Lotus bolsters Elise range with new S flagship

Lotus has bolstered its Elise line-up in Australia with the local launch of an updated S flagship, which sprints to 100km/h in a Porsche 911-rivalling 4.6sec, while returning a miserly overall consumption figure of 7.5L/100km.

Priced from $79,990 excluding statutory charges, delivery and dealer costs, the blown Elise S supplements the existing entry-level Elise ($67,990) and the limited-edition Elise Club Racer ($68,990).

Fitted with a new supercharged 1.8-litre engine that pumps out 163kW at 6800rpm and 250Nm at 4600rpm, the 2012 Elise S dishes up 40Nm more twist than its predecessor and, what’s more, the torque curve is also claimed to be flatter than before.

Lotus says the added tractability of the new Elise S enables its driver to more fully and easily exploit the mid-engined sportster’s delicate chassis balance.

The new 2ZRFE engine is equipped with a Roots-type supercharger that’s operated by a crankshaft-driven belt, eliminating the lag you’d traditionally encounter in a turbo engine.

Lotus claims the new supercharger incorporates the latest technology, including the Eaton TVS Twin Vortices Series that reduces noise, vibration and harshness compared to other types of blowers.
 
Additional gains are made via an air-to-water intercooler that pumps denser air into the engine, thereby boosting its volumetric efficiency. Packaging efficiencies are also optimised as the intake manifold, intercooler and supercharger all integrated into a single lightweight casing.
 
Another new addition is an oil cooler that extends engine life, reduces the heat load on the engine and radiator, increases the oil capacity and reduces under-bonnet temperatures.
 
Further enhancing the driveability of the Lotus Elise S is a revised gearbox with new first and second gears that enable 100km/h to be reached without a dogleg shift into third gear and a taller sixth gear for relaxed and economical cruising.
 
The Elise S also ushers in an upgraded chassis electronics package with mods to the Lotus Dynamic Performance Management system (DPM) that are claimed to make it less intrusive than before.

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