48
T
he original incarnation of this
car, the Lotus Elise, was almost
single-handedly responsible for
saving the Norfolk-based fun merchants
from going out of business.
Launched in 1996, the Elise had so few
creature comforts it made Easyjet look
positively luxurious and, with no radio,
airbags or carpets, we loved it. It signalled
the return to the lightweight, razor-sharp
sports cars for which the company was
famed and the rest, as they say, is history.
Over the last 12 years, the Elise has
gone through various developments, with
engine changes, special editions and a
major facelift. But the SC, the latest
evolution of the fibreglass-bodied road
kart, is the most powerful version to date.
So what makes it different? Primarily, a
small supercharger nestling under the
rear deck. Lotus has already had a go at
supercharging with the hard-top Exige S,
and the result is 0-60 in a face-bending
4.1 seconds. We tested it in 2006 and
proclaimed it to be `fearsomely rapid',
but noted one thing missing: a
convertible roof. This Elise SC, then, is
the car we've all been waiting for.
An output of 217bhp doesn't sound
much in the world of performance
motoring, but don't worry � in a car that
weighs significantly less than a lemon
souffl�, it's enough. The Elise SC tips the
scales at a featherweight 903kg, and it's
this that is responsible for a 0-60mph
time of 4.4 seconds.
Or, to put that into
real terms, roughly
the same amount of
time it took you to
read that last
sentence.
Pulling strongly
from idle, the Elise
SC accelerates from standstill in the way
only a genuinely light car can. The
supercharger adds an appreciable surge of
energy; as you're pushed back into your
figure-hugging seat, the rev counter
needle storms its way around the dial
quicker than you can keep up with it.
Clever electronics also mean that the
engine can alter its behaviour depending
on your driving style. The power is
delivered so smoothly and progressively, it
perhaps doesn't feel as quick as it really is,
but keep an eye on the speedo � you'll lose
your licence with this one.
And so to the handling. Hardly needs
saying really, does it? This is Lotus'
specialist subject, and it's for good
reason that almost every major car
manufacturer has
gone to the
Norfolk boys for
help at some point.
The Elise SC,
predictably,
changes direction
like a laser
bouncing off a
mirror. There is no power steering, so
everything you put in from the wheel is
communicated immediately to the road,
with no electronic hindrance. The SC
even has special tyres designed
specifically to work with its suspension,
and it's an absolute joy. You quickly find
yourself immersed in the enjoyable task
of analysing corners to execute them in
the most entertaining way possible.
Lotus Elise SC
217bhp in a car that
weighs significantly less
than a lemon souffl� is
more than enough

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