The Elise

After the failure of the Elan, this model had to be a success for the company to survive.  When launched in 1996, it was obvious that Lotus were back to doing what they did best, producing lightweight sportscars with exceptional handling and performance.  Colin Chapman would surely approve !

The car’s chassis was aluminium, bonded together with aircraft adhesive and rivets to prevent too much damage in an accident.

To this the attractive body was added, total weight only 675 Kg, and its 1.8litre 120 bhp engine could achieve a 0-60mph in 5.8 seconds.  Costing just over £20,000 this was a real supercar.