2003 Lotus Elise

“ With Nitron adjustable suspension, JanSpeed exhaust, custom rear grills plus John Seal extras including rear lower diffuser. ”
Elise Parts Hard Top included.

Background
If the aim of the Lotus Elan M100 was to save the company, the Elise was the car that actually did.

First unveiled in 1996, the original Elise weighs as little as 723kgs, which is crazily light for a production car and this absence of mass was achieved through two main engineering strands, the first of which was to use aluminium to build its core.

Extruded aluminium sections are glued and rivetted together and then reinforced by the addition of flat aluminium panels. Aluminium is strong and light anyway, but it makes for a very light but stiff structure when it is used in this way, allowing the suspension to do its thing without being undermined by a flexing chassis that alters the geometry.

The second strand was to give it bugger all equipment, which is in keeping with Colin Chapman’s philosophy of “simplify, and then add lightness.”

Designed by Julian Thomson and Richard Rackham, the original cars like this one might have been powered by a Rover K-Series engine but even 118bhp gives a power-to-weight ratio sufficient to see 62mph coming up in around six seconds.

And while the Elise’s top speed was a relatively poor-on-paper 126mph, the way it got there was what hooks owners, even today; knee-high to a grasshopper, the Elise connected the driver to the road in a way that no-one bar Caterham owners had experienced for a very long time.

And boy, do they handle. A low centre-of-gravity, supple but firmly damped suspension, and an absence of mass conspires with super-direct steering to give a level of handling and roadholding that streets ahead of most road cars.

Its tyres are narrower than you might expect but they grip hard – and when they do let go they do so in a progressive way that is easy to catch. Drivers need only a modicum of talent to drive an Elise quickly; it’s the ones with no commonsense that come unstuck…

Overview
A 2002 Lotus Elise with fewer than 60,000 miles on the clock, ‘AV02 WBX’ has been in the seller’s care since 2024. He searched wide and far to find the best possible example because he had a very specific role in mind for his new Elise.

The ultimate track day weapon – and what a great job he’s made of it.

The suspension might be a bit on the hard side for daily use but then that’s the price you pay when you fit expensive Nitron adjustable suspension and ultra-expensive Braid forged aluminium wheels.

Braking is taken care of via Pagid blue pads that clamp new ventilated discs, while the exhaust system is one of Janspeed’s finest.

The bodywork has also been blessed with upgrades that include Jon Seal’s lower rear diffuser, complemented by side skirts, and lip and rear spoilers in addition to custom rear grilles – all of which makes the investment of a PPF package to protect the paintwork feel like money well-spent.

There’s an Elise longtail hardtop too, and the driver’s seat features adjustable air bolsters. Sourced – again – from Jon Seal, they help make the seat as comfortable as it is supportive.

And yet, for all the time (and money; it cost him lots and lots of money) he’s only been able to find the time to complete three track days, and rather than let it go to waste, he’s happy to pass it on to someone who’ll be able to use it in a way he simply isn’t able to.

Estimate: £17,000 - £22,000

View The Current Bid Price HERE