Emerging Classic
It is light, it is fantastic, it is the first generation of the Lotus Elise.
The history of most British automotive marques is a litany of changing ownership and shifting corporate allegiance. Lotus is no exception: although it had remained under the control of its charismatic founder Colin Chapman from its 1952 birth until his sudden demise in 1982, by 1993 it had passed through several hands – including General Motors and Toyota – to end up the property of Italian entrepreneur and Bugatti brand owner, Romano Artioli.
By this point just two models were in production – the stunning-but-ancient Esprit and the pricy, front- drive Elan S2, and neither were selling particularly well. Lotus could well have failed at this point, but instead it girded its loins, gathered together its considerable technical genius and produced one of the most technologically daring, pure and wonderful cars of the decade. The Elise was an instant icon, and Lotus’ subsequent achievements have been almost entirely built upon its deserved success.
Colin Chapman was a notable creator of both cars and bons mots. One of the most frequently quoted of the latter is the maxim ‘simplify, then add lightness.’ I suspect that stylist Julian Thomson and engineer Richard Rackham had this stencilled in large letters onto the wall of their office, because it sums up the Elise utterly. The car has everything it needs, and nothing it doesn’t. The body is incredibly stiff and light, an advanced and thoroughly modern construction of bonded alloy and glassfibre which nods to Chapman’s own technical leap forward in race car construction – the stressed alloy monocoque of 1962’s Type 25 F1 car.
The Elise – named for Artioli’s granddaughter Elisa – was launched in 1996 to widespread approbation. It was very good-looking, nicely constructed and in every detail fulfilled Chapman’s motto. The proven K-series engine packed only 118bhp, but this output went a long way in a slippery little car weighing around 750kg. The Elise could hit 62mph in 5.9 seconds and surge on to 124mph. And every second behind the wheel was epic, thanks to a superlative chassis and ultimate driver feedback. Minimised mass meant that there was no need to put either power steering or a brake servo between the pilot and the road surface. The Elise is almost as visceral a drive as its skeletal ancestor, the Seven.
It is, however, a complete car. It has doors, for instance, and the cabin can accommodate two people in comfort. The interior is a good-looking creation, with plenty of bodycoloured glassfibre on show. Instrumentation is reduced to a couple of dials by race-tech manufacturer Stack, and the dash is an essay in minimalism. Dominating proceedings is a high, alloy gear lever with a lovely short, snicking action.
The environment has one simple message: ‘ This is a sports car, Sir or Madam. Turn the key and get driving.’
The engine is behind the seats. It sounds good in this car, thanks to a healthily sporting exhaust note. In fact, all elements of the Elise conspire to create a truly great driver’s car. The only part that lets it down is the targa hood, which is fiddly to operate, prone to leaking and gets in the way of taller drivers as they get in and out of the car. Thankfully the Elise boasts a very effective heater, so it is no chore to drive topless on dry days.
Dynamically, the Elise is a perfect storm. The 1.8-litre, 16-valve, four-pot motor is tractable and easy-revving, the five-speed gearbox has well-spaced ratios and the chassis brings together a low centre of gravity, great slightly rear-weighted distribution of mass and double wishbones all round. Few cars are as deft as this. After a short while at the helm, the driver has the sensation that they are wearing the vehicle rather than sitting in it. Early cars featured motorsport-inspired, lightweight, composite alloy brake discs. Lotus switched to a cheaper cast-iron alternative after a while, but any Elise will stop as well as it goes.
As it appeared in 1996, the Series 1 Elise is a superlative machine. Like the Mazda MX-5, its maker got it right first time. An early example would be my personal choice. Inevitably however, enhanced versions began to appear after only a year – Lotus is that kind of manufacturer, with that kind of customer base. First up was a version made for the track day user, which was never actually homologated for road use. The VHPD 190 ( Very High Performance Derivative) featured race seats, harnesses, a roll cage and adjustable suspension. It weighed just 670kg, and power output was raised to 187bhp. Exceptionally rapid, it could reach 100mph just 10.7 seconds after launch.
1998 was marked by the limited- edition Sport 135. This was finished in silver only, boasted 135bhp, a close-ratio gearbox, uprated suspension and brakes, and race seats. The following year Lotus introduced a full-production model. It began as the Elise Sprint, but swiftly became the 111S. This packed a variable valvetiming ( VVC) version of the K-series, deploying 143bhp
through a close-ratio gearbox. The rear wheels and tyres were widened, and the brakes featured drilled discs. Externally there was a larger spoiler and driving lamps in the front grille.
1999 was also a year of Elise special editions. The 50th Anniversary (Chapman was building race cars before the Lotus company was formed) was a standard non-VVC Elise with metallic green paint, gold wheels and a leather interior. The Type 79 could be either the standard or VVC car, in black and gold livery. Then the Type 49 appeared at the London Motor Show, again based on either the standard or VVC car, but this time the colour scheme was the red, white and gold of Lotus’ late 1960s race car.
Lotus saw out 1999 with a Millennium Edition Elise. This was a combination of Atlantis blue bodywork and an interior trimmed in black leather and blue Alcantara. February 2000 brought the Sport 160, initially with 160bhp. The suspension was reworked, too. Later cars packed 150bhp, although they could be converted postpurchase to give 160.
By November 2000 the S1 Elise’s reign of terror was over. It was replaced by the Series 2 model, but its work was done. Lotus had established itself as a success story and was looking to the future. It had created an automotive superstar which had proved to be its salvation.
Right now an S1 is still a good investment. Decent, lowish-mileage cars can be found for under £20,000, although dealers can ask far above this. An Elise can do quite substantial mileages if regularly fed good oil and cam belts. Crash damage haunts a car so frequently taken on track, but honest examples with full history and receipts can be found without difficulty– the Elise is a car that tends to be cherished, which is exactly what it deserves.