Road & Track:
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 and an aforementioned airbags - all of which weren't onthe european series 1 - but overall the overall essence has been kept intact. The driving p[osition fits anyone up to about 6ft. 3 inch 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 vertually the same as the current Series 2. The only changes are to the rear end - the dual tip exhaust is nowlocated inthe centero of the car - and the addition of marker lights on the front and rear fenders. The elise is about as small as a cars can get in the US with an overall length oand width of 149 in and 67.7 respectively its a 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 I proved tooo "cute" for its customers I discovered that its new face reflected the Elises'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 the 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 high way speeds and unlike in the Celica where theres little low and mid range resonse, the 1975 lb Elise pulls impressively from 2000 rpm onward.
To get the most out of this engine , rev it like there's no tommorow. Drop the clutch at about 7000 rpms and you'llleave theline 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 momnet VVTKi kicks in. The engines 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 its time to grab the next gear . The Elise runs to 60 mph in a claimed 4.8 seconds with a quarter mile mark coiming in 12.0 seconds. Top speed is estimated at 141 mph.
As for the cars handling, what is there left to say about the Elise that hasn't already been mentioned. It has garnered more than 30 awards from virtually every enthusiasts publication and organization in Europe. In our evalutation of the worlds best handling cars. the previous 160 hp model ranked seocnd behind the Ferrari 360 Modena and twon the objective performance category. And lotus guarantees that the US spe Elise willout shine its predecessor.
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So when do we get our hands on this car? The word from Lotus is spring of 2004, with its official unveiling at the upcoming Los Angleles Auto show in January..
But don't wait till then to get your order in. Chances are you'll be placed at the end of the line. Lotus plans to sell about 3000 cars the first year and the capacity is limited.
As for the asking price, its not final as of this writing, but expect a sticker price of 39,000 dollars. Its more than reasonable for a car thats arguably the most enjoyable car on the planet to drive, now equipped with a reliable efficient powerplant.
The Elise also embraces the heritage of one of the most celebrated marques in racing history. From a sports car enthusiasts perspective, no only does Lotus need America, one can make a case that America needs lotus as well..
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Cool read from Road and Track..
What do you think...?
Come this January...Los Angeles might just have a star of its own..
JB