The review carThere aren't that many models to choose from. We tried the 'basic' model, which is the Lotus Elise with a 1.8 litre 16v engine. Driving experience'Oh dearie me, what was that' along with 'oh my god, I'm going to die' were the two quotes that seemed to most effectively sum up the Lotus Elise - both uttered with an out-of-breath grin plastered across our faces, of course.On paper, the Elise doesn't look all that exciting. 1.8 liter engine? Whatever. 120 horsepower? Yawn. No turbo or supercharger? Why do we bother. 126 mph top speed? My cousin's double-glazing van can do better than that on a good day!Further down the spec sheet, you come across the reasons why the Lotus Elise is a car that has stepped into the realms of the supercar, however: For the sake of the article, let's compare the Lotus Elise to a Porsche 911. The Elise weighs half as much as the Porsche. And the Porsche is nearly 3 times more powerful (325 horsepower). Yet the Elise will get to 62 mph in only 0.7 seconds after the 3 times more expensive German.Sure, so the Elise has the most fiddly openable roof we have seen in a long time, doesn't have ABS brakes, airbags, or any of that lark. There isn't even a stereo. But anyone who clambers (and you will clamber - it isn't the easiest car to get in and out of ) behind the wheel of a Lotus and then starts complaining about the lack of comfort, has misunderstood somewhere along the line.The Elise is not quite a stripped-to-basics race-car, but it certainly isn't far off: There is an engine, a chassis, some suspension, and a set of wheels. But the engine does the trick, the chassis is as rigid as they come, and the suspension is some of the best balanced we've ever felt on a road car.Acceleration is where this little monster wins all its bonus points: 0-62 mph in 5.7 seconds - and on to 100 mph in only 11 seconds - means that you will have a lot more fun under the speed limits than you will above them. In practice, this means that the Lotus is the ideal sportscar for British speed legislation. And of course, the testosterone-ridden part of us can't help but smirk when we leave another hapless chav behind to eat our dust at the stoplights. Not that we would condone that sort of behaviour, of course.Chucking this car around on the twisting roads of rural Ireland, we had a few near-death experiences, but far more fully-alive moments. The rain streams down, but it would just be offensive to leave the roof closed. The trick? If you drive fast enough, the rain gets picked up in the airstream and drops off behind your car. If only it hadn't been for those pesky stoplights…On the road, the Elise is supremely useful, and very communicative. This means that it is a far less comfortable car than most of us are used to, but it also means that more experienced drivers can push the Elise to its limits, whilst staying in control at all times. Weight transfer when accelerating or braking, tyre friction, roll centers - all that race-car talk suddenly makes sense when you are sat behind the wheel of an Elise.The sound. The sound of the Elise is absolutely spine-tickling. Accelerating calmly, the deep note right behind you is quite something. When you get it up to revs, though, it sounds like a hive of mighty angry bees (and very big ones, at that). Are urging the car forward. The rush of the concerto behind you, whilst feeling the pressure from the chair behind you as you are forced back, is not entirely like a rollercoaster. Except this time you are not on the track - you are piloting it.All in all, the Elise gives an experience quite unlike any other vehicle - and with a list price of only £23K, it is actually vaguely affordable. So, should you buy one?We wouldn't do much long-distance driving in it, as it's too noisy and tiring for comfort. You feel every little bump in the road. But if you happen to have a few grand laying around, and fancy one of the most fun cars money can buy, get one!
