2005 Lotus Elise

Description

Nobody was more fond of the idea of less weight being equal to more horsepower than Colin Chapman, and this 2005 Lotus Elise continues the founder's mission. And while you'll notice some beauty in the car's simplicity, you also never lack the right features. That's why this is the right sports car for a discerning few.

The Elise is small and purposeful, but that's not necessarily your first impression here. The Bordeaux Red Metallic is a fantastic color that looks both bold and sophisticated. And since this car has averaged less than 1,500 miles annually, the factory paint continues to have a fantastic presentation. This high-gloss look just loves to highlight the curves where the headlights meld into the fenders, the air intakes taper into the doors, and the rear spoiler elegantly begins to shape the rear end. And of course, a proper European sports car needs a flying buttress over the rear deck.

The interior gets real drivers excited. This shows the true Lotus engineering where they take out the extra fluff you don't need and instead give you the beauty of engineering. The thin-shell seats are like racing buckets, the steering wheel hangs in space well away from the dash, and the backbone of the car is exposed as it merges into the shifter tower. Big white-faced gauges are reminiscent of a race car, too, and the use of exotic competition materials is left out in the open for everyone to see. If you're looking for massaging seats or other purely superfluous features, then you probably don't understand the appeal of a Lotus. But Lotus understood there were the right needs at this price point, and so this also has a Blaupunkt AM/FM/CD stereo and cold-blowing air conditioning from the factory. And if you even have an issue with headroom in this car, don't forget, you can always take out the targa top.

With so little weight to haul around, the Toyota-sourced 1.8 liter fuel injected motor pushes the Elise around with the athleticism of a Corvette. The valve cover shows Lotus's name and they do get credit for the tuning and software. So you get the right mix of a hardy Japanese backbone, but in a package that's truly a proper Lotus. The exhaust has a fantastic guttural tone as you find the ideal performance rowing through the five-speed manual transmission. Of course, it wouldn't be a Lotus without fantastic handling, and when coupled with a disc brake at all four corners, this is a car that's ready for the track without any major modifications.

We didn't get too many Elises imported to the USA, and so it's often a hunt to find one this well presented with such low mileage. So if you love a Lotus, you know this is the one. Call today!!!