Vehicle Overview The Elise is a compact, lightweight sports car meant for track driving. As such, its competitors, such as the BMW Z4 and Porsche Boxster, generally boast more comfort but fewer at-the-limits performance attributes. The Elise comes in two trims: the entry-level Elise with a non-supercharged four-cylinder, and the Elise SC, which adds a supercharger for more horsepower.
New for 2010 Aside from some regrouped options, there are no significant changes to the Elise and Elise SC for 2010.
Exterior Countless cars are described as “aggressive,” but the Elise truly looks the part, with its huge air intakes behind the doors; its long, sloped headlight covers; and its ground-hugging stance.
Chassis weighs just 150 pounds
LED taillamps
Composite body panels are used, and the entire car weighs slightly less than 2,000 pounds — about 300 pounds less than a Toyota Yaris hatchback
Standard removable black cloth top, available body-colored hardtop
Sixteen-inch alloy wheels up front, 17-inch alloys in back
Interior Two occupants sit in composite sport seats. The cabin is sparse, with an Alpine head unit for the stereo and an aluminum gearshift knob and handbrake.
Momo steering wheel
LCD screen displays essential vehicle information
Standard air conditioning
CD stereo with optional iPod compatibility
Power windows and locks
Starter button and immobilizer alarm
Optional leather sport seats, center cupholder, stowage net and additional sound insulation
Under the Hood The Elise has a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine sourced from Toyota and tuned by Lotus. It incorporates variable cam timing and lift technology to produce 189 hp at 7,800 rpm and 133 pounds-feet of torque at 6,800 rpm. The Elise SC adds a supercharger to make 218 hp at 8,000 rpm and 153 pounds-feet of torque at 5,000 rpm.
Six-speed manual transmission
0-60 mph time of 4.4 seconds in SC, 4.9 seconds for base Elise
Coil-spring suspension can be equipped with Bilstein shock absorbers
Eight-spoke cast-aluminum wheels
Yokohama tires: P175/55R16 in front and P225/45R17 in back
Optional lighter wheels (56.2 pounds for all four, versus 70.4 pounds with the standard wheels) and ultra high-performance Yokohama A048 LTS tires
AP Racing twin-piston front brake calipers and Brembo single-piston rear calipers; all four discs are cross-drilled to resist brake fade
Optional traction control and limited-slip differential
Safety While traction control is available on the Elise, stability control is not an option. Safety features include:
