Lotus Elise is the name of a sport car with two seats and rear drive traction which was launched on the market in 1994 by the Lotus Car producer. The car was competitive because the price was low and the car looks great.
The body of a car was realized from the glass fiber, reinforced with aluminum parts. The chassis of first generation of Lotus Elise is made from extruded aluminum elements which can makes possible a very low weight for this class. The top speed of this English roadster is about 245 kilometers per hour, the equivalent of 153 miles per hour.
Lotus Elise Series 1
Elise was produced in two series. First generation of Lotus Elise begin in 1996 and it’s finish in 2000. The technology of fabrication with aluminum chassis and glass fiber parts makes the first generation of Elise to obtain a weight just about 730 kg ! If you compare this car with other competitor you’ll see that weight is almost impossible.
The engine of first series of Lotus it has 1.8 liters and was produced first time for the Series-K of Rover. The power of the engine was not terrific but the connection from a light body of a car, chassis and this engine makes possible some good results in tests. Lotus Elise generation one is capable to sprint from zero to 100 kilometers per hour (equivalent of about 60 mph) in just 5.8 seconds. This is a good result for a car with the engine with just 1.8 liters capacity.
First series of Elise suffer many transformations in time, with a lot of sub-models with different motorization. In Limited Edition was launched: Sport 135 in 1998, Elise Sport 160 (2000) and finally the Sport 190 model, in same year. All these versions was modified to be more aggressive and sportive.
In 1999 Lotus introduces a more performance version of Elise called 111S. This new 111S version it has the engine modified, with variable valve control system which change the maximum power to about 145 horse power, the equivalent of 108 kilowatts. The gearbox of the Elise 111s was changed too, and other aerodynamic elements of tha car was totally replaced.
In 2000 Lotus decides to launch another customized Elise version, called 340R. This car was produced in limited edition, with just 340 cars produced. The weight of the car was decreased with about 15 percents and the engine was modified to produce over 177 horse power. Other version of Elise first series was introduced in the same year and was called Lotus Exige. The car it has the hardtop changed comparing to standard Elise.
Lotus Elise Series 2
At the end of 2000, Lotus decides to make an improvement at the success car Elise. The car was totally redesigned and with the new redesign the series of Elise changes in series 2. The new version use in fabrication process parts from another sports car: Opel Speedster, launches in the same period. The chassis and some other elements was shared in production with Opel Speedster.
The Series 2 is characterized by a standard engine with the new VVC technology implemented and other changes like a performance Sport Suspension, for example. The car was produced in few sport versions, with different motorization.
Another version of series 2 is 111R. The car was called Federal Elise for American market where it has purchased by the local Elise dealers. This version is powered by a 189 hp engine made from aluminum, with good torque and characteristics. The gearbox was replaced by an six gear manual transmission.
We can say that Elise was a great success for the Lotus Car company. This version is available for purchase. The price for a new Lotus Elise at local dealers is about 23,500 – 32,500 pounds and is changes by motorization and other features.
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