Lotus has a new entry level car: the Elise S. It has a 136 ps version of the 1.8 liters Toyota Variable Valve Timing engine, it can go from 0-100 km/h in 6.3 seconds and it can reach a top speed of 205 km/h, at a cost starting from 35.400 € in mainland Europe.

Henceforth, the Elise 111R, which costs 8.000 € more, will be known as the Elise R.

The official Lotus press release follows below. More photos will come as soon as the Lotus media site comes unstuck.

The new Lotus Elise S : Lotus re-enters the mainstream sportscar market with a vengeance!

Lotus is back with an entry level Elise that is set to propel the
Hethel based sports car manufacturer further up the sales charts. The loss
of the K series engine had temporarily created a hole in Lotus’ portfolio
and its disappearance from the range was not good news for Pure sportscar
lovers right across the globe.

The challenge of ‘plugging the gap’ has now been spectacularly
addressed with the launch of the new Lotus Elise S -a car that will cover
0-100 km/h in a very impressive 6.3 seconds, yet sell for below EUR36.000 in
lower-tax countries.

Lotus has shoehorned in a high technology 1.8-litre 136 PS Variable
Valve Timing Toyota engine, which perfectly complements the phenomenal
handling characteristics of the Lotus Elise. This delivers a cracking new
entry-level car, capable of taking you from 0 - 100 km/h in 6.3 seconds and
onto a top speed of 205km/h, law permitting!

As the new entry-level car, the Elise S may not be the fastest or
quickest Elise in the range, but the acceleration, performance and handling
is class leading in its price bracket and belies the cost and real substance
engineered into the new vehicle - what other roadster at this price can
reach 100 km/h in 6.3 seconds? For the sake of comparison, a 2.0 litre MX-5
reaches the same speed in 7.9 seconds (Source Mazda Germany website June
06)

Add this to one of the lowest depreciation rates of any car in the
market and the purchase of the new Elise S becomes one of the soundest
retail propositions to be found.

The Lotus Elise S is built around the revolutionary and award
winning extruded and bonded aluminium chassis, with a lightweight steel rear
subframe. The chassis itself weighs just 68 kg and has a stiffness of 9,500
Nm per degree.

The body design remains unchanged from the classic 192 PS Lotus
Elise R (with the launch of the Elise S, the Elise 111r will become known as
the Elise R) - why change the award-winning aerodynamic package and an
elegant Lotus design just for the sake of it?

The car’s standard specification will also delight, as nothing has
been removed from the car to undermine the real value for money proposition
afforded by Lotus’ new ‘firecracker’.

The full Lotus Elise option menu is also available on Elise S, with
the exception of a limited slip differential, ensuring the new car is easy
to personalize to a customer’s individual requirements and preferences.

The driving experience

How does just 136 PS (100 kW) deliver such phenomenal performance?
First of all, the maximum power output is achieved at near maximum
revs (engine speed) of 6,200 rpm and maximum torque (a respectable 172 Nm)
is reached at 4,200 rpm. This gives a good combination of mid range pull but
also encourages the driver to rev the engine to the maximum permitted engine
speed of 6,800 rpm. A bright red LED “change-up light” tells the driver when
to change gear, the point of illumination from the “red-line” variable and
dependent on the gear selected.

Driving any Elise is an experience like no other - and the Elise S
is no different. Few cars can match the delicacy and accuracy of the
steering, throttle and brakes. Only a Lotus has the relatively soft springs
and firm damping to give superb body control and a truly exhilarating ride.
And only a Lotus can turn in such performance with such minimal
environmental impact in terms of emissions and fuel consumption.

It’s all down to light weight.

Weighing in at just 860 kg, the Lotus Elise S is not just one of the
lightest fully homologated sportscars in the world, but also one of the
lightest cars in the world, period!

Lightweight has benefits for acceleration, the environment,
handling, ride comfort and braking.

Braking comes from AP Racing callipers at the front and Brembo
Calipers at the rear linked to 282 mm vented and cross-drilled cast iron
discs - you can never call an Elise under braked!

The advanced ABS system incorporates an anti-lock system which is
very unobtrusive and most drivers will not even notice that it is there -
unless it is needed of course and even then, the system keeps a subtly low
profile.

The ABS system is linked to a lightweight pedal box with steel pedal
arms and extruded aluminium pads. This unit also has an electronic (drive-by-wire) throttle for quick, smooth and more linear engine response.

Mike Kimberley, CEO of Group Lotus plc explains: “The arrival of our
new Elise S is good news for lovers of Pure sportscars in all intended
markets. The value for money proposition offered by the car is second to
none and takes the wonderful Lotus Elise range back into the heart of the
mainstream sportscar market. We now have a Lotus Elise to tempt the existing
or would-be MX-5 or MG driver away from these altogether more cosmetic
offerings. They now have an opportunity to get back into a car that is the
very essence of what, in our view, a real sportscar should be all about!”

The Lotus Elise S is priced at:

Mainland Europe: From EUR 35.400 depending on individual
market taxes (Germany EUR35.400, France EUR36.500, Italy EUR37.936, Switzerland SFr. 52.100)

Market Availability

UK: From July 2006
Mainland EU: From July 2006
Japan and APac: From September 2006
USA: There are no plans to launch the Elise S in the USA market
for homologation reasons

Notes:

With the launch of the Elise S, the Elise 111r will become known as
the Elise R. In addition to this nomenclature change, the Elise R will also
feature the current Touring Pack as standard equipment. The recommended
retail price of the Elise R is from EUR 44.250 depending on individual
market taxes. For those customers who prefer their Elise R to have no
Touring pack, there is the option to delete it. The Elise R is also
differentiated from the Elise S through 8-spoke alloy wheels and raised
LOTUS lettering on the rear.

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