Lotus is putting a premium on weight and aerodynamics with the 2011 Elise.
I’ve been a fan of U.K. sports cars, I must confess, since my earliest days behind the wheel. Sadly, the brand names I grew up with – Triumph, MG, Austin-Healy – have all vanished, leaving just a few options for those who covet British racing green. Morgan is little more than a costly paean to the past. But there is another option, one that has both captured the essence of that bygone era and yet brought it into line with the modern world.
Admittedly, owning a Lotus does require some sacrifice, and for aging Boomers, indeed, anyone over about 5’10, it requires either a chiropractor on call or an extended study of yoga to squeeze into the little Elise. But that’s a small price to pay.
Fans will immediately recognize the basic lines of the 2011 Lotus Elise; the changes for the upcoming model-year are modest, but nonetheless significant. With a revised front clamshell, rear bumper and engine cover, as well as better-integrated headlamps – which now incorporate LED running lights and turn signals – Lotus has improved Elise’s aerodynamics by about 4%. A small number, perhaps, but one that nonetheless translates into a measurable improvement in fuel economy, the maker claims.
The 2011 Lotus Elise offers a custom-tuned version of Toyota's 1.8-liter I-4, while the Elise SC adds a blower and gets 0 to 60 times down to the mid-4 second range.
The 2011 Lotus Elise will feature a 1.8-liter 4-cylinder powertrain making 189 hp and 133 lb-ft of torque. In an era when even family sedans are making 300-plus horsepower, that may not sound like much, but the car is so small and light – weighing in at barely 2,000 pounds — that there’s more than enough power there to sink you deep into your seat.
The 2011 Lotus Elise SC adds that extra measure of performance, bolting a supercharger onto the Lotus-tuned Toyota powerplant. Making 218 hp and 156 lb-ft, you’ll rocket to 60 in just a bit more than four seconds.
To match take-off with stopping power, Lotus has equipped the 2011 Elise with high-performance AP Racing calipers up front and Brembos in the rear. A high-threshold, track-tuned ABS system is designed to intervene only in emergencies.
One of the more intriguing features added to the 2011 Lotus Elise is the ProBax seat system. Once you’ve contorted yourself into the street-legal go-kart, you’ll slide into a specially-designed seating system that Lotus claims is designed to match the spine’s natural curvature, improving comfort and reducing fatigue.
Improved aerodynamics should yield a notable fuel economy improvement, Lotus promises, for the 2011 Elise and Elise SC.
The maker isn’t ready to talk price but in the current, competitive market, we’re expecting to see the 2011 Lotus Elise come in close to this year’s model, somewhere around $48,000.