Supercharger for Elise

The supercharged Lotus Elise SC is the low-volume sports car manufacturer's latest model to reach Australia. Fitted with the Toyota-sourced 2-ZZ VVTL-i engine, the Elise SC develops 162kW of power and can reach 100km/h from a standing start in 4.6 seconds.

"The Elise SC combines the practicality of the Elise with its removable roof, great vision and superb response, with the exceptional performance of a supercharger installation," says Jonathan Stretton, Sales & Marketing Manager for Lotus Cars Australia.

"The new Elise SC is a formidable package, the very essence of what a real sports car is all about."

Whilst the basic powerplant is shared with the Exige, the Elise SC makes do with a smaller rotor pack for the supercharger and forgoes the Exige's intercooler. These changes keep the Elise SC's weight down by 8kg and result in a better field of vision to the rear than is the case for the Exige.

Lotus has tuned the supercharged engine -- with the Eaton M45 rotor pack stuffed into a one-piece casting integrated with the intake manifold plenum chamber -- for on-road driveability, rather than the focused track-day response of the Exige.

As one example of this school of thought in action, the variable camshaft timing varies automatically between 4000 and 6200rpm, according to how the car is being driven at the time, allowing a more linear response on the road.

Driving through a six-speed manual transmission, the engine propels the Elise SC to a top speed of 241km/h, yet will return a fuel consumption figure of 8.5L/100km. Light weight is one of the key factors in the Lotus achieving supercar performance and shopping trolley fuel economy. Kerb mass is just 870kg, barely 10kg more than the Lotus Elise S, for a 62 per cent improvement in power. Developing 212Nm at 5000rpm, the Elise SC also produces 15 per cent more power and 17 per cent more torque than the Elise R.

Visual cues and convenience features that distinguish the Elise SC from other models include: an exclusive rear spoiler, a new 17-inch alloy wheel in a six-spoke design (with rear wheels measuring 8-inch width), a new instrument cluster with service interval warnings and a standard alarm/immobiliser.

ABS-capable brakes comprise AP Racing calipers at the front and Brembo calipers at the rear, both operating on ventilated and cross-drilled disc rotors.

For 2008, the company has revised the exterior colour range. Instrumentation now features black-faced dials and an LCD message panel.

As for the 08MY Exige (more here), Lotus has also simplified the option packs for the entire Elise range, reducing the number from four to two:

Elise Touring pack ($8000)
Full leather or Microfibre suede-effect interior
ProBax Seats
Leather trimmed centre console and handbrake gaiter
Sound system iPod connection
Full carpets (Black), with embroidered 'Elise' logo
Auxiliary driving lights
Sound insulation paneling
Retractable aluminium cup holder

Elise Sport ($7000)
Bilstein sports dampers
Lotus switchable traction control
Twin oil coolers
ProBax Sport seats with harness eyelets
Seven-twin spoke ultra lightweight forged wheels (Hi-power Silver) with standard AD07 tyres

Touring and Sport packs can also be combined. Price for the Lotus Elise SC is $104,990.

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