2007 Lotus Elise Reviews

According to the most recent monthly market bulletin, sales of soft-roaders are going off to an extraordinary extent, up by more than 40 per cent year-to-date in some categories in 2006.It would be pleasant to think the commercial success of vehicles designed to provide facility and comfort at the expense of any driverly satisfaction, indeed any sensation at all, was a temporary aberration.That we can't get enough of these cosseting, anodyne, soccer-mum mobiles marks us as self-obsessed, complacent and essentially disinterested in driving.We've had cause to expound on this grim fact of modern life more than once in the past week or so; as we came close to oblivion at the hands of yet another lane-barger automatically piloting the urban shopping vehicle.There might be some small excuse for an SUV owner (as opposed to 'driver') failing to see our low-slung and diminutive Lotus Elise S.But the bovine look on the dials of most we've been obliged to upbraid suggested they'd have been unaware of an Abrams tank.Wing mirrors, it increasingly appears, are considered useful primarily to assist reverse parking.If the greatest caveat to Lotus ownership in the automotive Sleepy Hollow of this metropolis is a very real danger of becoming a speed bump for an SUV, against that is the immense satisfaction of eschewing the prevailing decadence.A Lotus, especially the ultra-light entry-level Elise S, remains one of the most unadulterated, one of the purest, public road-going vehicles available. If you've the least sniff of petrol about you, you owe it to yourself to have a go at a Lotus at least once.Even if you're not so disposed, perhaps especially if you're not, then you ought to at least stick your head inside one. Then you'll see that it's possible to not only survive without the plethora of extraneous and distracting comforts with which most modern passenger vehicles are burdened, but to actually thrive in a way you've probably never considered.Not that Elise does without niceties. Unlike the hardcore Exige S, the rear-view mirror is made useful by there being a rear window you can see out of. There's also a stereo, twin Probax seats and even electric windows. It's just that there's no danger of mistaking the interior for a Mercedes-Benz SLK. Or even a Mazda MX-5. Unlike these, there's no push button to fold the roof away, it has to be manually disassembled and stowed. And, as with the most full-on Lotus, you lower yourself over a sill into what is a cockpit, not a cabin.The air of spartan functionality is relieved only by such inner door padding and dash materials that won't add to the weight. You need to be on good terms with your passenger who, if he or she is tall, will need to mind their knee and elbow so you can manipulate the gear stick freely.To look on it, the Elise is a desperately sweet little thing. Indeed, in the gleaming alloys shod in 16-inch Yokohama Advan Neon rubber at the front and 17s on the back, it's as cute as any number of buttons.If you're not beguiled by the Elise, you probably hate puppy dogs too. Turn the key, switch off the immobiliser and stab the start button and you'll notice that not only is there not much by way of sound deadening to mask the engine noise, but the engine is mid-mounted right behind your head. The impression forms that this is going to be a ride to make your normal daily conveyance seem like a Jason Recliner Rocker.The remarkable thing is that the engine chosen for this piece of relatively affordable exotica is actually derived from something so humble as Toyota's Celica. The 1.8-litre VVT unit delivers only 100kW/172Nm, but that is enough to get the Elise to 100km/h from standing in a Porsche Boxster S-beating 6.1 seconds. And the latter costs $140,000 ...This is what happens when extraneous items are discarded to achieve the lightest kerb weight of any car on Australian roads.At only 860kg the Elise is positively anorexic. Yet it's an almost benign daily proposition.For the rarefied nature of the beast in question, the combination of Eibach springs and Bilstein telescopic dampers is inspired.The Elise rides the worst the road can throw at it with, if not ease, then disciplined composure, without compromising those crucial Lotus values of intimate body control and utterly intuitive handling.The rigidly mounted rack and pinion steering is, of course, wonderfully unassisted and thus full of feedback.A 2.8 turns lock-to-lock, it's also instantly responsive and direct, so that when you're properly on the thing, changing direction seems to be a matter of osmosis. While maximum power, such as it is, occurs near top revs at 6200rpm, all the torque is at 4200rpm, making all the mid-range you need and even allowing for occasional use of fifth gear.There is no sixth gear, but you won't feel the want of it.To rev the Elise up past 5000rpm as the good Lord intended, though, is to reap a whirlwind of sharpened acceleration and shrieking exhaust note until the warning light flashes on just shy of redline.This surfeit of feel translates to the stop pedal which has just the right amount of retardation built in before the ABS threshold is breached. The Elise experience is visceral in a way that the cars we've chosen as ostensible 'rivals' have been plucked out of fairly thin air. Each are abundantly rewarding in their own ways, but none emulate the immediacy and rawness. Seldom has being so 'un-Australian' been so cool.If $70,000 seems steep, remember that you can also buy a hatch as well for getting the groceries and still have change from $100,000.

When most people buy a car, they think of a simple equation; practicality plus enjoyment equals a good decision. They look for space, comfort, storage compartments and features that will make them feel like they're getting a better deal than the next car buyer. But with a Lotus that equation is thrown straight out the window, as we discovered with our trial in the entry-level model, the Elise S.There's little storage space, it's squishy inside and you'll pull nearly every single muscle in your legs, back and neck when getting in and out of the car. If you're over 50, you'll moan and groan when attempting this near impossible feat. Because the Lotus is everything but practical.With its insect-like looks, the Elise S has an aggressive “I mean business” stance. The sweeping front is complemented by the more muscular rear. And it's a real boys' toy, proof of which comes when hitting the road.On three different driving days, the Lotus attracted the “thumbs up” from three types of boys; a 10-year-old, a 20-year-old and a more mature — but still kid at heart — 40-year-old. But don't fret girls, it's also one we can have plenty of fun in.At $69,990, the Elise S is the more affordable Lotus. But our test car was more expensive with the $8000 Touring Plus option pack. This added features such as leather touches to the interior, gear knob, and handbrake lever gaiter, noise-insulation panelling in the cabin and soft-top.As well as the impractical size, there are a few other things that aren't strong selling points, including the extra muscle required in cornering because there is no power steering. And with very few smooth roads in Sydney, you'll feel every single pothole.Safety equipment such as ABS and driver and passenger airbags make you feel more comfortable about your easily disguised position on the road. But it's still rather daunting as it's easy for other drivers to miss you, especially the ubiquitous city SUVs.But despite these downfalls, after a week in the car there was still something quite humorous about it which managed to bring a smile to the face.Crawl inside and the cabin appears to be almost stripped bare. There is a CD system, but the engine is so loud you really have to crank up it to hear anything.The Touring-plus pack offers an upgraded Alpine stereo with iPod connection, cupholder and embroidered mats, but without the pack, the Elise S has minimal features.There's no storage space, not even a glovebox, and it has a tiny boot. There is even a lack of carpet on parts of the interior, which gives the Elise S the real racing feel by adding aluminium as decoration instead.By excluding features, as well as using an aluminium chassis with a lightweight steel rear subframe, the car weighs just 860kg. To put that into perspective, a Barina is 1120kg.The Elise S is one of the lightest cars in the world, the weight advantage providing better acceleration, handling and braking. This all equates to better performance for the little Lotus.Powering the Elise S is a 1.8-litre 100kW Toyota engine which may sound small in print, but takes into account it's a car that looks somewhat like a go-kart and weighs a lot less than your average runabout.It races to 100km/h in just 6.1 seconds, which also feels faster than it might sound.In terms of performance, the Elise S produces 100kW at 6200rpm, although it's hard to push the revs to the top end of the tacho, as it urges you to shift up a gear earlier. In terms of torque, the Elise S produces 172Nm at 4200rpm.Performance is delivered through a lightweight five-speed manual transmission, which sounds rather clunky as you shift your way through the gears.But all the downsides are quickly forgotten when you let it off the leash.Throw it into a corner and the Elise S handles well, gripping tightly as you cling to the small racing-like steering wheel.Slipping into topless mode is an effort. Unlike other sports cars, this requires manual exertion to remove the soft-top.Getting it off was easy, but putting it back on took close to 15 minutes and drew a crowd.And while the car inspires lots of smiling, that disappeared when it wouldn't start, especially when one of the places it decided to stop was on an incline in a car park.A Lotus technician later said it could have been because the accelerator was pressed too early — you're suppose to wait 10 seconds between turning the engine on and accelerating, to let the car settle. The catalytic converter apparently needs the time to warm to operating temperature to comply with emission law requirements.An instruction on that quirk would have come in handy a lot earlier.The Elise S is fun, but hardly your average car. Having it as your daily driver could send you crazy and put your body into spasms.But if you have the money, it's the type of car you can take to the track a couple of times a month, show off in traffic occasionally or go for a longer cruise.Because there's no doubting the fun and attractive elements of the Lotus Elise S.