Motor Trend Article On Elise A Big Thumbs Up!

[Ridgeman580]

We are officially the 'King Of Slalom'. Not even $193,000 Ferrari can top us there.
Boxster S can't out-perform us in 'The Slalom' or the 'Figure 8' tests and is priced around $58,000.

Edited: Mason
Note: Complete article and pictures below.

[mason]

Motor Trend
August 2004
by Chris Walton
photos Brian Vance and John Kiewicz

[SIZE=3]A Micro Exotic with Macro Abilities[/SIZE]

2005 Lotus Elise



We've been anxiously awaiting our first test of the 2005 Lotus Elise. All the worldwide hullabaloo surrounding this car (available elsewhere since 1996!) worried us that the Elise we Americans would receive might not live up to its billing at the test track. We've never been so happy to report (now and in "First Drive," July) that the Elise has arrived, unmolested, and that every word written or uttered regarding this car is true.



It's no secret that the key to its exceptional abilities is its use of lightweight materials. That being the case, one might think the 1979-pound Elise has all the comforts of a go-kart Not so. Our $40,780 Elise (stereo and air-conditioning are standard) came with the $1350 Touring option (full leather seating, power windows, insulated soft-top, additional sound-deadening, and carpet) for a total of $42,130.



Gently driven in traffic, the Elise accelerates smartly from a stoplight. Its Toyota-sourced Lotus-tuned 1.8-liter, 190-horse-power engine feels ideally matched to the car's weight: crisp, responsive, and basically civilized. Its aluminum shift lever pops into each gears' invisible slot with reassuring accuracy. At 12.5 feet long, 5.6 feet wide, and 3.6 feet tall, the view from behind the wheel is intimidating with Miatas looming like much larger Jaguar XK8 convertibles. Similar to riding a motorcycle, one makes allowances for being the smallest car on the road, but the Elise's celebrity status ensures being noticed nonetheless.



A dragstrip launch and shifting at its 8500-rpm redline awakens the Mr. Hyde inside. Alternate cam phasing kicks in at around 6400 rpm and is more evident in the Elise than in Toyotas with the same engine. Having just 10.4 pounds to move with each horsepower enables the Elise to accelerate from 0 to 60 in 5.1 seconds on the way to a 13.5-second 102.9-mph quarter mile. It's no dragster, but still effectively identical to a $59,000 258-horsepower Porsche Boxster S (0 to 60, 5.4 seconds; 1/4 mile, 13.7 at 102.4). The Elise stops from 60 mph in 114 feet to the Boxster's 110. Where the Elise-versus-Boxster S—or just about anything else—battle is won is in the Lotus's ultimate handling prowess.



Rocketing to a new 600-foot-slalom record for a certified production car, the Elise made us wonder if we'd inadvertently set up a 500-foot course instead. Nope: While the Boxster S is no slug with its 70.9 mph best, the Elise's furious 73.2 mph is peerless. While both mid-engine cars exhibit uncanny balance, the Lotus's non-power-assisted mechanical steering offers the kind of feedback and immediacy normally found in race cars. The next closest rival through the cones is a near-track-ready $193,000 Ferrari Challenge Stradale (also mid-engine) with its 72.7-mph slalom speed.

A funny thing happened on the way to setting that slalom record: We found it pretty darn easy to do. The Elise communicates to the driver every nuance of tire grip, roll rate, yaw, and the necessary amount of counter-steer required to enter the cone field at an indicated 80 mph and yet still exit in full control. Mind you, there's a $2480 Sport package available—which this test unit didn't have. It sharpens the Elise even further with lighter wheels, grippier tires, and track-tuned suspension. Oh, the possibilities.

On the 200-foot skidpad, the Elise posted over 1.0 g in the counterclockwise direction (driver inboard) and just under a full g in the opposite direction for an average of 0.99 g. Putting all this go, stop, and grip together, the Elise navigated our figure-eight course at 24.8 seconds, gathering a cumulative average 0.75g load. Anything under 25 seconds is spectacular. This performance exceeds the aforementioned Porsche, trails the Ferrari, and is equal to that of a 405-horse Corvette Z06.



What all this means is that the purity of the Lotus Elise's no-compromise mission has survived U.S. certification. It is, indeed, the best-handling, most-dedicated, least-apologetic production sports car we've ever tested. Yet even the Elise has its foibles: a feminine name, a tight (size-10) driver's footwell, challenging ingress/egress (with the soft-top installed), and it clomps hard on broken concrete freeways. Still, the Elise can be driven comfortably on workdays as well as driven to autocross victories on weekends.



We're glad it's finally here and think the Elise is one of the best things to come from the British Isle since Frederick William Lanchester patented disc brakes in 1901, John Cooper put an engine behind the driver in his 1959 Cooper-Climax T51, and Mrs. Hurley gave birth to daughter, Elizabeth, in 1965. We salute them all.

[Josepmamuric]

I have already read several different 0-60s anywhere from 4.4 to 5.1 as shown. Anyone have a good idea?

[LeeBear]

Every magazine will have different 0-60 times since their testing methods vary. It's probably safe to say the Elise' time will be around the high 4 seconds low 5 second mark. This review posted a slower time then most reviews probably due to the fact the others review usually had the Sports option on there car which should be faster with it's lighter wheels and grippier tires.

-LeeBear

[Goldorak]

Originally posted by Josepmamuric
I have already read several different 0-60s anywhere from 4.4 to 5.1 as shown. Anyone have a good idea?

LeeBear is correct in noting the car reviewed by MT did not have the LSS package. Looking at the 1320 times and particularly it's very high speed, it would appear the stock configuration had considerable wheelspin off the line leading to a poor 60 ft time. That same wheelspin alowed it to gather extra speed and reach the 1/4 mile with a higher trap speed.