Lotus Elise 2005 Review

Like Shakespeare's Macduff, Lotus founder Colin Chapman would never to be a 'king' in the automotive world, but the cars he devised and many who drove them were certainly destined for greatness. Drivers including Jim Clark and Emerson Fittipaldi became world Formula One champions behind the wheel of a Lotus and designs like the open-wheel 49 and 72 are regarded as milestones of F1 development.

But Chapman's most significant legacy was the ultra-affordable Seven that created the 'clubman' automotive genre and launched countless numbers of impoverished drivers into a competition career.

Sophistication in the shape of the Elite and Elan followed but the 1970s saw Lotus become dysfunctional and largely irrelevant. After Chapman's death in 1982 the business drifted further into turmoil and it took until the mid-1990s before Lotus' new owners rediscovered the essence of their brand's success.

The Elise that appeared in 1996 didn't quite return to the spartan design of Chapman's original Seven but came as about as close as any manufacturer during the latter years of the 20th Century had dared.

Named after Lotus Managing Director Romano Artioli's grand-daughter, the Elise was displayed at the 1995 Frankfurt Motor Show in apparently prototype form. Journalists who saw the car questioned its minimal specification and felt sure that production versions would come with the frills that a cosseted market had come to expect. They were - and would continue to be - disappointed.

Mechanically, there was nothing especially exotic about the Elise. Power was provided by the same 1.8-litre Rover engine used by the MG F - its 88kW developed at a very pedestrian 5500rpm. Mounting the engine and transaxle behind the driver created a significant rearward weight bias but did wondrous things for the car's responsiveness.

Contributing to just 675kg of unladen weight was a 70kg alloy spaceframe with an integral roll hoop to which was bonded a body made from reinforced fiberglass. Supporting the engine and rear suspension was a lightweight steel subframe. Unburdened by superfluous luxuries and geared for a top speed of 200km/h, acceleration was the Elise's forte - sub-15sec times for the standing 400m almost unbelievable from an engine delivering just 88kW.

Elise production was scheduled at a modest 700 units per year but response from the international market sent Lotus production planning into meltdown. However, by late 1999 more than 6,000 cars had been delivered - 162 of them to Australian owners.

The local version came at a base price of $74,995, declining to $65,000 immediately prior to the onset of GST then zooming straight back to $73,000. Rarities that made their way to Australian shores included the 1999-release Sport with 91kW and the 101kW Sport R; these low-volume editions priced at up to $90,000.

Justifying such adventurous pricing would have been difficult if not for the car's extraordinary character. Practicality was an unlikely consideration for buyers who perhaps would have maintained a stable of specialised cars and reserve their Elise experiences for early morning forays onto deserted mountain roads or car club 'training' days.

Those wanting to put their cars to more serious use now have the option of joining the one make, wheel-to-wheel thrills of Lotus Trophy racing - although the pre-2000 model cars covered by this guide have been superseded as front runners by the later and more potent Exige.

ON THE ROAD
"Owning an Elise is a life changing experience," says David Harris, who has owned his 1997 example for three years and can't imagine life without one.

As editor of the Club Lotus Victoria magazine and having married into a Lotus family (his father-in-law had a Europa), Harris might be exhibiting a biased view. However, his opinion of the endearing Elise is certainly supported by the loyalty of owners who seem very reluctant to part with their cars.

"It is just such a precise car," Harris continued. "You just about lie down in it but the driving position is near perfect, the steering beautifully weighted and the brakes are brilliant."

Harris drives his car a short distance to work every day and disputes claims that the car is cramped or impractical.

"Mine has the optional hardtop so it's very snug and dry even in horrible weather, there is space for luggage for a weekend away if you pack thoughtfully and you can get a set of golf clubs in the passenger seat - what more can you want?" he said.

Road test writers when the Elise appeared here in 1997 were effusive over the car's handling, brakes and sheer ebullience but criticised its paucity of equipment against other open-top benchmarks like the Mazda MX5 and Porsche Boxster. Among the gripes was absence of ABS or an airbag and it wasn't until 1998 that Lotus grudgingly altered the car's design to accommodate an air-conditioning compressor.

By 2001 the gloss had definitely worn off for Wheels magazine, which described the second-generation Elise as, "an overpriced kit car that lacks refinement, quality and safety features." God knows what the guy who wrote those words would think of a 1960s Elan.

What the Elise does deliver is a vastly improved chance of avoiding whatever incident might pose a threat to your and the car's survival. If you've watched one of the camera carriers during a televised Lotus Trophy event you'd have noticed just how little work at the wheel and pedals is required to keep an Elise pointed in the right direction but also the speed with which one can get away once its prodigious limits are exceeded.

Drivers who ask too much or contribute too little can literally wind up chasing the car's tail but the big, tank-slapping fishtails that make this category of racing so spectacular should never happen in the context of even abnormal road use.

Be careful, however, not to get too enthusiastic and spike a tyre, as the Elise is not supplied with a spare wheel - just an inflator bottle for punctures - so a minor incident could translate into a major delay while wait for the tilt truck.

According to David Harris, the car's limits are so high and grip on wet or dry roads so exceptional that it thrives even under the most challenging of conditions.

"In a recent big storm I was driving the Elise across (Melbourne's) West Gate Bridge in driving rain and high winds," Harris recalled. "The conditions were so bad there were hardly any other cars on the road but it never for a second felt like it was struggling for grip."

BUYING
Sales during the Elise's first five years on the Australian market averaged less than 40 cars per annum, so availability is limited and prising an excellent car away from its doting owner will be difficult.

The vast majority of early cars have averaged fewer than 10,000 km a year but overseas experience suggests that low kilometres don't guarantee immunity from build and durability problems. Choosing one with documented service history including notes on warranty and recall rectifications is therefore essential.

Spending $50,000 should secure a 1998-2000 model with no discernable accident repairs, a clean interior with minimal door and dash rattles plus well-maintained mechanicals. One of the later, special-edition 'Sport' cars in this condition could cost $60,000-70,000 but will deliver slightly enhanced performance.

Buying a thrashed and bent Elise unless it will be rebuilt into a competition car is fraught with pitfalls. To even warrant consideration, such cars need to be priced in the sub-$35,000 price bracket.

BUYERS CHECK POINTS:

BODY
Poor crash repairs are always going to be a risk with cars that encourage vigorous use. Get your chosen Elise onto a hoist and check for kinked or recently replaced components, then examine the body for cracks and poorly matched paint. Insist on seeing the roof panel in place to check for tears around the attachment points. Cars that have been driven roofless in the rain can suffer corrosion to the aluminium floor pans.

ENGINE & TRANSMISSION
Overheating is a major Elise issue. Water delivery pipes can rub against the frame and wear through or rot due to incorrect coolant use. Replacement is scarily expensive. Thermo fans must work once the engine is idling at operating temperature. A professional compression test is essential since head gasket problems are very common. Engine bay fires have occurred due to leaking fuel and lubricants collecting in the engine undertray and being ignited by exhaust heat. Gearbox noises are common but ensure it doesn't jump out of fifth gear.

SUSPENSION & BRAKES
Shock absorbers work hard and rarely last more than 50,000km. Suspension upgrades including a rear anti-roll bar are available. Some early cars suffered problems with rear suspension bolts working loose but should have been fixed under warranty. The bronze steering rack bush wears and will create free play. Also check the rack's rubber gaiters for splits. Cars that have been used in competition may suffer warped or scored disc rotors.

INTERIOR & ELECTRICS
Turn on the lights once the engine is warm and see if the temperature gauge flickers. Poor earthing is the most common cause and can be time-consuming to trace. Worn seat bolsters are common and detract from value. Window winder mechanisms can bind and sometimes break if forced. Look carefully at the headlamp reflectors as corrosion is common and replacements expensive.

FAST FACTS:

NUMBER BUILT - 12,000 (approx) to December 2004

BODY: glass fibre composite with integrated alloy frame, two-door roadster

ENGINE: 1.8-litre double overhead camshaft four-cylinder with fuel injection

POWER & TORQUE: 88kW @ 5500rpm, 165Nm @ 3000rpm (1996-99 models)

PERFORMANCE: 0-100km/h 6.50 sec, 0-400m 14.73 seconds (1996-99 models)

TRANSMISSION: Five-speed manual

SUSPENSION: Front: upper & lower wishbones, coil springs, telescopic shock absorbers, anti-roll bar Rear: upper & lower wishbones, coil springs, telescopic shock absorbers

BRAKES: 282mm ventilated discs front & rear

WHEELS & TYRES: Front: 5.5x15 alloy 185/55R15 radial. Rear: 7.0x16 alloy 205/50R16 radial

PRICE RANGE: $30,000-70,000

CONTACT: Club Lotus: www.clublotus.com.au