With the demise of MG Rover, many niche car makers found themselves without a cheap, light replacement for the evergreen Rover K-series engine. Lotus relied heavily on that unit before it employed the 1.8-litre Toyota powerplant complete with trick variable valve timing and lift. However, that engine was only available with 189bhp or with well over 200bhp when bolted to a supercharger. Until now.
A new detuned development if the same engine will make its way into the new Lotus Elise S giving Lotus a viable entry-level model to compete with the recent crop of new roadsters. We think that Lotus needs to sit down and rethink its naming strategy though. If the Elise S is the entry level Elise then logically the forthcoming Europa S is the basic model and more is to come (which is great news), but where does that leave the new
Lotus Exige S? The S sits at the top of the Exige range and we were categorically told that it would remain there.
No matter, the Elise S is expected to boost sales when it is launched next month in the UK and Europe and in September for Japan and Asia. Sadly for our American friends, the Elise S will not be sold in the States due to the imbalance between cost of homologation and likely sales.
The new Elise S will cost a fraction under £24,000 on-the-road, undercutting the 189bhp 111R (or simple Elise R as it to be renamed) by a not insignificant £5,000. There is little to tell the cars apart aesthetically, with detail changes to badging. The chassis and braking system remains too you'll be glad to know and thanks to a kerb weight of just 860kg, the Elise S hits 60mph from rest in just 5.8 seconds. Top speed is 'only' 128mph, which is where the lower power shows its head. Still, 134bhp (produced at 6200rpm) should be plenty to thrill the driver, as the chassis is a delight at any speed.
We look forward to driving the new Lotus Elise S for ourselves later in the year.
Shane O' Donoghue - 12 Jun 2006