1999 LOTUS ELISE

Reluctant sale of a much-loved and exceptionally well-documented Lotus Elise S1.

This isn't a standard Elise S1, nor was it ever intended to be. It has been carefully developed into a seriously capable road car, retaining everything that makes an S1 so special - the delicacy, steering feel and lightweight character—while gaining the performance, reliability and drivability of a superbly executed Ford Duratec conversion.

One of the reasons we bought this particular car was because it wasn't simply built around a bigger engine. The original owner was clearly obsessive about keeping the car light. Unlike many Duratec conversions, weight reduction remained a priority throughout the build, resulting in a car that's actually lighter than many equivalent conversions while benefiting from reliable modern Ford power.

The weight-saving programme includes removal of the complete front bonnet latch mechanism in favour of lightweight Zeus fasteners, deletion of the centre front fibreglass section and numerous other carefully considered changes throughout the build. Better still, virtually every stage of the conversion was documented on SELOC, providing an unusually transparent history of exactly how the car evolved.

At the heart of the car is a 2.0 Ford Duratec running Jenvey throttle bodies and an Emerald K3 ECU. Professionally mapped to produce approximately 191bhp, it delivers performance that feels perfectly matched to the lightweight Elise chassis while remaining beautifully tractable and civilised on the road.

SIGNIFICANT RECENT INVESTMENT

Importantly, this car has also benefited from substantial recent expenditure.

Within the last year it received a replacement Duratec engine supplied by BlueCircle, together with a comprehensive mechanical refresh carried out by Track Club. Rather than simply fitting another engine, the opportunity was taken to replace numerous service and wear items including ball joints, wishbones, brakes, engine mount and fuel hoses, with invoices running into many thousands of pounds.

Although the chassis has now covered just over 100,000 miles, the replacement engine and many of the key mechanical components have covered only a fraction of that distance, meaning much of the expensive preventative maintenance has already been completed for the next owner.

SPECIFICATION

Engine

• 2.0 Ford Duratec conversion

• Jenvey throttle bodies

• Emerald K3 ECU

• Tubular inlet manifold

• PiperCross induction filter

• AP Racing clutch

• Elise Parts exhaust

• Lambda gauge

• Oil pressure gauge

• Approx. 191bhp (dyno)

Chassis & Suspension

• Nitron dampers

• Uprated anti-roll bar

• Stainless rear toe links

• Alloy belled front discs

• Pagid RS14 pads

Exterior

• Azure Blue

• Lotus Option Rimstock wheels

• Additional wheel set included at the full asking price

• One wheel set fitted with Uniroyal Rainsport tyres

• Replica 111S rear spoiler

• A-frame and Petty strut brace / rollover protection

Interior

• Tillett seats

• Schroth FIA harnesses

• Lightweight, driver-focused cabin

The car comes with an extensive history file including invoices, dyno sheets, the original Lotus documentation, insurance modification records and the documented build thread.

This isn't a concours car, nor are we pretending it is. It's been driven and enjoyed exactly as Lotus intended, so there are the expected stone chips and age-related marks that come with an honest Elise S1. Mechanically, however, it is hugely rewarding and remains one of the most engaging driver's cars we've owned.

Some people will know myself or my husband, Andrew through AW Driver Training, the Elise Series or just from way back when, so it's probably worth answering the obvious questions.

Although we originally bought the Elise with the intention of adding it to Andrew's hire fleet, those plans changed when we lost North Weald as a driver training venue shortly after purchase of this Elise. As a result, the car has not spent its life as a track hire or instructor's car. In reality it has simply been enjoyed by us on the road. However, with a busy life, the car spends far too long sitting at home than it does out on the road, which seems a real shame for a car that's this enjoyable to drive.

This genuinely is a reluctant sale, but we'd far rather see it being driven and enjoyed by another enthusiast than sitting under a cover waiting for the next sunny weekend when we happen to be free, and the whole family don't want to go out together!

The car is available to view immediately, and we're happy to help with inspections or answer detailed technical questions for genuine buyers.