ADDED LIGHTNESS

At launch, power for the Elise came from a 1.8-litre, 118bhp engine coupled to a 5-speed gearbox. Mounted transversely behind the driver and combined with the car’s incredibly light weight, this could launch the first Elise models to 100kph in just 5.9 seconds.

A MOTORSPORT REVOLUTION

The Lotus Elise was also not just a great road car, but an excellent race car with hundreds of Elise sports cars partaking in race series around the world.

AN ENDURING ICON

Introduced at the Birmingham Motor Show in October 2000, the second-generation Elise featured a new exterior body design, a revised chassis and suspension, a more powerful engine, and larger diameter road wheels and a new design soft top.

In the spring of 2004, the Lotus Elise received a new engine, courtesy of a new 4-cylinder, VVTL-i powertrain, with a red-line of 8,500 rpm. The Elise was then also introduced into the world’s biggest sports car market, the USA, released the S2’s full potential. with a supercharger being added in 2008 taking the power from 189 bhp to 217 bhp. In parallel, a lower powered 1.8 litre engine was introduced with 134 bhp.

25 YEARS OF THE ELISE

For 2011 Model Year range from Lotus was announced at the 2010 Geneva Motorshow, with minor cosmetic revisions to the Elise’s front and rear. Under the skin were further changes where the lowest power Elise now had a ultra efficient low emissions 1.6 litre four-cylinder engine and a new 1.8 litre lower rev-ing supercharged engine which produced 220 bhp. This 1.8 litre engine stayed with the Elise until the end of production in 2021.