2011 Lotus Elise

We here in the U.S. have only had access to the Lotus Elise since 2004, but elsewhere in the world, the car has existed in its current form since 2000. Although its relative rarity mitigates the perception that it is aging, the little rocket is still due for a face lift. Lotus isn’t fully revamping the car for 2011, but a mild update is in the cards for the world’s smallest provider of huge thrills.

The biggest change is actually one that we won’t see in the U.S.—the addition of a 1.6-liter four-cylinder to the lineup to power base cars. The 134-hp four will stay in Europe, while we on this side of the ocean will retain our choice of naturally aspirated or supercharged 1.8-liter fours making 189 and 218 hp, respectively.

No Such Thing as a Mature Lotus

What we will see here are a series of small changes to the body. Up front, a new fascia consolidates the various intake elements into one, Miata–like grin—now sans strakes—while single-element headlights replace the staggered-size units occupying the previous Elise’s hood. The strakes are similarly deleted from the cooling intakes positioned on the hips and the taillight panel, which now stretches uninterrupted across the rump. A new, thicker bumper otherwise unclutters the rear end and sits above a wider diffuser.

Two new wheel designs are available, one of which weighs only 65 pounds per set of four. The biggest news for daily users of the Elise (Hi, Caswell!) is that the trunk can now be opened from inside the car, rather than relying solely on the key fob to be unlocked. Also, there is now a tiny Elise graphic on the new LED turn-signal element, so there’s that.