A History Of Lotus Eile Cars And Model Guide Part 6

Picture Of Lotus Elise Cars

Lotus Series 1 50th Anniversary Edition (1998)

This is a special edition car based on the standard model. It was launched in late 1998 and only 50 were produced. It was available in one colour only, a metallic green with two tone green/beige leather seats & gold wheels.

A History Of Lotus Eile Cars And Model Guide Part 5

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Lotus Series 1 Elise Sport 135 (1998)

The Sport 135 was first launched as a limited run of 50 in November 1998, VIN: X 5401 - 5450. It has some improvements to increase the power to 135bhp (although it seems 145bhp is not unusual). Other additions include close-ratio gearbox, sports exhaust, drilled brake discs (cast iron), blue tinted metallic silver paint (Quicksilver), dark blue hood, corbeau sport seats, silver roll over bar, racing steering wheel, headlamp covers, driving lights, and unique Sport 135 body graphics. The catalytic converter is replaced by a through pipe which means the car has to be homologated and this is the main reason for the limited first production run.

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The second batch of cars were produced for the 1999 year (VIN: X 6001 - 6035) and had 111S wheels, tyres and spats, black painted fuel filler cap, matt finish alloy gear knob and Sport 135 '99' decals.

A History Of Lotus Eile Cars And Model Guide Part 4

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Lotus Series 1 Elise GT1 (1997)

In 1997 Lotus unveiled the Lotus Elise GT1, a derivative of the Lotus Elise and powered by a 3.5 litre eight-cylinder engine with 580bhp. The body is carbon-fibre. Performance is 0-60 in 3.8 seconds, and top speed is 200 mph.

A History Of Lotus Eile Cars And Model Guide Part 3

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Lotus Series 1 Elise

Besides the standard higher-performance variants listed below, Lotus also released some limited edition models such as Sport 135 (1998/9) with approx 145 bhp (108 kW; 147 PS), Sport 160 (2000) with 150�160 bhp (112�119 kW; 152�162 PS), and Sport 190 (190 bhp (142 kW; 193 PS)).

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These were more competent on track with sports suspension, wheels and tires, seats according to model. There were other special editions such as the 50th Anniversary Edition (green/gold) celebrating 50 years of Lotus cars, the Type 49 ("Gold Leaf" red and white two-tone), and Type 79 ("JPS" black/gold) which refers to its successful Grand Prix car type numbers.

A History Of Lotus Eile Cars And Model Guide Part 2

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Lotus Series 1 Elise

In accord with founder Colin Chapman's saying "Simplify, then add lightness," Lotus cars are built lightweight to achieve great performance. In its production form, the 1996 Lotus Elise weighed 725 kg (1,600 lb).

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The Series 1 Elise was able to accelerate 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 5.8 seconds despite its relatively low power output of 118 bhp (88 kW; 120 PS). Braking, cornering, and fuel consumption are also improved by the car's reduced weight.

Picture Of Lotus Elise Cars

Series 1 was designed by Julian Thomson, then head of design at Lotus, and Richard Rackham, Lotus's chief engineer.