The days of the automobile, when less was more, are unfortunately long gone. But it has brought us many sensational cars. Small vehicles equipped with simple technology that were primarily intended to serve one purpose: Driving pleasure. And for an affordable price! This once versatile category of vehicles has shrunk considerably over the last two decades. I can think of a few names off the top of my head: Audi TT, BMW Z3, Honda Del Sol & S2000, Mazda MX-5, Mercedes SLK, MG F, Porsche Boxster, Toyota MR2, Triumph Spitfire, any TVR, Wiesmann MF3 Roadster. The list could go on and on.
What it's all about
The manufacturer Lotus was originally known for building lightweight and relatively simple sports cars that were characterised by excellent handling and outstanding efficiency. Over the years, however, this nimbus was lost, and vehicles such as the Eclat, Elite and also the newer Esprit generations were more focussed on luxury than on renunciation, slowly making the icons Europa and Elan forgotten. Until 1996, when the Lotus Elise came onto the market.
When the Elise appeared in 1996 (world premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show on 12 September 1995), it was a marvel. The Porsche Boxster (986) of the same age had the same concept, i.e. two seats, mid-engine, small dimensions, but it was more than half a tonne heavier than the Lotus (1250 vs 720 kilograms). The engineers in Weissach and Zuffenhausen are not known as thumb twiddlers, but they had other masterminds underneath their roof, not Lotus founder Colin Chapman, who is said to have once said: ‘Simplify, then add lightness.’ And this statement seems to be the main ingredient of a marvellous dish.
With a kerb weight of just 720 kg and a slender Rover engine with a modest 120 hp output in front of the rear axle, the little Lotus made life difficult for variuos super sports cars. The featherweight aluminium alloy frame gave the car so much stability that a lightweight plastic body could be moulded around the small frame. As a goodie on top, you can even remove the fabric top and transform the Elise into an open-top racer.
Historical background
It was a difficult time for Lotus after Chapman's death. Because the company was involved in the DeLorean scandal, the English company was fined £84 million, which broke its back. David Wickins took over and was actually able to save the brand, but soon realised that he would not be able to raise sufficient funds for further development. In 1986, Lotus was indirectly sold to General Motors, which led to the production of the Lotus Omega. The huge limousine was produced in the Lotus factories. In 1993, Lotus was sold to A.C.B.N. Holdings S.A. in Luxembourg, which was backed by Romano Artioli, who was also not beyond reproach and who had given the world the Bugatti EB110 in 1991, which is still completely underrated today. Most of the Elise's development work took place in the now empty Bugatti factory in Campogalliano, Italy, in the main building where Artioli had a huge presentation room set up. The fact that he named the new vehicle after his niece Elisa certainly shows how important the "project 111" was to him. The sad note here: in the same month that the Elise was presented in Frankfurt in 1996, Artioli and Bugatti went bankrupt. The game was over before it had really begun. The fact that the Lotus Elise sold well above expectations and probably brought enough money into the coffers that Bugatti could have been saved remains a footnote in history. Fortunately, Lotus did not suffer the same fate and sold far more vehicles than hoped for.
But now please, let's get down to business...
First impressions
At around 3.7 metres long and 1.7 metres wide, the Lotus is very compact (almost tiny) and still has enough space to carry two people and some luggage (in the optional boot compartment behind the engine). And if you are as small as I am, you can even stow a water bottle and a jacket between the longitudinally adjustable driver's seat and the cockpit rear wall. More likely to squeeze in between. But it fits. There is also the clever move of designing the luggage compartment in such a way that there is even room for the removable and then rolled-up fabric roof. Because one of Chapman's famous statements, ‘Simplify, then add lightness.’ has found its fulfilment here.
The interior
Where little can be found, little can be said about it. The small passenger compartment is utilised as efficiently as possible. In my opinion, the only frills are the central, longitudinally installed aluminium struts, which are not just for show, but clearly have their uses. Because everything that can be dispensed with while driving has not even been installed in this car. Probably the only exception is the radio. That's fine. But in later years, the radio even disappeared from certain, very slimmed-down sports versions of the Lotus Elise and Exige. The passenger seat is firmly bolted to the aluminium monocoque and cannot be adjusted. Surprisingly, the driver's seat has an adjustable lumbar support. Is this only available in luxury vehicles in conjunction with electrically adjustable seats? Wrong! This in the Lotus works with a balloon built into the seat, which can be inflated by hand using a pump or air bellows. Quite clever and surprising at the same time.
Fun fact for those who still remember the Lotus Omega: the speedometer, indicator and windscreen wiper controls and vehicle keys originally came from Opel, called Vauxhall in England.
"A soapbox certainly drives better!"
Definitely not. Because according to Colin Chapman's recipe: "Adding power makes you faster on the straights; subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere." ...the little Elise is a truly agile riding machine, following the rider's steering movements and thoughts as if on rails. Thanks to the extremely low seating position, the gear knob is located at an exceptionally high but easily accessible position, allowing short gear changes even on winding roads. And how the Elise spurs you on as a driver to chase the bends. With a Rover four-cylinder engine of just 136 hp, this Elise is not exactly a powerhouse. But it doesn't have to be! After all, Usain Bolt doesn't lift 200kg dumbbells either ;-)
Thanks to its low weight, the power-to-weight ratio is very harmonious. A little more power would be nice for the straights, but the performance is perfectly adequate for tighter bends, as the high agility and traction usually allow cornering at the maximum permitted speed. This means that exaggerated acceleration is no longer necessary when exiting a bend. The flowing cornering is like a drug, you want more and more of it! The Lotus feels incredibly raw, uncompromising and manoeuvrable. There are hardly any vehicles that come close to it in any form. Provided you don't spend many times the purchase price. Because at the moment, used cars can still be found at half-fair prices.
Last but not least, I would like to thank Rent a Classic for the cooperation and the opportunity to drive the Elise on great roads. A truly purist sports car that could hardly be more raw. I would have loved to keep the Elise.
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