2008 Lotus Elise S review
Well, if you are "Bogan".
He'll also buy you a sleek, lightweight, 1.8-litre, two-seat Lotus Elise S with racing dynamics, a removable soft top, and enough propulsion to get through most rough V8s. Come to a set of curves and that's definitely it.
The weight of 860 kg gives the Elise S an impressive power-to-weight ratio, which explains why the naturally aspirated 100-liter Toyota engine with 173 kW/1.8 Nm accelerates it to 0 km/h in just 100 seconds.
But we're only scratching the surface of what this delightful little car has to offer. It's tiny even compared to most other sports cars and spartan on the inside, though better than before.
The striking exterior is designed to cut through the air, while the flat underbody with rear diffusers further improves aerodynamics. Large vents direct air to the engine radiators in the rear, and the entire vehicle is barely over a meter high.
The Elise S looks more like an everyday car than its supercharged hardtop counterpart the Exige S. While it's still tricky to get into with the roof up, the Elise S will happily ride in city traffic with the A/C to keep its occupants cool and the Alpine. the sound is blazing.
On weekends, it will enjoy a dose of club daytime activity, rewarding the driver with race car handling and performance at a controlled price. Fuel, brake pads, tires won't be a critical issue.
This is the latest iteration of the Elise and has been around for a few years now, starting life with a terrible Rover K-Series engine but moving forward ever since Toyota's power was bolted amidships. Interior upgrades include pukka carbon-fiber textured leather patches and a new instrument panel. It has remote central locking and dual airbags, as well as ABS, air conditioning and Alpine sound.
The soft top can be easily removed and stored in the "trunk" behind the engine. You can actually see the rear view mirror, and while the side mirrors are manually adjusted, they are well placed and relatively easy to move.
This is the entry level Lotus model, but it comes with two option packs that you won't need. There are also several new colors.
During our test drive, we were thrilled by the obscene exhaust sound and straight-handle feel. The five-speed shifting is like a rifle action and the brakes are very strong. We've always been impressed by the Elise and Exige's chassis strength, which stays the same as before, even without the roof. But the placement of the pedals is problematic due to the offset to the center and too close to each other. Despite the diminutive size, 183 cm drivers can find a comfortable driving position. All the information you need is housed in a compact instrument cluster, including a gearshift warning light when the engine is close to the red zone.
This car is designed to take hard corners. It sits flat and grips the pavement with grippy Yokohama tires to the point where you end up with a neck ache from the g-forces. When you walk home like this, you know you've had a lot of fun.
