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Lotus Elise

The Lotus Elise is one of the best driver’s cars money can buy. Conceived as a modern day Lotus 7 it has all the ingredients that made the 1960’s car great combined with all the advances in design Lotus has made over the last 40 years. The Elise has been in production for some time now but hides its age well. There was a major revision in 2000 that only improved on the Elise’s key characteristics – light-weight and superb handling. Its bonded aluminium chassis and mid mounted engine are still ahead of their time. There are few luxuries, it’s a car all about the driving experience. Compared to when it was launched however, the Lotus now has a healthy amount of competition.

Lotus Elise Details

Production Dates2000-current
Length 3824 mm / 151 in
Width 1719 mm / 68 in
Height 1117 mm / 44 in
Wheelbase 2300 mm / 91 in
Luggage Capacity 112 litres / 3.96 cu ft
Fuel Tank Capacity 43.5 litres / 11.5 US gal
Warranty 3 years or 36,000 miles
Service Intervals 9,000 miles

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Lotus Elise

Specifications

Fuel type Unleaded Petrol
Driven Wheels Rear-wheel-drive
Engine type Straight 4
Engine Capacity 1598 cc
Power 134@6800 bhp
Power 136@6800 ps
Torque 118@4400 lb.ft
Torque 160@4400 nm
Transmission type 6-spd manual
Kerb Weight 866 kg / 1909 lb
UK Retail Price from £31,500
UK Insurance Group 43

Performance

Max speed (manual) 127 mph / 204 kph
0-60mph (manual) 6 seconds
0-100kmph (manual) 6.5 seconds

Economy and Emissions

EU Combined Fuel Economy (manual) 44.8 mpg / 6.3 L/100km
CO2 Emissions (manual) 149 g/km

Lotus Elise CR

The Elise CR is a bare-bones Lotus roadster that shaves 24kg off the weight of the standard car. It has a redesigned interior that helps it to do this and makes the Elise feel more of a track car. The CR aims to be a stripped-back racer that doesn't break the budget so unlike many light-weight versions the price is actually a little less than the standard car. Matt black wheels, mirrors and roof panels finish the look.

Specifications

Fuel type Unleaded Petrol
Driven Wheels Rear-wheel-drive
Engine type Straight 4
Engine Capacity 1598 cc
Power 134@6800 bhp
Power 136@6800 ps
Torque 118@4400 lb.ft
Transmission type 6-spd manual
Kerb Weight 852 kg / 1878 lb
UK Retail Price from £27,500

Performance

Max speed (manual) 127 mph / 204 kph
0-60mph (manual) 6 seconds
0-100kmph (auto) 6.5 seconds

Economy and Emissions

EU Combined Fuel Economy (manual) 45 mpg / 6.3 L/100km
CO2 Emissions (manual) 149 g/km

Lotus Elise R

The Lotus Elise R benefits from a 1.8 litre engine with variable valve timing (VVTL-i) giving a welcome boost in power. It is noticeably quicker than the standard car.

Specifications

Fuel type Unleaded Petrol
Driven Wheels Rear-wheel-drive
Engine type Straight 4
Engine Capacity 1796 cc
Power 189@7800 bhp
Torque 133@6800 lb.ft
Transmission type 6-spd manual
UK Retail Price from £31,450
UK Insurance Group 20/46

Performance

Max speed (manual) 138 mph / 222 kph
0-60mph (manual) 5.1 seconds
0-100kmph (manual) 5.4 seconds

Economy and Emissions

EU Combined Fuel Economy (manual) 34.4 mpg / 8.2 L/100km
CO2 Emissions (manual) 196 g/km

Lotus Elise S

The Lotus Elise S is the supercharged model replacing the SC. Visually the S is identified by its body-hugging rear wing and Y-type lightweight cast 6-spoke wheels. The Elise S has the ultimate performance in the range and comes in at a price to match.

Specifications

Fuel type Unleaded Petrol
Engine type Straight 4
Driven Wheels Rear-wheel-drive
Engine Capacity 1798 cc
Power 217@6800 bhp
Power 220@6800 ps
Torque 184@4600 lb.ft
Transmission type 6-spd manual
Kerb Weight 924 kg / 2037 lb
UK Retail Price from £37,150

Performance

Max speed (manual) 145 mph / 233 kph
0-60mph (manual) 4.2 seconds
0-100kmph (manual) 4.6 seconds

Economy and Emissions

EU Combined Fuel Economy (manual) 37.5 mpg / 7.5 L/100km
CO2 Emissions (manual) 175 g/km

Lotus Elise SC

The SC was the full blown Elise, quite literally as it had a super-charger boosting power from the 1.8 litre engine. Perhaps the ultimate Lotus Elise of this generation. It also came with a unique rear spoiler and 6-spoke alloy wheels. Now discontinued.

Specifications

Fuel typeUnleaded Petrol
Engine type Straight 4
Driven Wheels Rear-wheel-drive
Engine Capacity 1796 cc
Power 217@8000 bhp
Torque 155@5000 lb.ft
Transmission type 6-spd manual
UK Retail Price from £34,450
UK Insurance Group 20

Performance

Max speed (manual) 145 mph / 233 kph
0-60mph (manual) 4.3 seconds
0-100kmph (manual) 4.6 seconds

Economy and Emissions

EU Combined Fuel Economy (manual) 33.2 mpg / 8.5 L/100km
CO2 Emissions (manual) 199 g/km
Driven Wheels null-wheel-drive Driven Wheels null-wheel-drive Driven Wheels null-wheel-drive

Information last updated

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