The Lotus Elise is a sports car in it's most pure form. A trackday special and road-legal racer at the same time, it is spared the additional weight of unnecessary equipment such as Satnav and climate control. Instead it exists purely as a car for the driver.
Lotus Elise First Impressions
Senses are heightened and the pulse is racing even as the driver climbs in. The thick door sills mean there is a need to slither into position like some agile serpent, and the thrill of seeing part of the chassis exposed beneath the driver's feet never really wears off.
The interior swathes sweep around effectively, and it’s just the place you let the spirit fly and do some serious wheel-work. Getting into a Lotus Elise Type R with a race helmet on is not the easiest task in the world, it should be noted.
Nailing this car reminds why people love driving. It probably goes back to a time in history when human beings used to gallop a horse across a field to burn off some steam and satisfy a primal need to accelerate.
Cornering at speed in an Elise is a wild experience; huge fun, but still full of risk. Hold on as the lateral grip builds, and grip the wheel as if grabbing onto a runaway steed.
Lotus Elise Handling
The rumors surrounding the Elise profess it to be the best handling car in the world. There are cars with more grip, certainly, but few that can match the way the Lotus flows through a difficult series of tight corners.
The driver can begin to see bends in the road as a blank canvas, and imagination creates the cornering art. It’s highly capable and fun, especially in the wet where the tail will go loose mid corner, and can be encouraged into a wild slide with a stab of throttle. In the dry though, it holds on like a barnacle.
The on-paper figures are not that inspiring; 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine, 189 horsepower. What these do not illustrate though, is how the driver is able to use all of the speed all of the time. The 1.8-liter Toyota engine has little torque, but the whole car weighs just 860 kg, so demands on the throttle teleport it forward with little fuss.
With the engine blaring behind the head, the visceral thrill of objects passing through the peripheral vision and the wind rushing over the aerofoils, this is soon forgotten.
Lotus Elise Performance
The Toyota VVC engine doesn’t really get going until higher up the rev dial, at which point it rockets forward. At 5000 rpm, the engine swaps to a more aggressive camshaft, and so rewards the driver who is not afraid to pin the accelerator pedal and hold it there.
The noise gets uncomfortable around 7500 rpm, so it’s kind of like holding an arm in a hornet’s nest. It accelerates from standstill to sixty miles per hour in 5.2 seconds, and on to nearly 150 mph.
What’s really immersive about the Elise experience is the lack of electronic aids. Even the addition of Anti-lock brakes is a recent one. What is there adds up to a unique experience, one that puts sense in contact with the road surface and enables drivers to steer the car using nothing but thoughts and will.
Enjoy the amazing feedback, and the steering wheel is constantly alive in the pilot's hands. It communicates in a way that no other car on sale today can match.
The incredibly low weight not only helps with acceleration and cornering, but it has positive benefits elsewhere too. Fuel consumption is very reasonable for a car of this unyielding pace, and the Lotus can comfortably travel 100km on 9 litres of fuel.
Speaking of practicality, it is probably best not to. There is a small luggage area which can accommodate one overnight bag, and that’s about it. Crash protection is minimal too.
Lotus Elise Styling
The Elise’s sexy body was designed to offer downforce, so the styling of the car exists mainly for this reason. Regardless of this, it is also incredibly pretty. It is a sweeping, clever and feminine feast which seems to start at the rear and finish in it’s low and beautiful nose. Few cars seem to marry glamor with sporting intent as fully as this, and the result is one of compulsion and charm. Some of the color options are wild too, in-keeping with a car that can really light a fire and throw some passion back into driving. Simply choose Isotope Green and you’re ready to party.
Dave Swinfen - Dave Swinfen is a freelance writer, automotive journalist, photographer and practising screenwriter. He writes for several overseas ...
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