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For a time, you couldn’t go for a drive without seeing a Lotus Elise – never a bad thing. But they are a much rarer sight these days, even though they’re still in production. As they enjoy their 25^th anniversary, we thought we’d look back on where it all began for the little pocket rocket by bringing you some fast facts about the car which looks as fresh now as it did when it was first released.

The Elise has won its fair share of plaudits over the years for its performance and driving experience, picking up prizes including Autocar’s Best Driver's Car 2001 (Autocar), Top Gear Magazine’s Best Sports Car 2004 and the prestigious Readers' Champion award at the Autocar Awards 2019.

Collecting the Readers’ Champion award, Richard Rackham, previously the Vehicle Architect behind the Elise, said: “The Elise was a revolution, as not only did it demonstrate the benefits of lightweight to an industry that insisted on higher power and the increased mass that goes with it, but it also pioneered the use of extruded and bonded aluminium technology which is now so ubiquitous in global small volume vehicle manufacture.”

It really was a game-changer – and continues to be a hugely popular car as testified by how many people take out classic car insurance with us to protect their Elise.

If you’re thinking about investing in one of these mid-engined wonders, you’ll be interested in these little nuggets of information. Something to drop into conversation at your next car meet perhaps?

1. It had a name change at the 11^th hour

The Elise was very nearly called the 111 (pronounced One Eleven), harking back to the 1956 Lotus Eleven and the 1962 Lotus 23. But at the last minute, Lotus Chairman Romano Artioli went all sentimental and changed the name to Elise after his granddaughter. The 11^th hour switch meant the marketing team had to throw much of the launch material. But it was worth it, says Patrick Peal, Lotus’ head of communications, who says that Elise better captured the car’s sense of fun.

2. Even the brakes were lightweight

Every effort was made to keep the Elise as lightweight as possible – even down to the brakes which were built with lightweight Metal Matrix Composite (MMC), made by the US-based Lanxide Corp from special silicon-carbide sintered aluminium. This helped keep the car down to a featherlight 725kg. However, in later models, Lotus had to revert to conventional brake discs in order to keep costs down.

3. It could reach 60mph in less than six seconds

Capable of catapulting drivers from 0-62 mph in just 5.8 seconds, the Series 1 Elise packed one hell of a punch from its 1,796cc four-cylinder K-series engine, thanks in no small part to its skimpy body weight. In 1995, this was wickedly quick. It was to get even quicker in 1999 with the 111S, which featured variable valve timing that resulted in 143bhp. Then came the roofless limited edition 340R in 2000, which weighed 701kg and had its K-series engine pushed to 177bhp.

4. It wasn’t deemed particularly safe

As much fun as the S1 Elise was, it was to fall short of European crash requirements which meant Lotus needed to redesign the chassis and produce a gen-two model. General Motors was happy to fund the redevelopment but in return wanted to use the chassis as a base for its own sports car project.

5. GM’s ‘Elise’ was not quite as successful

General Motors used Elise’s bonded aluminium chassis technology for the Vauxhall VX220, pitching it with a 145bhp, 2.2-litre four-cylinder Ecotec engine from the Vauxhall Astra. Although it looked the part and enjoyed critical acclaim, it was invariably compared to the Elise which was considered a more complete car. Production of the VX220 ceased in 2005 and was not thought to be a particularly profitable project for GM.  

6. They are prone to head gasket failure

Perhaps not the most fun fact on this list, but the Rover K-series engine which powers all Series 1 and early Series 2 cars is vulnerable to head gasket failure. So, if you were to take one of these cars for a test drive, you should ensure that in addition to your periodic oil checks you carefully inspect the state of the water-cooling system looking for leaks, while keeping a close eye on the temperature gauges. Carry out an oil change every 9,000 miles. Of course, classic car insurance could help get you home if you did blow a gasket.

7. The Exige took things up another notch

If your need for speed is greater than most – and you have a bigger budget than most – you might want to consider the Exige. Launched in 2000, this hard-top, coupé version of the Elise, had a Very High-Performance Derivative-tuned Rover K-series delivering 177bhp and 190bhp in track tune. In terms of performance, this works out to a top speed of 136mph with 0-62mph in 4.9 seconds. Some say it’s the perfect track car. While it wasn’t a huge success for Lotus, it’s considered one of the best cars the manufacturer has ever produced in terms of driving experience and performance.

Protect your investment with classic car insurance

The Elise became Lotus’ best-selling sports car, attracting an army of fans. Which means there are still many around that have been well looked-after. If you manage to find a good one, with a solid rear sub-frame that still feels sharp to drive, make sure you protect it with classic car insurance from the specialists.

Lancaster Insurance provides protection for over 96,000 vehicles in the UK. We want to see both retro and modern classics like the Elise on our roads for years to come.

We can help you find the right cover, at the right price with a range of benefits including:

• Up to 25% Classic Car Club member discounts
• Static show cover
• Historic rally cover
• Salvage retention
• 90 days EU cover
• Limited mileage discounts

Get a quote for classic car insurance today.