CarTalk.co.za: Lotus Elise

The philosophy: “Performance through light weight”; the design concept: sleek and very sporty; the car: the Lotus Elise; and the price tag: very affordable. As ever there are detractors of the Lotus Elise just as there are detractors for any type of affordable sports car.

The bottom line here though, is that although there may be other sports cars with an equally modest price tag, very few of them can live up to the standards of the Lotus Elise. Released in September of 1996, the Lotus Elise came in at a positively anorexic 720 kg, living up to the Lotus motto of “Performance through light weight”.

Ten years on and a few models and two series’ later the Lotus Elise is still one of the most popular affordable sports cars and still lives up to the high standards it set at it its conception and birth.

As a result of the light weight of the Lotus Elise the car has a fantastic handling. The cornering and braking for this car is also excellent. The consumption of fuel by this car is really great for those on a tight budget who still want to be able to drive a sporty looking car.

The reason for the Lotus Elise being so light lies in the construction of the car’s frame. Here you will find an aluminum bonded frame. On this frame a hand finished fiber glass body shell is placed and attached. This is the reason why the Lotus Elise is a lightweight sports car. This car is also known to be lighter than its competitor the Porsche Boxster.

There are six special versions of the Lotus Elise made. These are the Sport 190, Sport 135 R, type 23, type 25, type 49 and also that of type 72. Besides these special versions of the Lotus Elise there are other versions of the Lotus which have had different finishing. These finishes can be seen in the 50th Anniversary Edition of the Lotus.

For the many people who drive the Lotus Elise there is nothing that can compare with the thrill of driving with a car which is excellent in so many ways. From the superb handling, to the communicative steering. The quick throttle response, the aerodynamic body design and the precise braking all combine to make the Lotus Elise one of the better cars to being driving around in.

As you take this car out for a spin you will notice how all of these elements have been combined into one sporty package. The name of this package is the Lotus Elise and it is a fantastic car to own and to drive.