Lotus Elise: Here's how it was born and why it's called that

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Historic cars make us passionate, especially when we see them live. Like at Auto e Moto d'Epoca 2024 (Vintage Cars and Motorcycles 2024).

We are excited by their shapes, mechanical features and also... the memories and stories of the people behind the cars.

In this Motor1.com Talk we tell you one of these stories, linked to the Lotus Elise: that of Elisa Artioli, the person behind the name of the small British sports car.

The name of the Elise

Elisa Artioli was a two-and-a-half year old girl when the Elise was unveiled in 1995 - with her on board - at the Frankfurt Motor Show. And from that moment on, her story has been linked to this Lotus: ever since she got her driving licence, Elisa has been driving a first series Elise and has bought the last Elise produced at the British factory in Hethel.

We spoke to her about a sports car that has remained in the hearts of enthusiasts for its lightness and pure driving experience. It all began with the entrepreneurial adventure of her grandfather, Romano Artioli (at that time also involved in the relaunch of another car brand: Bugatti), who wanted to return Lotus to the values of its founder, Colin Chapman.

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The lightness of aluminium

Lightness, above all else. And so it was that for the inner structure of the Lotus Elise a construction technique new to the automotive sector was chosen involving the use of aluminium components made by extrusions and then assembled by gluing (or bonding as it's technically known). It was decided to imitate a solution adopted in aeronautics to connect metal elements without welding, so as not to alter the physical properties or composition of the materials. 

Compared to riveting, there was also the advantage of keeping weight down and improving stress distribution: the chassis thus weighed 68 kg, around half of an equivalent steel one, with a torsional stiffness of over 11,000 Nm per degree. Furthermore, this chassis also represented a styling element of the Elise, as it remained visible in the cockpit, as on racing cars. 

Lotus Elise S1, the first series

To take full advantage of this lightweight construction, the Rover 'K series' 4-cylinder 1.8-litre 120 PS engine was also chosen with weight in mind. The same applies to the braking system, without power assistance, equipped with aluminium-based metal matrix composite (MMC) discs with magnesium alloy callipers. These as well as other technical choices were among the features that characterised the first generation of the Elise (1996 - 2001). 

In later evolutions the little Lotus was equipped with more powerful engines, as was the case with the Sport 135 version. The VVC variable valve timing system was then introduced on the Elise 111 S, producing 145 PS, rising to 160 PS on the Elise Sport 160 and 177 PS on the limited 340 R series with completely modified fibreglass bodywork.

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Lotus Elise S2, the second series

From 2001 the baton passed to the Lotus Elise S2, with redesigned aesthetics and limited modifications to the chassis, aimed essentially at improving accessibility and space in the passenger compartment, which was also revised in terms of interior trim. 

This project also allowed a variant to be produced for General Motors, the Opel Speedster, leaving Lotus with the Rover K Series engine, which was later also joined by a Toyota power unit.

After the Sport 135 version, which offered more power than the 122 PS of the standard Elise S2, the range expanded with the Elise 111 and 111 S equipped with VVC variable valve timing and 160 PS, in addition to the 111 R of 2004 powered by the 192 PS 1.8 Toyota 2JZ-GE VVTL-i engine. In 2006, in order to offer a new entry-level engine, the Elise S was equipped with another Toyota 1.8 engine (1ZZ-FE), with 136 PS and 5-speed gearbox.

The Elise SC followed with an engine with a volumetric compressor coupled to the Toyota 2ZZ-GE, with 222 PS.

Lotus Elise S3, the third series

With the new European anti-pollution regulations coming into force in 2011, the Euro 5 standard brings a new range of engines to the Elise. The entry version has a 1.6 Toyota 1ZR-FAE engine with 136 PS, later joined by the Elise S with 1.8 Toyota 2ZR-FE engine combined with a volumetric compressor, for a total of 220 PS, effectively replacing the previous Elise SC. In the meantime, a restyling was also introduced, redesigning the front and rear bodywork and introducing a new dashboard.

More about the Elisa Artioli:

The successor to the Lotus Elise will happen, but innovation is needed

5 questions with Lotus Elise namesake Elisa Artioli

Perfect ending: Last Lotus Elise handed over to Elisa Artioli

The Lotus Elise was named after this woman