First drive: Lotus Elise

Updated



The Lotus Elise really has come of age. For years the British sports car manufacturer has been extolling the virtues of low weight, and for 14 years its iconic roadster has been a shining example to the rest of the industry of how to improve fuel economy by keeping your eyes fixed on the scales.

Determined to keep its best-selling product ahead of the chasing pack, Lotus has updated the Elise with the intention of reducing the car's environmental impact even further. The biggest change – aside from the styling – is under the bonnet of the entry-level Elise where the 134bhp 1.8-litre engine is replaced by a new 1.6-litre lump with much the same power, but emitting just 149g/km of CO2.

Like its predecessor, the 1.6 has been sourced from Toyota, and it comes with the Japanese manufacturer's latest tech, including a new Valvematic system which provides a better torque band, but is still capable of delivering 45mpg under the Elise's bonnet. Otherwise the range stays much the same as it was before; the Elise R retains the more powerful 190bhp 1.8-litre engine, and the SC model keeps the 218bhp supercharged version.

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