Wednesday 24th October 2007

Lotus Upgrades Aplenty

Exige and Elise are breathed on for 2008

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Buy me, buy me NOW

Lotus is already looking to welcome 2008 with a bang, by announcing some tasty upgrades to both the Elise and Exige models.

Heading the line-up is the most powerful production version of the Elise ever, the supercharged SC with 217bhp. The Elise’s engine uses smaller supercharger internals than the Exige S, and doesn’t have an intercooler, which saves 8kg over its hard-top sibling. Expect 0-60 in 4.4 seconds, a top speed of 150mph, and a very green-friendly 31mpg.

This new variant is ably assisted by a new performance pack for the Exige which hikes power to 237bhp. Also included is uprated brakes and pads, variable traction control from the 2-eleven, an uprated clutch and a launch control system. Performance-wise, the upgrades allow the Exige to shoot to 60 in 4 seconds, topping out at 153mph, while still returning 31mpg. Honest.

Lotus has also been busy improving the safety and security credentials of its cars, by making driver and passenger airbags standard on all models, and creating a bespoke, integrated alarm and immobiliser system. New cars also feature improved instruments. I

n response to customer demand, the four option packs have been amalgamated into two for each car, simplifying the speccing up of your new toy.

The ’08 cars are available to order now.

[mc_blue]

These improvements seem great - it's amazing how long the car has been around and yet it doesn't seem to have dated. I wonder how much the twin airbags add to the weight though - is it running near 1000 kgs now?

[Rawwr]

903kg dry, apparently. Lardy bucket.

[kambites]

Every revision of the Elise seems to just make it lardier and less appealing to me. I mean it's going to weigh close to a tonne wet with driver which is ridiculous.

Edited by kambites on Wednesday 24th October 11:49

[Ikemi]

Supercharged Elise? I want one!

[hixxj]

I'll take mine in white - ta

[Snot]

Americanisation.

Out of interest though, I wonder how much the supercharged Elise will be retailing at? More than a standard Exige at the moment?

[Bob_Defly]

Stop moaning, anything to keep a great car manufacturer in business! This will tide them over until the next one comes out. And it will still run rings around most cars on the road.

[kambites]

Bob_Defly said:

Stop moaning, anything to keep a great car manufacturer in business!

That's what people say to justify the Cayenne.

I have no objection to offering crap like airbags as options, even no cost options. However, if I can't buy an Elise without airbags I wont buy an Elise.

Edited by kambites on Wednesday 24th October 12:18

[bob1179]

They're getting heavier.

And what on earth are those wheels all about? Are they some sort of chromed 'bling' Halfrauds extra?

[Gooby]

My god - what a bunch of winging tarts.

This Elise will be bl00dy quick and without equal to drive, it will also be easier to live with day to day.

[Rawwr]

You don't need an equal, you can just buy an older Elise.

[Zebede29]

Snot said:

Out of interest though, I wonder how much the supercharged Elise will be retailing at? More than a standard Exige at the moment?

£32,550 - or £4k more than an Elise R with 190PS (both without options/paint)

"Base" Exige is £30,550 (190PS), supercharged Exige S is £34,550 (220PS)

[kambites]

Gooby said:

My god - what a bunch of winging tarts.

This Elise will be bl00dy quick and without equal to drive, it will also be easier to live with day to day.

But if I wanted that, I could have bought a Boxster. Lotus can't hope to compete with Porsche simply because of the badge prejudice and adding compulsory luxuries to their cars is going to be pushing them up to Porsche prices, not to mention pushing them down to Porsche handling.

[RickLine86]

kambites said:

Gooby said:

My god - what a bunch of winging tarts.

This Elise will be bl00dy quick and without equal to drive, it will also be easier to live with day to day.

But if I wanted that, I could have bought a Boxster. Lotus can't hope to compete with Porsche simply because of the badge prejudice and adding compulsory luxuries to their cars is going to be pushing them up to Porsche prices, not to mention pushing them down to Porsche handling.

I don't know if airbags are a "compulsory luxury" - seem pretty important to me, albeit a heavy accessory. Apart from that, everything listed seems to me to be aimed at improving the driving experience, not like the A/C, PAS, etc you'd find in a Porsche - So I don't think they're really comparable.

[kambites]

RickLine86 said:

I don't know if airbags are a "compulsory luxury" - seem pretty important to me, albeit a heavy accessory.

Why are they important? I suspect there'd be far less deaths on the road if all the money spent on air bags was spent on driver training instead. 4-point harnesses are better than airbags anyway.

[Snot]

Will they still be keeping a lightweight back to basics Elise in the line up? It's currently the "S" that holds that title isn't it?

(sorry, bit behind on the current models).

[bing]

kambites said:

I have no objection to offering crap like airbags as options, even no cost options. However, if I can't buy an Elise without airbags I wont buy an Elise.

Yep what he said - more power plz no nanny aids!!!! Oh and we like the AP Brakes!!!!!

"performance through light weight"

[kambites]

Snot said:

Will they still be keeping a lightweight back to basics Elise in the line up? It's currently the "S" that holds that title isn't it?

(sorry, bit behind on the current models).

I think the S is pretty much just a lower powered version of the R. The 'yota engine is quite heavy so neither car is exactly lightweight.

[Hoonfest]

Good luck to Lotus I say. I hope the Elise becomes the new Porsche, i.e. they keep developing it over another 20 years or so :-) It's a great car and it's British :-)

I just wish the more powerful models were cheaper but if the high prices mean that the Elise /Exige stay around for a bit longer then fair enough.

[Twincam16]

Still a great car, and at least Lotus have made traction control palatable, ie with total driver control and a sense of simplicity, rather than the numbing systems you find on other cars. When Jason Plato tested the 2-Eleven and showed how you could use it to fine-tune a car's line through corners, or have it switched off altogether, it changed my opinion on traction control for RWD cars, but highlighted the vast gulfs of difference between systems.

But airbags as standard? Why? Why not an option?