It barely seems like it, we know, but come September it will be 20 years since the Lotus Elise was unveiled to the world at Frankfurt in 1995. To mark the occasion, Norfolk is rolling out a celebratory version of its iconic lightweight aluminium roadster, dubbed the – deep breath – Lotus Elise 20th Anniversary Special Edition.
Replacing the Elise S Club Racer, the new model adds forged matte black wheels, a lightweight centre console and lightweight sports seats to lop 10 kg off the regular Elise S, sitting at just 914 kg. Other added accoutrements include a matte black rear diffuser, wing mirrors, roll hoop cover and rear fascia insert, leather or Alcantara upholstery with colour-coded stitching, as well as special anniversary decals inside and out.
Elsewhere, the mechanicals remain the same – the supercharged Toyota-sourced 2ZZ-GE 1.8 litre four-cylinder engine produces 217 hp at 6,800 rpm and 250 Nm at 4,600 rpm, propelling the car from 0-100 km/h in 4.6 seconds before hitting a top speed of 237 km/h. Fuel consumption is pegged at 5.9 litres per 100 km, while CO2 emissions are rated at 173 grams per kilometre.
"It is sometimes hard to believe that the Elise has been around for 20 years," said CEO Jean-Marc Gales. "Over the years we have improved and refined the Elise but we have also ensured that we have retained the purity of the driving experience and for the Elise to remain as the sports car to which other marques aspire."
The Lotus Elise 20th Anniversary Special Edition is already on sale, priced at £39,900 (RM221,400), a £2,700 (RM15,000) premium over the Elise S. Only four "classic Elise" colour choices are available, these being Blue, Green, Yellow and Silver.
Lotus Elise S at Petaling Jaya showroom
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