2016 Lotus Elise Sport: The Short Throw

I didn’t even know Lotus was still around. Honestly, I mean the last time I saw anything referring to a Lotus was when the Evora came to production, and when concept Lotus’ hit the Internet. So now I’ve seen reports of the new Elise Sport and the Elise Sport 220 which replace the outgoing Elise and Elise S. Also, I discovered that these are products of the 20th anniversary of the baby Lotus. What comes with this next iteration of the night Lotus Elsie, keep reading to find that much, out?

 
 

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Long story short, the new 2016 adds a few things. For one, the new model is lighter than the outgoing Elise models in naturally aspirated and supercharged trims. Power wise, there is not much difference, with both engines retaining the 134HP and 220HP outputs. The Sport 220 runs a 0-60 time of 4.2 seconds and a 145mph top speed. Both of the models feature a “sport button” which dramatically changes the driving feel and Bilstein dampeners which also changes the driving feel. The best part is the price, which actually ends up cheaper than the outgoing models.

Side note. Seeing as I haven’t heard anything from Lotus, since those beautifully designed concept models, I am glad they are still alive. Furthermore, as much as I am happy, I am also disappointed. The Elise is more or less the baby Lotus, the Exige, the sportier Elise, and the Evora is the step up from the Elise/Exige. Where’s my Esprit at? That what we want more than the Elise with a few more trim options and “buttons”. I’ll admit that the Elise, especially at $30k is a bit of a steal for a flyweight sportscar and that the Elise has been a guilty pleasure of mine, but again where’s my Esprit at? 

  
I guess we can’t complain, after all it offers a substantial amount of “bang for your buck”. Light weight and athletic ability already make the Elise a steal. The problem is the Elise even with its skill level seems to be in the shadow of other great offerings. Maybe the next gen Elise will bring it from the shadows and to the forefront. 

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