It’s hard to believe that this is the new Lotus Elise. The current Elise is one of our favourite cars here at the CarAdvice office and although we love it (and the Exige), the new one looks like it’s from another planet.
Lotus has changed its entire design philosophy with the introduction of the five new models. It’s gone from producing cars that can be mistaken for Go Karts to unbelievably attractive works of art.
The new Lotus Elise, expected to go on sale in 2015, will be powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder with 235kW and 330Nm of torque.
Having a look inside, you can see some futuristic design elements, such as the dashboard and centre console. The Elise will do the dash from 0-100km/h in just 4.3 seconds (still unknown whether this time is for the manual or the automatic), which is the same time as it takes James Bond’s Aston Martin DBS.
Lotus says that apart from the wickedly good looks and improved performance, work has been done to the ingress and egress, meaning that you no longer need a guide book to get in and out of the car.
“The design of the Elise 2015 is perfect for the target market, it’s young, strong, confident, verging on ruthless, it mirrors the engineering and technology. It’s the next generation Elise for a new generation of Lotus drivers.” Dany Bahar, Chief Executive Officer of Group Lotus.
The new Lotus Elise weighs 1,095 kg, gaining a good 200 kg over the current model. Despite the extra weight, it’s still quicker and no one can argue that it doesn’t look better either.
The engine will delivers its power via a six-speed manual gearbox, while a dual-clutch transmission is an option, so is Lotus’ mild-hybrid start-stop technology.
The current Lotus Elise retails from $70,000 and the company says the new Elise will be around 35,000 British pounds ($57,000). We suspect it should cost around the same price as the current one when it gets here. We do have to wonder though, would you buy a current Elise knowing how good the new one looks? Then again, can you wait till 2015?
Layout 2 seater, mid-engined, rear wheel drive
Engine Petrol with start/stop option
Hybrid technology Mild hybrid, i.e. start/stop technology
Cylinder 4
Capacity 2.0 litre
Power/Torque 320 PS / 330 Nm
Rev limit 7,800 rpm
0-100 km/h 4.3 seconds
Top speed 270 km/h
CO2 approx (CO2/km) 150 g/km**
Weight 1,095 kg
Seats 2
Transmission 6 Speed Manual, DCT optional
Drive RWD
Start of production Early 2015
Enters the market Spring 2015
Price indication Circa £35,000 (~$60,000)
