New Basic Lotus Elise S with 1.8 VVT-I Toyota Engine |carscoop's

New Basic Lotus Elise S with 1.8 VVT-I Toyota Engine

Lotus is back with an entry level Elise that is set to propel the Hethel based sports car manufacturer further up the sales charts. The loss of the K series engine had temporarily created a hole in Lotus' portfolio and its disappearance from the range was not good news for Pure sportscar lovers right across the globe.

The challenge of 'plugging the gap' has now been spectacularly addressed with the launch of the new Lotus Elise S -a car that will cover 0-100 km/h in 6.3 seconds, yet sell for below EUR36.000 in lower-tax countries.

Lotus has shoehorned in a high technology 1.8-litre 136 PS Variable Valve Timing Toyota engine, which perfectly complements the phenomenal handling characteristics of the Lotus Elise. This delivers a cracking new entry-level car, capable of taking you from 0 - 100 km/h in 6.3 seconds and onto a top speed of 205km/h, law permitting!

As the new entry-level car, the Elise S may not be the fastest or quickest Elise in the range, but the acceleration, performance and handling is class leading in its price bracket and belies the cost and real substance engineered into the new vehicle - what other roadster at this price can reach 100 km/h in 6.3 seconds? For the sake of comparison, a 2.0 litre MX-5 reaches the same speed in 7.9 seconds (Source Mazda Germany website June06)

Mike Kimberley, CEO of Group Lotus plc explains: "The arrival of our new Elise S is good news for lovers of Pure sportscars in all intended markets. The value for money proposition offered by the car is second to none and takes the wonderful Lotus Elise range back into the heart of the mainstream sportscar market. We now have a Lotus Elise to tempt the existing or would-be MX-5 or MG driver away from these altogether more cosmetic offerings. They now have an opportunity to get back into a car that is the very essence of what, in our view, a real sportscar should be all about!"