T
106 MODERNCLASSICS
ADS ON TEST
SP ECIFICATIONS
Engine 17 96cc,4-cyl,DOHC
TransmissionRWD,5-speedmanual
Power 11 8bhp@5500rpm
Torque 12 2lb-ft@3000rpm
Weight 75 5kg
PERFORMANCE
0-60mph 5.5sec
Topspeed 124mph
Economy 34 mpg
CHOOSEYOURLO TUSELISE(SERIESI)
19 96:TheElise,namedafterthe
gr anddaughterof Lotusowner
RomanoArtioli,is launchedto an
ea gerpublic,it'san instanthit.
19 98:TheSport 135 model
(e xtra17bhpandtricksuspension)
is addedto theline-upallowing
th e Lotuschassisto reallyshine.
19 99:MG'sVVCK-Seriesengine
is addedto theElisealongwitha
close-ratiotransmissionto create
th e 111S.A bit moreseatpadding
anda rearspoileralsoappeared.
20 00:Arguablythe'ultimate'
Se riesI Elisearrivesin theformof
th e 340R.Limitedto just 340
built,thistrack-focusedspecial
weighedjust701kg.A roofis
added to make theExigecoupe.
20 01:HeavierSII takesover.
INSURANCEQUOTE
Policy £330, with £450
excess. Free legal coverand
agreed value available.
Quote based on a 39-year-old
se lf-employed male, nopointson his
licence, living in Peterborough.
Car is garaged, 3000 milesper year
and with comprehensive cover.
Call 0800 085 5000 for your quote.
LOTUS ELISE
(SERIES I)
AnoriginalandunmolestedElisethathasn't
beenthrashedontrack- wortha looksurely?
hereare fewgreater
pleasuresin motoring
th anblastingan
or iginalElisedowna B-roadon
a su nnyday.Thislightweight
sp ortscar remindedtheworld
why theNorfolkfirm's
re putationas a legendary
ch assisbuilderwaswholly
de served. It also steadied the
ship and ensured Lotus stayed
buoyant for decades to come.
This Elise is certainly a rarity.
It's only covered a handful of
miles and has clearly been
cherished by its two owners. It's
being offered for sale by The
Private Collection in Oxfordshire.
Uponcloseinspectionwhat's
immediatelystrikingis thelack
of stonechipson thefrontend.
Th e cheekyfrog-likesnout
ho versinchesfromthesurface
of theroadandit'softenfirstin
th e firinglineof errantpebbles.
Not so here.Thecar sporteda
pr otectivefilmcoatingfromnew
an d when this was peeled back
the nose was given some fresh
Azure Blue paint. Therefore it
remains spotless.
The first owner kept the car
for 16 years and always serviced
it on time at his local specialist
garage. The second owner was
the first's neighbour. He had the
cambeltchangedin 2015and
re placedthebatteryin 2018.
Th ere'salsoa big bill fora
replacementheadgasketanda
to p endvalve-stemsealrefresh
in theextensiveservicehistory
fo lder.Thisworkwascarriedout
lessthan 3000 milesago
le adingto furtherpeaceof mind
fo r thenewowner.
Asyou'dexpectof a car that's
li vedsucha charmedlife,this
El isedrivesfaultlessly.The
re sponseremainsas razorsharp
asit alwayswaswiththe
st eeringandchassisreacting
wi thouttheslightestdelayto
dr iverinputs.Thegearchange
re mains tight and mechanical in
operation, free of any slop. Even
the trim has survived without
any significant signs of wear.
The tyres are a near-new set
of Yokohama A052s all round
and they just grip and grip. The
K-Series engine over the
shoulder sounds sweet and revs
as vigorously as ever. There's no
nasty clonks or ticks hinting at
anything less than a motor that's
in rude health.
A good Elise should be very
high up the list of anyone's ideal
old car collection. Rarely has an
Elise owner had the self restraint
to resist regularly taking theirs
out for a quick thrash, making
this one quite special.
COST NEW
£18,99 0
PRICE
£18,95 0
LOTUS ELISE (SERIES I)
Year 1998
Mileage 16,769
On sale at The Private Collection
theprivatecollection.co.uk
