2000 Lotus Elise S1

Highlights 

• Original car in great condition

• Legendary handling

• Impressive service history

• Low mileage

• MOT until 30 May 2026

Overview

The Elise is the go to, and indeed the GOAT - to borrow from youth parlance - when it comes to pure driving pleasure. Rightly revered and revered for all the right reasons, Lotus' diminutive sports car stole the hearts of many a petrolhead when it burst onto the scene amid a symphony of tyre squeal in 1996, and it continues to seduce to this day.

The Lotus Elise can legitimately take its place amongst the greats of the sports car world. It may not be as imposing, as tech-laden, or as fast as many of them, but its very essence is that of a proper racer. Light, agile and with some of the best handling characteristics of any car to ever grace tarmac, the Elise is quite simply brilliant.

With its bonded aluminium chassis and lightweight 1.8-litre K-Series four-cylinder engine, the Elise tipped the scales at just 725kg, which in sports car terms is practically ethereal. It may have only produced 118bhp initially but that was enough to propel the little Lotus to 60mph from parked in about six seconds.

Where the Elise truly shines though is in the corners. With more grip than an arm wrestling champion covered in Gorilla Glue it's a car that can make even the most ham-fisted of drivers feel like Ayrton Senna from the moment they get behind the wheel. And therein lies its magic.

The Elise was produced for 25 years over three generations, such was its popularity, but the Series 1 cars, like this particular example, are arguably the purist iteration. It was genesis after all – a car that well and truly kicked open the door for others to follow in its deceptively large footprints.

A late model S1 from 2000 with just 30K on the clock it still cuts quite the dash today and presents incredibly well throughout. Fully recommissioned last year by Lotus specialists Lakeside Engineering and with impressive service history, along with a year's MOT, it's mechanically sorted and ready to rock and roll. All you need is the winning bid and she's all yours.

History and documentation

• Date of first registration 24/03/2000

• Good service history with original service book fully stamped showing inspections at the following intervals: 2000 (pre-delivery inspection – main dealer), 2000 (registration of sale – main dealer), 2000 @ 1,080 miles (after sales service – main dealer), 2000 @ 8,742 miles (A service – main dealer), 2001 @ 13,093 miles (A service – main dealer), 2003 @ 20,685 miles (B service), 2004 @ 21,764 miles (A service), 2006 @ 23,666 miles (A service), 2007 @ 26,764 miles (C service – Lotus specialist), 2013 @ 28,280 miles (A service), 2017 (A service)

• Fully serviced (including cambelt replacement) by Lotus specialists Lakeside Engineering in May 2024

• Numerous service invoices and receipts

• V5C present and correct

• Three former keepers

• Two keys

• Original book pack

• MOT until 30 May 2026 (with advisories fixed)

• 30,331 miles

Interior

• Good condition throughout

• Black leather seats are holding up well with only minor scuffing to the driver's side bolster

• Elise branded floor mats present and correct

• Door cards and dashboard show well

• All switchgear, gauges and electrics work as they should

• Kenwood stereo head unit

• Cargo net

• Some wear to the edge of the driver's side sill covering

• Some delamination to the edges of the rear-view mirror

Exterior

• Titanium Metallic paintwork is in excellent order overall with only some minor scratches and some small marks to either side of where the canvas roof attaches to the car 

• No signs of paint osmosis

• Canvas roof fits well and is in fine fettle

• Original alloy wheels are in great shape

• Tyres are all Toyo Proxys with plenty of life left

• Evo Mk5 locking wheel nuts

• Appears to be a rust-free example

• Good shut lines

• Tidy underneath

• No signs of damage

Mechanical

• 118bhp, 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine

• Five-speed manual gearbox

• 0-60mph in 6.1secs

• 126mph top speed

• Lightweight MMC brake system

• Brand new battery

• Toe links replaced

• Sounds great

• Starts, runs and idles well

• No mechanical issues to report 

Summary

A Lotus Elise has the uncanny ability to make you a better driver. Or at least give you the illusion that you are, which either way is its own reward. Pick a good one, like this particular S1, and you'll be smiling all the way to the race track. 

As captivating today as it was back in the '90s, the Elise S1 remains a significant summit in the grand automotive landscape, but one that can be successfully scaled with relative ease.

To arrange a viewing, click the 'Book Viewing' button located under the 'Place Bid' button. Viewings can be booked up until the day before the auction ends, after which the option will change to 'Contact Seller' for further enquiries. This seller is located in Chichester, West Sussex..