Zippy performance in a compact package.

Overview Information

The tiny Lotus Elise is now available in the US market. The Elise features a composite body on an aluminum chassis and weighs in just under 2000 pounds. The Toyota 1.8-liter four cylinder offers 190hp coupled to a 6-speed manual transmission. Lotus claims 0-60 times under 5 seconds. The Elise is very single-minded in purpose -- great for no-excuses driving performance, not necessarily as a daily driver.

Official Word:

When introduced to the U.S. market in 2004, the lightweight, 190hp Lotus Elise fulfilled the dreams of thousands of serious driving enthusiasts. At the time the Elise was the first new U.S. model from Lotus in 15 years and marked the company's return to prominence in the North American sports car market. Remaining true to the philosophy of company founder Colin Champan, the Elise's pure handling and performance was like driving a street-legal racing car. That...Read.