49
The only danger is you quickly need to
learn that you're driving a car which can
navigate bends and roundabouts at a pace
that would leave other cars understeering
into hedges. While the Lotus may be
unruffled, you certainly will be as you
exit a roundabout a good 10mph faster
than everyone else. Best save that sort of
behaviour for the track.
Lightweight ride
Almost as impressive is the ride quality.
For a lightweight sports car, it rides over
bumps and irregularities in the road with
such composure, it shames most other
sports cars, and some saloons as well.
The brakes are excellent, too, not that
you'll need them. The Elise's light weight
means that unless you're coming to a
complete halt, just lifting off the throttle
is enough to slow you sufficiently, so
unless you're taking it to a track (which
I'd highly recommend), you're not going
to be spending a fortune on brake pads.
Inside, as is tradition, there is little to
distract the driver. There are new dials,
which are smarter than the orange-
glowing ones of old, and you also get a
shift light system, which lets you know
how near to the rev limiter you're getting.
Little luxury
If you think all this is a little too sparse,
Lotus can add some extras. A �2,000
Touring pack adds leather ProBax seats,
leather door panels, some carpet mats,
noise insulation, an iPod connection
and...wait for it...a cup holder.
This doesn't make it as comfortable as
an MX-5, but it's a step in the right
direction if you want to use it every day.
It's not all gold stars, though. The Elise
is a noisy car, the roof still requires a
physics degree and three hands to erect,
and there's only enough boot space for
two people's luggage if they're both
reasonably committed naturists.
Yes, it will run rings around its rivals,
but when the rain starts to fall and you
want to be separated from the elements,
it's going to make a Z4 or a Boxster seem
a more sensible option.
However. As natural resources dwindle
and cars become subject to stricter and
THE ROADTRIP
Destination: Brands Hatch
Take in a day's racing at the home of British
motorsport or, if you're feeling particularly
brave, book yourself on a run-what-you-brung
track day and learn how your own car handles
around the two-mile circuit. Experienced race
instructors are on hand to give you hints and
tips, or even go out with you to help you
sharpen up your skills.
Tel: 01474 872331
SatNav postcode: DA3 8NG
Eat at: Brands Hatch Place
A sophisticated Georgian mansion built in 1806,
Brands Hatch Place stands in 13 acres of quiet
Kentish countryside. Just down the road from
the race circuit, its restaurant offers everything
from fine dining to Sunday roast and afternoon
teas, making it the perfect place to relax and
unwind during or after a hard day's racing.
Tel: 0845 072 7395
Also stop at:
Bird of prey centre Eagle Heights
(01322 866 577), just down the road from
Brands Hatch. Seven miles away is Knole,
(01732 450608) birthplace of novelist and
poet Vita Sackville-West and now a National
Trust property with a 1,000-acre deer park.
harder-to-meet regulations, the ones that
survive will be the cars that can make use
of a small, economical engine, an
aerodynamic shape and super-light weight.
The Elise SC will whip from 0-60mph in
4.4 seconds, yet only produce 202grams of
CO2 per kilometre in the process.
Let's put that in perspective. A Porsche
911 3.6 GT3 is marginally quicker than
the Elise (0-62 in 4.3sec). But thanks to its
increased weight, the 911 needs a 3.6litre
409bhp flat six engine � which chucks out
307grams of CO2/km � to achieve it. It's
also �46,000 more expensive, and you can
expect only 21mpg on average, instead of
the Lotuses 33mpg.
The standard Elise is still excellent, and
although the �32,500 SC represents a
significant power increase, is it worth the
extra �10k? I suspect it might be.
Porsche owners will lament the noise
from the Toyota engine; BMW owners
the lack of satellite navigation and heated
seats. But when the sun is beating down
on you and you're driving a lightweight
British sports car with a Lotus badge on
the snout, it really won't matter.

Page 1Page 2Page 3Page 4Page 5Page 6Page 7Page 8Page 9Page 10Page 11Page 12Page 13Page 14Page 15Page 16Page 17Page 18Page 19Page 20Page 21Page 22Page 23Page 24Page 25Page 26Page 27Page 28Page 29Page 30Page 31Page 32Page 33Page 34Page 35Page 36Page 37Page 38Page 39Page 40Page 41Page 42Page 43Page 44Page 45Page 46Page 47Page 48Page 49Page 50Page 51Page 52 Produced by PageSuite