Overview & Reviews

Founded in Britain, Lotus is very much a specialty outfit, with output limited to high-performance racecars and sports cars known for their sleek and lightweight designs. Though its cars are prized by enthusiasts seeking maximum handling performance, Lotus has never been particularly keen on sales volume, and it rarely has more than one or two models for sale at a time.

The marque was founded by racing enthusiast Anthony Colin Chapman. The first Lotus was built in 1948, and used by Chapman to compete in races. By 1955, Chapman had officially formed Lotus Cars Ltd. A company milestone was reached two years later with the unveiling of the innovative Lotus Elite. This remarkably light coupe owed its featherweight status to its fiberglass unibody construction. Though the use of fiberglass for a car's body wasn't unique, the Elite was the first vehicle to use this material both in its skeleton and its skin. The resultant weight savings helped the Elite to distinguish itself at Le Mans and other notable races around the world.

The 1960s saw Lotus expanding its line with the addition of the Elan. First available as a roadster, the car offered a twin-cam engine, four-wheel disc brakes and a four-wheel independent suspension. Hardtop versions were later offered. By 1967, Lotus had added the Elan Plus 2 to its lineup. Dubbed Lotus' first family car, the Plus 2 was just as sporty as the Elan, but more practical thanks to a bigger cabin and the addition of two jump seats.

Lotus discontinued the Elite in 1972, but the name was revived in 1974. The new Elite was a four-passenger model with a 160-horsepower engine. Two years later, the Lotus family grew yet again, with the addition of the Esprit. The two-seat sports car continued Lotus' ethos of lightweight design, and it was instantly recognizable due to its distinctive wedge-shaped exterior and appearance in two James Bond movies.

Movie stardom aside, this was not a good decade for Lotus. The brand's vehicles had evolved significantly since the first Elite cruised off showroom floors. But Lotus cars of the 1970s were bigger and more expensive than their predecessors, and the brand had muscled its way into a segment populated by the likes of Ferrari and Porsche. Lotus cars were now premium-priced exotics; unfortunately for the brand, this segment saw a dramatic fall-off in demand in the wake of that era's fuel crisis. As a result, the niche-market automaker suffered significant losses.

In 1986, General Motors took full control of Lotus and created Lotus Cars USA in 1987. That relationship lasted until 1993, when GM sold Lotus to Bugatti. Bugatti's ownership was even shorter; Lotus was sold to a Malaysian firm in 1996. The same year, Lotus began producing the flyweight Elise, a car that would quickly become the company's main product and financial savior. The Elise was finally imported to North America in 2004 after safety and emissions considerations were overcome.

Today, Lotus remains true to Chapman's original desire of producing lightweight and race-oriented sports cars. With tight cabin accommodations, a stiff ride and minimal comfort and storage features, modern Lotus cars make poor grocery-getters. But for the enthusiast looking for world-class handling, sporty style and an unfiltered connection between car and driver at a reasonable price, the Lotus brand is hard to beat.

User Reviews:

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  Exige, Mighty Mini Supercar - 2006 Lotus Exige
  By Al B Bach - September 9 - 5:36 pm

  Exige will take youre breath away. Not a practical utilitarian car by any means. This car car is designed for one purpose: to be driven on back twisty roads where the adrenaline flows through your veins. This is a "me" car that spells out individuality with F1 roots. This car is for serious drivers in a small niche track drivers, car enthusiasts and those that want pure performance without killing the pocket book. From its 150lb chassis to the hand layer fiber body it is definitely worth the wait for an order to be processed for the US market. I waited since 2004 for mine since the first US announcement for ramp up in Nov 2005, delivery was Feb 2006. Only 300 made and Im glad I got mine.

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  Simply Awesome! - 2005 Lotus Elise
  By rayenet - July 4 - 9:26 pm

  The most incredible exotic car under $50K.

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  Great Car - 2005 Lotus Elise
  By Jim - April 16 - 11:36 am

  I purchased the car with the idea that I wanted a fun car with a performance bend that I would get good gas mileage and be a good everyday driver. The Lotus met my needs! Its a lot of fun. While it gets good mileage, the small tank needs frequent refills. The interior size is something you have to experience to understand. Once in, its very comfortable. Highly recommend the car!

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  Good Times! - 2005 Lotus Elise
  By Walk - April 10 - 6:16 am

  Wow! Unlike any car Ive ever driven. Fast, fun, great engine, and awesome looks! Not a car for those who dont like attention. This car keeps a 4 foot wide grin on my face. You feel very connected to the road and theres no need for a radio because its more fun to listen to the engine and the car as it reacts to the road. I still cant get over the fact that Lotus was able to get this car into the US. After all, the US is the home of the giant SUV and a small, responsive, light weight roadster is such a welcome breath of fresh air. If you want one, you better contact a Lotus dealer to get your name on the waiting list. Waiting stinks, but for the Elise, its worth it.

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  Purest Sports Car - 2005 Lotus Elise
  By Adrian - April 8 - 5:00 am

  This is absolutely the most fun to drive car in the world. All around performance acceleration, handling, stopping are all remarkable. Its also a beautiful work of art to sit and stare at. A true exotic car at a bargain.

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  Purest Sports Car - 2005 Lotus Elise
  By Adrian - April 8 - 5:00 am

  This is absolutely the most fun to drive car in the world. All around performance acceleration, handling, stopping are all remarkable. Its also a beautiful work of art to sit an stare at. A true Exotic car at a bargain.

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  Like nothing else - 2005 Lotus Elise
  By Bill - April 1 - 11:33 pm

  Ive had the car for 9 months and cant rave about it enough. Ive had my experiences with other exotics and this car just amazes me every time I drive it. My Ferrari is just a memory! I cant believe were fortunate enough to have this genuine hard-core exotic sports car in the US. The build quality is excellent, especially for being hand-built. I have had zero trouble with it and it never fails to bring a smile to my face. If you live to drive quickly and efficiently then this car is for you.

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  Yes I did put a 10 in confort - 2005 Lotus Elise
  By Miguel Parra - March 23 - 3:26 pm

  Most people think this car is unconfortable, specially in the ingress/egress, but every person that gets in and out of my car comes out with a big smile on their faces. Rating this car as a driver car makes more sense to me so I do give it a 10 in all aspects. No other car can comunicate the road to the driver like the Elise does.

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  A Real head turner - 2002 Lotus Esprit
  By LotusOwner - December 7 - 10:00 am

  Exotic looking car. Somewhat practical. What can you say with a car that is only waist height. Getting in and out is difficult. Styling is timeless.

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  Best Sports Car! - 2006 Lotus Elise
  By jhill - November 23 - 9:53 am

  I have been an owner of five Porsches over the past 14 years. I have driven a 968 convertible, 86 911 Carrera that had a race suspension and performance engine, 98 996 S w/turbo body, 03 997 turbo and a 06 Cayman S. All of these cars were amazing and unique, but the Lotus Elise is truly the ride I have been looking for. Yes it is not a Porsche uni-body design and it does lack German engineering, but the feed back and handling is so much like a race car it is truly awesome! The light weight chassis design along with the independent suspension makes this vehicle very unique. For the driver that wants a sports car experience, Lotus is as close as you can get to driving a formula one.