Lotus hoped the lightweight, stripped-back sports car it released to the world at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1995 would remain on sale for at least four years. If it could ship 3,000 examples of the Elise in that time, the business case for it would just about make sense. What nobody at Lotus headquarters in Hethel, Norfolk, had anticipated was the voracious appetite sports car enthusiasts around the world had for an affordable two-seater with pert styling and exquisite handling.
Within 18 months, those 3,000 cars had all been built and sold. Now, more than two decades later, the Elise has become recognised as one of the most iconic sports cars of all time. And over its quarter of a century in production, there have been so many derivatives it’s hard to keep track of them all: from the Lotus Elise Sport 135 to the Series 2 Elise SC, or the Club Racer of the third-generation model. There were also multiple limited-edition cars, such as the JPS, which was inspired by Lotus’s F1 heritage. And then there are the cars that the Elise spawned: models such as the Lotus 340R, various motorsport models and the Lotus Exige Coupe, the last V6-powered versions of which were putting out well over 400 horsepower.
In light of all that, the company’s original expectations for the Elise seem almost quaint.
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Lotus Elise Generations
Lotus Elise Series 3 (2010-2021)
Bodystyle:
- Two-door convertible
Notable features and facelifts of the Lotus Elise Series 3
- Essentially a facelifted version of the Series 2
- Engines remained largely unchanged
- Model range shaken up in 2016
- Lightweight Sprint model added in 2017
The third-generation Elise was really just a facelifted version of the Series 2, which we’ll look at in more detail below. It was first shown in 2010 with one-piece headlights, a new bumper design and updated cabin specs. The basic model used a more fuel-efficient 1.6-litre engine with 134bhp, but more powerful supercharged engine options remained.
Over the 10 years the S3 Elise was on sale, several models – including special editions – were produced. Until 2016 the standard Elise and Elise S models formed the basis of the range, but they were replaced by the Sport and Sport 2002 models, which were lighter.
In 2017, the Sprint model was introduced, which used lightweight parts to reduce the weight by 30kg. By 2018 the entry-level 1.6 engine was dropped, owing to the introduction of tougher emissions regulations.
In 2021, Lotus announced that the Elise would cease production, and released two swansong editions: the Sport 240 Final Edition and the Lotus Elise Cup 250 Final Edition.
More than a quarter of a century after the original Elise was first shown at Frankfurt, both kerb weights and list prices have swollen somewhat. But one thing hasn’t changed; today, just as in 1996, the Lotus Elise is one of the most engaging driver’s cars on the road.
Lotus Elise Series 3 review
Lotus Elise Series 2 (2001-2010)
Bodystyle:
- Two-door convertible
Notable features and facelifts of the Lotus Elise Series 3
- New model brought about by sales success and new crash regulations
- Funded by General Motors, who adopted the underpinnings for the Vauxhall VX220
- New model was heavier than Series 1, but still very light overall
- Engines were overhauled with Toyota units in 2004
Around the turn of the century, Lotus found itself in a bind. The Series 1 Elise had been far more of a sales success than the company ever thought it would be, but tougher crash regulations meant the original model would have to be replaced if the Elise was to stay on sale. Although it was selling well, profit margins were slim and cash wasn’t exactly piling up in the corridors of Lotus HQ in Hethel. To keep the Elise alive, Lotus would have to partner with a huge manufacturer.
Step forward General Motors. The US giant shouldered the cost of developing a replacement Elise on the understanding that Lotus would produce a version of it for Opel in Europe (the Speedster) and Vauxhall in the UK (the VX220). The Series 2 Elise was unveiled towards the end of 2000 and went into production a few months later.
It was no bigger than the original, but with extra crash protection and a few more creature comforts (including air-conditioning) it was significantly heavier, weighing in at 860kg. But by the standards of the sports car sector as a whole, the Elise was still light, and the underlying design philosophy - extruded aluminium tub, supple suspension, unassisted steering - was alive and well. A crisp, angular exterior design language and chunkier alloy wheels instantly made the Series 1 look hopelessly out of date, while lowered side sills made the newer car far easier to slide into and climb out of.
The basic model was stil mid-engined and rear-wheel drive and still used the same Rover K-series engine as the Series 1, now with 120bhp. The 0-62mph time had slipped fractionally to 5.6 seconds, but the Series 2 still skipped its way along a typical British B-road with the same lightness of touch that made the Series 1 so special. Faster and more hardcore models duly arrived in the shape of the Sport 135, the seriously uncompromising Sport 190, and the not-so-punishing 111S, now with 156bhp.
In 2004, it was all change for the Elise. Gone was the outmoded K-series in favour of more modern Toyota engines, while the brakes now had both servo assistance and ABS. The Elise 111R was rated at 189bhp, while the entry-level Elise S that arrived two years later was good for 134bhp. In 2008, Lotus introduced the first supercharged Elise, the SC, which was shunted along the road by a barrel-chested 217bhp.
Lotus Elise Series 1 (1996-2001)
Bodystyle:
- Two-door convertible
Notable features and facelifts of the Lotus Elise Series 3
- New car was named after chairman’s granddaughter
- Concept used a lightweight extruded aluminium tub, free from driver aids
- Result was super light and incredibly nimble
During the mid-1990s, the chairman of Lotus cars was an Italian industrialist called Romano Artioli. Early on in the inception of the Elise, Artioli’s daughter had a daughter of her own and called the child Elisa. And that’s how the little Lotus sports car got its name.
What made it really special, however, was the bonded and riveted aluminium chassis tub at its core. At the time of its arrival, this was a ground-breaking technology. Made of extrusions – you’ll have made one of those yourself if you’ve ever pressed Play-Doh through a tool – the Elise’s chassis was both very strong and rigid - making it an ideal structure from which to hang suspension arms - and also very light.
Lotus had set out to build a modern-day version of the Lotus Seven, but with proper wet-weather protection and at least some semblance of day-to-day usability. Central to that was not just lightweight construction for its bodywork and chassis, but also simplicity, which meant no driver aids whatsoever. The Elise didn’t have an interior as such, just seats and a dashboard bolted directly to that aluminium tub. Consequently, the original Elise weighed only a little more than 700kg, lighter than a modern Formula 1 car and its driver, and with obvious benefits in terms of performance and MPG.
The 1.8-litre four-cylinder Rover K-series had a power output of only 118 bhp, but with so little weight to work against, that was enough to give the Elise S1 a great power-to-weight ratio and the ability to clock a 0-62mph time of 5.8 seconds. Top speed was never the point, however. On supple suspension with forgiving dampers that gave plenty of wheel travel, the centre of gravity hovering only a few inches off the road surface, and pin-sharp feedback through the unassisted steering wheel, the Elise was even better to drive than most onlookers had dared hope: even though the gearbox wasn’t perhaps the best element of the car. And the basic model cost less than £20,000. Lotus founder Colin Chapman would surely have approved.
The exterior design was the work of Julian Thomson. For a while after the second-generation Elise roadster was unveiled, the Series 1 looked somewhat dated, but as the years have continued to roll along, the original model is looking better and better. Almost cutesy in its detailing and without a single ounce of excess flab, this will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the great sports car designs.
During the five years it was on sale, more powerful and yet more focussed versions of the Elise were released. The most potent (and expensive) of those upgrades was the 190bhp Sport 190, which was a full second faster to 62mph than the original. It used the same basic K-series engine, but the motor was so highly tuned that Lotus labelled it VHPD, for Very High Performance Derivative.
In 1999 Lotus introduced the Elise 111S. Still K-series-powered, but with a VVC engine and therefore variable valve timing. It was quicker than the entry-level version with 143bhp, and yet still very affordable. Before the Series 1 bowed out for good in 2001, it spawned a pair of hardcore derivatives in the roofless 340R and the track-focused Exige coupe, with adjustable aerodynamic wings and hardcore performance tyres.
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