drive

Lotus marks 20 years of the Elise with anniversary model

March 21, 2015

The 20th Anniversary Special Edition Elise: the new car offers lightweight extras as standard. – AFP/Relaxnews pic, March 21, 2015.A new special edition of the diminutive roadster has been revealed which offers a host of special features but without compromising its handling, weight or performance.

The 20th Anniversary Special Edition Elise has lightweight, forged black wheels, equally lightweight leather or Alcantara sports seats ad a new sports mode that speeds up throttle response and dilutes the traction control when engaged for even more track-focused fun.

However, despite the standard equipment the car still only tips the scales at 914kg – that's lighter than the current flagship Elise S edition and means that the new model can accelerate from 0-100kph in 4.6 seconds and onto a top speed of 237kph, which isn't bad seeing that its powerplant has less than 2 litres of capacity to play with.

The original Elise was a brave decision. At a time when sportscars were increasingly becoming about ultimate power output and creature comforts, Lotus decided to really go back to basics with a car that ditched everything that added weight – even the stereo system was an optional extra – in search of perfect handling and poise.

Unveiled at the 1995 Frankfurt motor show, the mark I Elise had a fibreglass body and a tiny Rover-sourced 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine. But because the car only weighed 725kg it could go from 0-100kph in under 6 seconds and offered levels of handling and control that made even Ferrari owners jealous.

Over the past 20 years, the car has been slightly updated to meet new safety and emissions regulations – for instance it now has a supercharged 1.8 litre Toyota engine – and it's had two minor exterior facelifts, but 32,000 examples later, the Elise still offers supercar handling at sportscar prices.

Jean-Marc Gales, CEO of Group Lotus plc, said of the car's success: "It was ground breaking when it was launched and continues to be the benchmark for handling and performance in its class. Over the years we have improved and refined the Elise but we have also ensured that we have retained the purity of the driving experience and for the Elise to remain as the sports car to which other marques aspire."

As well as being the company's best-selling car in recent history, the Elise has also been the starting point for a host of other vehicles, most notably the Hennessey Venom GT and the original Tesla Roadster, both of which were built on its platform.

The 20th Anniversary edition is available to order now and will be offered in four colours – green, yellow, blue and silver – alongside a very small optional extras list of a hardtop, an in-car entertainment system and air conditioning. – AFP/Relaxnews, March 21, 2015.