Lotus Elise (00 on) - Review

Review by David Ross on
Last Updated: 20 November 2009
The original Elise saw Lotus return to sports cars with a bang. The new car improves on that further but retains the same key ingredients - a light weight body, high-revving engines and superb handling. This is an old-school approach to sports cars. There are few luxuries (there's no power steering for instance) and it's not a comfortable car to travel long distances in, but for sheer enjoyment and involvement few cars come close. It lacks the practicality and usability to be everyday transport for most, but as an indulgence it's ideal. Affordable prices and good economy mean it needn't be expensive to run either.
4 out of 5

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2 out of 5

Equipment

Early Elise models were sparsely equipped - even a stereo was optional. Later versions are slightly better but it's still not a generously equipped car. Central locking, an alarm, immobiliser, alloy wheels, electric windows, a CD stereo and twin airbags are now standard but air conditioning, leather seats and metallic paint are optional. There's also been a baffling array of models over the years but the current line-up is slightly simpler with S, R and SC cars with options packs such as the Touring Pack (which adds items such as leather seats, leather interior trim, leather steering wheel and a iPod stereo connection) and the Sport Pack which gives you traction control, sports dampers and sports seats.

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Compare Equipment

Trim

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Equipment

Key:

Standard item

Optional item

  • ABS
  • Air conditioning
  • Alarm
  • Alloy wheels
  • Body coloured bumpers
  • CD
  • Central locking
  • Cloth seat trim
  • Driver`s airbag
  • Front electric windows
  • Front fog lights
  • Leather seat trim
  • Lumbar support
  • Metallic Paint
  • Partial leather seat trim
  • Passenger`s airbag
  • Rear electric windows
  • Remote locking
  • Sports seats
  • Traction control
Standard Trim SC R R Touring S Touring S Touring [134] S 111R Touring S Sport SC Sport S Super Touring [134] R Super Touring 111R Super Touring SC Touring S Sport Touring R Sport R Sport Touring Type 25 Sports Tourer Race Tech Type 72 111R Sport 135R 111S 111R Sport SC Sport Touring RGB Type 23 Type 49 111R Sports Racer
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