by James Tennant

Created on: February 16, 2010

Lotus have been one of the front runners of the British Automotive industry for many decades now and have built up a proud history. Their cars fuse perfect engineering with maximum engine efficiency to produce lightweight, small and fast sports cars. The Lotus F1 team were the first to reach 50 Grand Prix victories, beating their rivals Ferrari to the milestone. Lotus cars are instantly recognisable when seen and when driven for their sleek, sporty design and excellent handling respectively.

The Lotus Elise has been a favourite of sports car enthusiasts for a few years now. Its instantly recognisable look is tried and tested and still looks great. The driving experience seems to have no flaws as Lotus, much like Porsche, seem to have got their engineering down to a fine art.

The exterior of the Elise looks much like it has done for the last few years. Small, sleek and curvy with plenty of extravagant nooks and crannies. It is an attractive look and one that fits its personality well. The rear-end of the Elise is just as beautiful as the front with the high spoiler and rear-window alcove. Very little has changed in the last few years and this is no bad thing.

The interior of the Elise is one built only for those people of an average high (around 6 feet) and under. Anyone taller than that will have serious issues getting in and out of the car, especially if it has the top down. It is relatively attractive inside and fairly comfortable once you have managed to manoeuvre your way inside.

The efforts spent getting in this little sports car are entirely worth it once you have started the engine. With the option of either a 1.8 litre I-4 that can produce around 190bhp or a supercharged version of the same engine, capable of around 220bhp, the Elise will zip around any track, which is certainly where its home is.

With rear-wheel drive and a six-speed manual transmission included, the Elise is perfectly equipped to deliver the most fun that can be had behind a steering wheel. The safety features of this cracking little sports car are just another positive in a whole list of positives. ABS comes as standard, along with front airbags and both traction and stability control.

From the sounds of this car, one would assume the price tag might be a bit on the expensive side. Not so; the Elise starts at around 28,000 pounds and can go up to around 32,000 pounds.

The Lotus Elise is a fantastic little car. Small, perfectly styled and perfectly engineered, it offers a driving experience that rivals that of a Porsche 911 for a fraction of the price. Sure it is small, but it is fast, handles like a dream and is a lot of fun to drive. The best road-legal track car out there by a long, long way.

Learn more about this author, James Tennant.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.