Lotus Elise
The bonded-aluminium featherweight that rebooted Lotus.
7 reviewers · 28 videos
Reviewers strongly agree on its performance and handling, but split on value.
across 7 reviewers
"with the performance and the feel of car is costing 10 times as much"
EverydayDriver · ▶ 2:29"once you get up to a Lotus Elise you're talking $30,000 now and that's about the threshold between the lower and middle classes"
Regular Car Reviews · ▶ 1:48Performance
4.5/57 of 7 reviewersstrong consensus“it's fast it's grippy it's telekinetic and it's responses and it's the most fun you'll ever have when you drive”
positive · EverydayDriver · ▶ 3:25“And with that K24 swap, we're now making 240 horsepower to the wheels.”
positive · Jubbal & Cars · ▶ 0:46“It's got a Honda K24, 241 wheel horsepower.”
positive · Zygrene · ▶ 0:17Handling
5.0/57 of 7 reviewersstrong consensus“this steering response is second to none”
positive · Zygrene · ▶ 28:32“You have steering which I give a perfect 10 out of 10. Absolutely phenomenal steering.”
positive · Jubbal & Cars · ▶ 8:20“there's a reason we always use Lotus as a benchmark for steering... this is as good as it gets”
positive · Throttle House · ▶ 10:01Fun to drive
5.0/57 of 7 reviewersstrong consensus“this is the most confidence inspiring car out of the four”
positive · Zygrene · ▶ 28:57“this is my all-time favorite track car I've ever driven.”
positive · Jubbal & Cars · ▶ 0:05“where there is a lack of mass there is a surplus of joy and that is a theme a consistent theme”
positive · Throttle House · ▶ 6:36Daily drivability
1.5/57 of 7 reviewersstrong consensus“it's a little bumpy not the best suited for a car with a pretty stiff suspension”
critical · Zygrene · ▶ 2:43“the actual usability of this car is nearly nothing”
critical · EverydayDriver · ▶ 1:47“in the city the suspension is punishing because I think it needs a refresh”
critical · Throttle House · ▶ 7:58Value
3.5/57 of 7 reviewerssplit“with the performance and the feel of car is costing 10 times as much”
positive · EverydayDriver · ▶ 2:29“There's a reason you're paying that extra money for the Lotus. You're getting the superior base car by far.”
Zygrene · ▶ 18:00“For 40 to 50k, you are simply not getting a more fun car to drive at that price point.”
positive · Jubbal & Cars · ▶ 14:52The 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.
Hear it in the reviewer’s words
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- 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.