Tuned Elise develops 275bhp

Turbo-fed Lotus outputs 2x standard car's power

Californian tuner ForcedFed has turbocharged a standard 1.8-litre Lotus Elise, which wrings a claimed 275bhp and torque of some 200lb-ft from it. As a result, the ForcedFed LE Sport 275 rockets to 60mph in four seconds, according to company boss Brett Payne -- who also doubles as a part-time celebrity chef.

Payne's recipe consists of a small Garrett GT28R turbocharger, a Spearco intercooler, some plumbing and an ECU. The turbo reaches full boost by 2,600rpm, and it delivers more torque at 3,000rpm than the standard engine does at 5,000rpm. The kit adds $7,200 (£3,820) or $8,700 (£4,617) installed to the price of your Elise.

Payne said a ForcedFed LE Race 400 will be available in mid-May with 400bhp.

The company points out that ForcedFed's products and services are not associated with, sponsored by, or approved by Lotus, and that installation of its products voids your Lotus warranty.