British sports car manufacturer Lotus has announced updates across the range of its Elise model.
The big news is a new high performance, Toyota-sourced, naturally aspirated 1.6-litre engine for the entry-level Elise (replacing the Elise S). While the engine comes from Toyota, Lotus fits its own bespoke lotus T6 engine management system to squeeze an extra 3 kWs of power.
Elise R and Elise SC retain their 1.8-litre engines (supercharged in Elite SC).
Maximum power for the new 1.6-litre engine is 100kW at 6800 rpm and peak torque of 160Nm is delivered at 4400 rpm. With fuel economy rated at 6.14l/100kms, the new Elise is under the 7.0l/100kms barrier so it’s exempt from Luxury Car T ax and priced from $69,990.
Lotus says the new 1.6-litre Elise’s CO2 emissions of 149g/km are the lowest of any petrol-fuelled high performance sports car.
With a kerb weight of just 876kgs, the new 1.6-litre Elise zips through zero to 100km/h in just 6.5 seconds.
Externally, the new Elise features significantly altered bodywork including a new front end, bonnet and LED lights. At the rear there is a new twin-spine engine cover, diffuser and bumper.
All-up, the changes have improved aerodynamics by four per cent.
Underneath, two new wheel designs are available in either silver or black.
Look for the new Elise in Lotus showrooms from July.
