2008 Lotus Elise

Review

Well, they did it. After making a number of subtle improvements to the 2007 Elise last year, Lotus went and pumped

up the powertrain by strapping on a supercharger and now the little intergalactic missile has gone galactic.

The Elise was already near perfect from a driving dynamics standpoint, and being that the exclusive new non-intercooled supercharger hardly adds much weight (17.6 lbs), its balance remains ideal while power from the rear wheels is now monumental. OK, this day and age, 218-horsepower from a four-cylinder isn't anything to get too excited about. I mean, there are numerous hot hatches out there that make as much and more, although all of them weigh hundreds if not thousands of pounds in excess of the little Elise SC. This is the deciding factor, and why a car with a massaged 1.8-liter Toyota engine can keep up with the Ferraris and Lamborghinis of the world.

I took to the sunny streets of Vancouver in my hardly subtle metal-fleck orange example pulling more eyeballs than a more expensive Porsche 911 ever could. The Lotus, despite being reasonably priced, is quite rare, and I'm guessing

that even if the car was more popular its curvaceous bodywork would still draw crowds. Then again, it might be the raucous blat from the chrome-tipped center-mounted exhaust pipe that first grabs attention from passersby. It's not as loud as the aftermarket exhaust-equipped naturally aspirated Elise that I tested a couple of years ago, also painted orange, but the stock system emits an angry snarl when getting deep into the throttle, and that's an activity you'll be hard pressed not to exercise.

It's a fabulous sound, more upscale than a Japanese tuner car despite the engine's origins, but more purposeful about its business than the mellifluous song of a Ferrari. The note really typifies the car, refined over the years but still little more than a lightweight track machine with just enough regulated requisites to make it street legal. My example had the Touring package, making it more accommodating for everyday driving with full leather covered seats, leather door trim, a thermal and sound insulated soft top, more sound insulation throughout

the cabin, a full set of carpets (don't worry as the aluminum floor still shows through in front of the seats), a stowage net, and an upgraded audio system with iPod connectivity. Yes, I know that now would be a good time to slot in that ubiquitous auto journalist comment about the engine sounding so great that the audio system and its iPod connection hardly matters, but as much as I love the Elise SC's mechanical cacophony I love my music collection more (I'm an ex-pro musician after all), so the Touring edition would be my choice.

The sound deadening and carpeting (also with anti-resonant characteristics) makes a massive difference too, taking it from a hardcore racer to a more civilized beast, while the leather is wonderfully soft and supple, with ample lateral support from the seat design so that there's no concern about sliding around on a slipperier surface than the standard material.

According

to my local Lotus dealer the Touring package is not only the most popular choice, fitted to about 95-percent of all Elise's sold, but there's just no other way to go unless you're at the track or autocross course racing the car every Saturday and Sunday. And that in mind, unless some weekend warrior with a track-prepped Elise SC happens to show up at your local course when you arrive, there won't be many if any who'll be able to keep up.

Yes, the Elise, whether supercharged or base is as deft a handler as you'll ever find, absolutely planted at high-speed and capable of holding ground through the corners against anything this side of a track-specific race car, like Lotus' very own 2-Eleven. I didn't have opportunity to take the SC out on the track, but previously I've track tested the base 190-horsepower Elise and the 220-horsepower supercharge Exige S coupe, and believe me when I say that it's the stuff of legend. Instead, this time around I used my two unofficial test tracks, one that winds its way up to a local ski resort via wide-open straights, long sweeping corners and fabulous hairpins connected together by a strip of undulating, choppy, mismatched pavement that only adds to the intensity at speed, and the other a beautifully paved albeit outrageously narrow and wickedly circuitous back road that snakes its way through towering firs, cedars and spruces as it makes its way out to a remote waterfront community (i.e. very little traffic). With the top removed the trees appeared to close in on the car, enveloping us in a darkness even its nuclear paint scheme couldn't seemingly escape from, but the 218-horsepower four, spinning close to its 8,500 rpm redline between shifts, sped along with the schizoid adrenaline release of a spooked Albert Hofmann on a bad trip (or maybe Abbie Hoffman as they both did a lot of acid).

It's a crazed

little car either way, manic when at its limit and then strangely docile when its rear end breaks away, sliding sideways so predictably that you'd swear it was electronically programmed via a state-of-the-art stability system to react exactly this way. My test car had traction control, and as useful as this was to get off the line quickly, especially in the wet, it doesn't interfere with the car's natural tendency to oversteer one iota. If oversteer isn't your thing, even as controlled as the Elise SC's capability is, just dial back the fun-meter by a tenth and it'll keep its big fat Yokohama Advan Neova 225/45R17s between the yellow lines all day long. It's only when you push it beyond reason that its rear steps out, although if you ask me, living beyond reason is exactly what two-place sports cars are all about.

Take-off

is blisteringly quick, with a zero to 60 mph sprint needing a mere 4.4 seconds and 100 mph arriving only 6.3 seconds later for a total of 10.7, before a top-speed of 150 mph, but compared to the almost frantic Exige S the Elise SC accelerates in a more composed, progressive fashion that makes it easier to drive on the road, and easier for average drivers to get the most out of.

Yes, supercar performance from a fuel-friendly Toyota-sourced 1.8-liter four-cylinder capable of an EPA city/highway combined rating of 22 mpg... not if you drive like that, however. Such numbers and the aforementioned handling is directly related to the car's spritely 2,014-pound curb weight; yes, hardly more than a smart car.

While

the engine comes from Toyota (rice rocket enthusiasts will remember it from the ultra-rev-happy Celica GT-S), its electronics are pure Lotus and the rotor pack non-intercooled Eaton-type supercharger in this SC model was design by Lotus and is produced by Magnuson especially for the top-line Elise. Along with horsepower on top it adds torque at the lower end, with an additional 20 lb-ft for a 13-percent increase to 153. Again, while 153 lb-ft of torque sounds like economy car stuff, all you need to do is factor in the car's curb weight and the 4.4-second sprint to 60 begins to make sense.

Braking is equally stunning thanks to four-wheel ABS-enhanced cross-drilled rotors with AP Racing aluminum twin-piston calipers up front and Brembo single-piston sliding calipers in the rear. Moderate pedal pressure brings strong reaction, although they're not grabby at all, with a nice, smooth and progressive feel.

The SC

model is easy to pick out from a block or two away thanks to a new rear spoiler that generates 92 pounds of downforce at 100 mph, and an exclusive set of light alloy 5-dual-spoke rims that are particularly attractive.

As mentioned, my Elise SC came with the Touring Package, but it also featured a hardtop that wasn't in place during my drive and traction control, which can be defeated easily, plus special Lifestyle paint, all totaling $59,270. Nix these extras sand you can get into an SC for $54,500, and totally load one up with everything Lotus has to offer and you won't even hit the $70k mark ($68,060 actually). In other words, even if you're feeling the pinch from the global economic downturn with watery eyes bloodshot from the thought of selling off your Corvette Z06, Ferrari F430 and Porsche GT3, there's still hope. You can pick up an Elise SC for a fraction of the cost and leave your friends who pulled out of the market earlier way behind in their “supercars”. Who gets the last laugh now?! Even better (or at least as good), your Elise is a true green-blooded fuel miser that'll win over all those cute idealistic Rainbow Warriors while simultaneously keeping you grinning at the pump.

It's a win-win purchase any way you look at it, the perfect sports car for our times.