Lotus Elise Cars For Sale In United States

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The small 2-seater Elise mid-engined roadster made its debut in 1995 in Frankfurt. With its appearance, a new era began in the history of the Lotus company. The model immediately became very popular with sports car enthusiasts. The secret of success is an unusual, futuristic appearance and original body structure. The non-trivial appearance perfectly combined classic and modern. The incomparable exterior immediately caught the eye. The front discs are smaller than the rear discs (5.5 "x16 and 7.5" x17 respectively), this addsthe appearance of the speaker. Initially, the model was equipped with a vinyl soft top. In 1997, they began to offer a removable hard top - hardtop.

The Elise received a center-mounted engine in front of the rear axle and alloy chassis elements. The supporting base of the roadster was made of aluminum panels weighing only 70 kg. The outer panels of the body made of composite materials are hung on it and the steel beam of the rear axle and the roll bar are bolted on. By using light alloys, the engineers have achieved surprisingly low weight of the car - allabout 690 kg. The space frame is not made of steel pipes, but light alloy. Extruded aluminum-magnesium strips with integrated seat belt anchorages and a lightweight steel rear subframe are bonded to each other using a special glue that cures within forty minutes at two hundred degrees. As a result, the frame is twice as light as steel, and the rigidity of the assembled body is in no way inferior to the all-metal one.

Crosswise in front of the rear axle in Lotus EliseThe Rover K-series 4-cylinder, 16-valve engine with double overhead camshafts and variable valve timing (VVC) is used. In order to reduce the overall weight, the engine is made entirely of aluminum. The engine capacity is 1.8 liters and 122 hp. From a standstill to 100 km / h, the car accelerates in 5.9 seconds. The maximum speed is 202 km / h. Fuel consumption per 100 km in urban mode is 9.7 liters, in suburban mode - only 6.1 liters. It is noteworthy that the five-speed manual transmission, like almost all parts of the LotusElise, made of aluminum. By the way, both the engine and transmission were completely borrowed from the MG MGF roadster.

In the Elise, special attention should be paid to the aluminum composite brakes, which were first used in a production passenger car, and the driver's seat, which was installed closer to the center line of the car than the passenger one, in order to improve the weight distribution. Suspension of all wheels at Elise is independent on double wishbones of unequal length, shock absorbers are installed Bilstein, springs are Eibach.

Since 1998, the company has been offering one more variety.ant of the Sport Elise car with the 190 hp Rover K series engine. In order to improve dynamic performance, the vehicle's weight has been reduced by 20 kg. The ground clearance was lowered by 50 mm. The result is excellent dynamics (the car gains 100 km / h in 4.4 seconds).

At the 1999 Geneva Motor Show, the faster Elise was shown, indexed 111S. Engine power increased to 158 hp. at 7000 rpm, and the maximum torque - from 168 to 175 Nm at 4500 rpm, as a result of which the 111S overcomes the threshold of 100 km / h in 5.3 seconds.

The beginning is newThe first century saw the arrival of the second generation of Elise. The car debuted in the fall of 2000 at the Birmingham Auto Show. He received a new look, in which there is almost no place for the classics, and modernity has acquired a defiant character. The exterior is not devoid of aggression and catchy details of the external design. The unique body was created by a subsidiary of Lotus Engineering. It consisted of a supporting space frame made of aluminum, glued with a special extra strong aviation glue, a rear steel subframe and panels hung on the frame andKevlar composite. Of course, not everyone will like such a bright style. One thing can be guaranteed: in such a car you will not be deprived of the attention of others.

Polished aluminum was used in the interior design, the seats were upholstered in black fabric. For a surcharge, the Elise trim level can be supplemented with air conditioning, an audio system with CD changer, Alcantara trim and perforated brake discs. It is noteworthy that all models were assembled to order, and the price was agreed directly with the plant.

Basic version received Rover K-Series 1.8L R4 16V with 120hp VVT system and 168 Nm, and a 5-speed manual gearbox RG1. The maximum speed is 202 km / h. Acceleration to 100 km / h in 5.9 seconds.

In 2002, the Lotus company prepared two "charged" modifications of the Elise model, named Elise 111 and Elise 111S. Externally, these modifications can be distinguished by 8-inch alloy wheels and a slightly modified rear end. From a technical point of view, these cars are identical and differ only in the trim level and basic equipment. The 111S version of the cargot a slightly different interior trim, audio system and air conditioning system

Under the hood of both new products is a 1.8-liter engine with a capacity of 160 horsepower, and the maximum torque of 175 Nm is achieved in the range of 3,500 - 4,650 rpm. This engine accelerates a two-seater car to one hundred kilometers per hour in just 5.1 seconds. In this case, the maximum speed of the car is 212 kilometers per hour. By the way, this engine uses the Variable Valve Control system.

In 2004saw the light of day a special modification of the Lotus Elise —111R. This is a true "urban racing formula". The engine was replaced with a 1.8-liter 16-valve Toyota "four" 2ZZ-GE, with a gas distribution mechanism "VVTL-i" and boosted to 192 hp. at 7800 rpm, resulting in a very high power-to-weight ratio of 223 hp. per ton of curb weight. Acceleration to 100 km / h takes only 5 seconds. The maximum speed is 241 km / h. The power unit is paired with a mechanical 6-speed gearbox.

Elise is a car created bywith one goal - to deliver driving pleasure.

List of the Lotus models