The Elise accelerates vividly, reaching 60mph in 5.5sec and sprinting between 30-70mph in 5.8sec. By 100mph (17.4 sec) the serious acceleration has started to tail away, although it isn’t until 120mph that the brick wall in its aerodynamics starts to appear.
Just as well the engine’s flexible, too, because the cable-operated gearchange is neither as precise nor as clean as we would have liked. And the Elise’s aluminium brakes are slightly disappointing - not because they aren’t good (by most standards they’re excellent) but because they lack the awesome retardation and feel available in cars such as the Caterham 7 and Porsche 911.
All this is forgiven, though. Even by the lofty standards that Lotus has set for itself with such as the Esprit and original Elan, that chassis of the Elise is exceptional. It changes the way we all look at and judge the ride and handling of affordable sports cars. Not only does it provide a richer seam of fun and involvement than the hitherto unrivalled Caterham 7, it combines this with a ride quality that many family cars would do well to emulate.
