Twenty years ago, the Lotus
Elise revolutionised the sports car world, setting the benchmark for handling,
purity of the driving experience, lightweight and efficiency. Its pioneering
and advanced bonded aluminium chassis was a market-leading technological innovation
at the time and over the years has improved and evolved and remains core to the
Elise’s exceptional performance today.
According to a Lotus press
release, Jean-Marc Gales, CEO of Group Lotus plc, welcomed the Elise 20th
Anniversary model and said, “It is sometimes hard to believe that the Elise has
been around for 20 years. 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.” The Lotus Elise 20th
Anniversary is on sale £39,900 (Rs 36.68 lakh).
The Elise 20th Anniversary, with
its lightweight aero-optimised, composite body, is powered by a 1.8-litre
supercharged engine. It reaches 0-100 kmph in 4.6 seconds and has a top speed
of 237 kmph. The benefit of this light weight is that the Elise 20th
Anniversary consumes just 5.9 litres / 100 km (47.6 mpg) extra urban and emits
just 173 g of CO2 per km.
Weighing just 914 kg, 10 kg
less than the Elise S, the Elise 20th Anniversary is the sports car that both
enthusiasts and newcomers to the brand will desire. Lightweight, efficient and
totally pure in its driving experience, its benchmark in handling remains the
envy of the sports car scene. Additional equipment compared to the Elise S
comes as standard and is designed to reduce weight, including lightweight matt
black forged wheels, lightweight centre console in body colour and lightweight
sports seats in leather or Alcantara with colour coded stitching. A sport mode
is also included which increases throttle response and alters the traction slip
thresholds allowing the driver enhanced control before intervention.
Four classic Elise colours are
available in Blue, Green, Yellow and Silver and the rear diffuser, wing
mirrors, roll hoop cover and rear transom are in matt black. Elise 20th
Anniversary decals inside on the dashboard and seats and outside above the side
indicator identify the anniversary special edition.
The Elise is the most
successful Lotus model in terms of numbers built, with a total of almost 32,000
built and sold globally. In addition to the Elise, the Lotus small platform
technology has been used to great success in the Lotus Exige, Lotus Europa and
Lotus 2-Eleven models, all of which are, or have been manufactured by Lotus at
its Headquarters in Hethel, Norfolk.