LOTUS ELISE 111R 16V SPORTS RACER 2006

2006 series 2 Elise, 111R Sports Racer. Mileage 48,500

This is a limited edition of the featherweight Elise, number 60 of 100 with just 36 Sports Racer models remaining in the UK

The car is in good condition, both mechanically and cosmetically. The gearbox is a delight, the engine unleashes a whip-crack as you move through the gears and hits an incredible note as the 1.8 litre VVTL-i Toyota engine passes 6,200 revs and moves on to it's second cam, and then on to the redline past 8,000 revs. It has 189 HP, 181 Nm of torque and is 4.9 seconds to 60mph.

In recent years the car has been looked after by independent Lotus specialist Steve Guglielmi, who did a £3k suspension refresh and powdercoat 2 years ago. This included his respected geometry set up, improving the already sublime handing of this car even further.

The Yokohama Advan Neova AD07 LTS2 tyres were replaced 7,000 miles ago and have 4mm tread on the rears, 5mm on the front. A previous owner has upgraded the radiator. The car is garaged and the battery kept on a CTEK trickle charger over winter.

The probax seats have complementary dark blue stitching and are in good condition, with only the most minor signs of use on the drivers bolster. The rest of the interior is the usual no nonsense Elise and the DAB stereo has effective blue tooth capabilities if used with a third-party dongle. Both hard and soft tops are in good condition and effective in British weather.

The car was originally bought from Gordon Lamb Motorsport on 30/1/06 and has been regularly serviced by Lotus specialists through its life:

- 1,159 miles, Gordon Lamb Motorsport 27/4/06

- 5,855 miles, David Underwood Oakham, 12/2/07

- 9,762 miles, Swift Performance Lotus Specialists, 19/1/09

- 10,558 miles, Swift Performance Lotus Specialists, 20/4/10

- 11,392 miles, Swift Performance Lotus Specialists, 18/3/11

- 11,937 miles, Swift Performance Lotus Specialists, 3/8/12

- 14,314 miles, JP Auto Solutions Lotus, 17/12/12

- 21,567 miles, JP Auto Solutions Lotus, 1/5/14

- 27,154 miles, Bell and Colvill Lotus, 4/1/16

- 32,227 miles, Back on Track Guildford, 24/1/17

- 35,554 miles, Back on Track Guildford, 14/1/18

- 37,435 miles, Back on Track Guildford, 18/1/19

- 38,481 miles, Back on Track Guildford, 13/2/20

- 41,001 miles, Guglielmi Motorsport, 23/10/20

- 41,310 miles, Guglielmi Motorsport, 5/2/21

- 43,861 miles, Guglielmi Motorsport, 5/3/22

- 45,655 miles, Guglielmi Motorsport, 10/2/23

- 48,039 miles, Guglielmi Motorsport, 9/1/24

The car is ready to be enjoyed for the summer and is not concourse. Like most, the air conditioning no longer works, there are some stone chips on the front, and there is the usual bubbling towards the front of the window frames. One of the (10?) small LEDs in the drivers side rear light cluster has stopped working (see photo) but is sufficient for the MOT.

The Sports Racer brought the tighter, more poised front sports suspension of the Exige into the practical, open topped Elise format. The nightfall blue bodywork is complemented with twin white stripes and accents, including on the factory hard top.

This later 111R has the upgraded pedal box which was both lighter and eliminated the excess travel of earlier 111R models. It has the ProBax seats which are comfortable for longer journeys. It also has the non-intrusive switchable traction control system and ABS, which provides a background level confidence.

This is a wonderful car, priced honestly. It is a delight to use, is ready to be enjoyed, and will be sorely missed.