Lotus Elise
The bonded-aluminium featherweight that rebooted Lotus.
The one that grew up. The S2 kept the aluminium tub but, from 2005, swapped the fragile Rover K for Toyota's 2ZZ-GE — the VVTL-i four from the Celica/Corolla, mated to Toyota's C64 six-speed. That move finally gave the Elise reliability, and in supercharged Elise SC form, ~218 hp in a sub-tonne car. It's also the only Elise federally sold in the US (2005–2011), which is why so much of the car's enthusiast base is Stateside. The character moment is the cam crossover — the 2ZZ's lift to its high-rpm profile is the whole event — though that same VVTL-i system is the one to inspect for rocker wear. Variants run from the NA 111R/Elise R to the supercharged SC and later Cup 250. Earliest cars still used the Rover K, HGF and all. Where it places: the daily-able Elise, and the entry point for most US buyers.
- Elise SCEaton-supercharged 2ZZ-GE, ~218 hp
- 111R / Elise Rnaturally-aspirated 2ZZ-GE VVTL-i
- Cup 250later aero/track variant
The Toyota 2ZZ's lift to its high-rpm cam (VVTL-i) is the car's defining trait, but the rocker-arm / oil-starvation failure mode makes oil level and the cam-follower hardware key watch items. Early (2002–04) S2 cars retained the Rover K-series and its HGF risk.
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