Additional Information

The Lotus Elise is one of the most significant British sports cars of the modern era. Introduced in 1996, it marked a turning point for Lotus, debuting a pioneering bonded aluminium chassis that redefined lightweight construction. Initially weighing little more than 700kg, the Elise delivered exceptional agility and poise, staying true to the company’s founding principle: performance through lightness.

Its elegant, minimalist form echoed this ethos, with every line serving purpose as much as style. Power came from a range of compact, efficient engines, chosen not for brute force, but for their harmony with the finely tuned chassis. The result was a car that offered unmatched steering feel, balance, handling and connection to the road.

The original S1 Elise was fitted with the Rover 1.8 K  Series engine, and this carried on into the early S2 Elises which were introduced in 2001. Then in 2004, Lotus started changing to changing to Toyota engines in the S2 cars. This brought increased power and more cost effective servicing as there was no longer a cambelt to change every 4 years.