2008 Lotus Elise S Review: Road Test
It was just as good as we tried the Elise S before we got to drive the Exige S.
On the track, the Elise would have seemed like a pedal car by comparison.
But seriously, Elise is a sports car for every day.
Where the Exige has some traction and trickery at launch, there's no fuss or fanfare with the Elise. Nothing to program, just jump in, turn on the ignition and enjoy.
Driving pleasure, the Elise is a reflection of the pure pleasure of a sports car. It runs on the same Toyota 1.8-liter four-cylinder unit, mounted in the middle, without a supercharger, and can reach 0 km/h in 100 seconds, slow by comparison, but still faster than many modern big-engined sedans.
More equipment now comes standard, such as dual front airbags, central locking, power windows and new ProBax seats.
The bonded and extruded aluminum chassis weighs 68kg and is tuned for a massive stiffness of 9500Nm per degree.
It is one of the lightest cars in the world, weighing 860 kg, while the Exige S weighs 1000 kg.
On this test car, the Elise was fitted with AP Racing calipers at the front and Brembo at the rear.
The Elise S is a bit more comfortable in traffic, at least you have a view through the rear window. You still feel like you're in a Land of the Giants remake.
Against hordes of XNUMXxXNUMXs, trucks and vans, the little Lotus feels like a dwarf.
Even among small-to-midsize sedans, the Lotus looks like a matchbox toy.
On busy roads, it's best not to rush because being such a small car, it can be difficult for other road users to see it as it speeds along.
On the track, the Elise has a phenomenal level of grip even with traction control off.
The steering is razor sharp and the balance of the entire vehicle seems to hit the sweet spot.
Inside the cabin, the “less is more” principle on which the brand was based continues.
There is no airplane-style cockpit with a set of knobs and switches.
The layout is modest and limited to the essentials - fan switches, air conditioning, heaters and a neat Alpine CD / MP3 audio system.
The face can be detached for safety, which is not a new concept but remains an effective deterrent to would-be thieves looking to crash into the targa version.
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