Lotus launches bargain basement Elise
Newswheel staff :: 08 June 2006 :: Filed under Mid / rear engine sportscar, Lotus, Lotus Elise, Europe & UK,
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£4k discount for new 134bhp sportster
Another month, another Lotus Elise model. But instead of the usual pimped-out performance special, Lotus has launched a new entry-level offering, the Elise S. Powered by a detuned version of the Toyota 1.8-litre VVT-i lump, the S can be yours for a piffling £23,995. That’s fully £4,000 cheaper than the previous starter model, the 111R (now known simply as the Elise R)…
Needless to say, the new S stays faithful to the traditional Lotus philosophy of performance through lightness. Despite the unspectacular headline specifications of the new Toyota powerplant (134bhp and 127lb/ft), a kerb weight of just 860kg ensures suitably sprightly performance. 60mph comes up in 5.8 seconds and the wall arrives at 128mph. The more powerful R model, by contrast, hits 60 in 5.2 seconds and steams on to 147mph thanks to the full-house 192bhp version of the Toyota 1.8-litre mill.
Keeping the S’s speed in check, meanwhile, is a mix of AP Racing callipers up front and Brembo items at the rear. ABS is standard, which might not please purists, but Lotus claims the system boasts an extremely unobtrusive cut-in point.
Which just leaves time to pass on a few words of wisdom from Lotus supremo Mike Kimberley:
"We now have a Lotus Elise to tempt the existing or would-be MX-5 or MG driver away from these altogether more cosmetic offerings. They now have an opportunity to get back into a car that is the very essence of what, in our view, a real sports car should be all about." Slightly snotty-nosed sentiments which we would entirely agree with, except to point out that the basic MX-5 kicks off at just £15,600.
The S is available in the UK, Europe and Japan but there’s no joy for US punters of more modest means.
Posted 18 January 2007, by williams.j
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