The Car
The first thing you notice when slipping into the snug cockpit is the simplicity of the interior design. The U.S. Elise will come standard with a Blaupunkt stereo, air conditioning, power windows and the aforementioned airbags — all of which weren't on the European Series 1-but the overall essence has been kept intact. The driving position fits anyone up to about 6 ft. 3 in. tall, but climbing into and out of the car takes a bit of agility, especially with the roof up.
The exterior styling of the Elise remains virtually the same as the current Series 2 (the car you see in these photos). The only changes are to the rear end — the dual-tip exhaust is now located in the center of the car — and the addition of marker lights on the front and rear fenders. The Elise is about as small as cars can get in the U.S. With an overall length and width of 149.0 in. and 67.7, respectively, it's slightly smaller than a Mazda Miata.
The face has been designed to portray a serious, aggressive performance car. Lotus stylists said that the overall demeanor of the Series 1 proved too "cute" for its customers. I discovered that its new face reflected the Elise's on-road performance to a tee.
Turn the ignition key, and the Toyota engine comes to life with a growl. At idle, the powerplant purrs and remains relatively quiet until about 5000 rpm. The clutch pedal has a rather light effort, and the shifter a nice solid feel, sliding into gear with a reassuring snick. When driven in a civil manner, the Elise is a capable and comfortable commuter. Even with the top removed, cabin noise is nominal at highway speeds, and unlike in the Celica, where there's little low- and mid-range response, the 1975-lb. Elise pulls impressively from 2000 rpm onward (the benefit of an extremely lightweight car).
To get the most out of this engine, rev it like there's no tomorrow. Drop the clutch at about 7000 rpm, and you'll leave the line like a dragster, smoking the rear tires. Keep your foot pressed to the floor because all the fun starts when the tachometer needle brushes past 6000, the moment VVTL-i kicks in. The engine's purr turns into an ear-blasting scream, as the acceleration curve radically spikes, pressing your torso into the custom bucket seat. A shift-up light says it's time to grab the next gear. The Elise runs to 60 mph in a claimed 4.8 seconds, with the quarter-mile mark coming at about 12.0 sec. Top speed is estimated at 141 mph.