthor: By causing the deaths of innocent people.
1st Pilot: [After Superman helps the plane] What the hell happened? Did we get our engine back? What the hell's going on out there?
2nd Pilot: Fly. Don't look, just...fly. We got...something. I ain't saying what it is. Just...trust me.
Lex Luthor: It's kryptonite, Superman. Little souvenir from the old home town. I spared no expense to make you feel right at home.
Lex Luthor: Do you know why the number two hundred is so vitally descriptive to both you and me? It's your weight and my I.Q.
Clark Kent: Excuse me, Mr. White. I was wondering if, if, uh, perhaps you could arrange for half my salary to be sent to this address on a weekly basis.
Lois Lane: Your bookie, right?
Clark Kent: My what?
Lois Lane: Don't tell me: he sends a check every week to his sweet, grey-haired old mother.
Clark Kent: Actually, she's silver-haired.
Perry White: Lois, Clark Kent may seem like just a mild-mannered reporter, but listen, not only does he know how to treat his editor-in-chief with the proper respect, not only does he have a snappy, punchy prose style, but he is, in my forty years in this business, the fastest typist I've ever seen.
Superman: Easy, miss. I've got you.
Lois Lane: You've got me? Who's got you?
Lex Luthor: Some people can read War and Peace and come away thinking it's a simple adventure story. Others can read the ingredients on a chewing gum wrapper and unlock the secrets of the universe.
Clark Kent: All those things I can do. All those powers. And I couldn't even save him.
Answer: He wanted to see for himself if the stories were true. Some reporters tend to exaggerate the facts and if he had any other weaknesses. He couldn't be sure the kryptonite would work.
While I don't exactly disagree that Lex wanted to see for himself how invincible Superman is, I don't think that's the main reason why he did it. The bullets and fire were simply a charade to make it look like this was his security system. Keep in mind, he wanted Superman to enter his lair because the real trap was the Kryptonite that he had in the lead box.
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