km : Automotive News

It's great being a small company. Lotus, thanks to this, is able to make small incremental changes to its models each year, whereas all the larger manufacturers have a full lineup of crossovers, sedans, and everything else to think about, meaning those tweaks are fewer and further between. Lotus's Elise, for example, seems to get some new addition each year. Be it a newer, faster model, or more creature comforts for those hardcore buyers who use their cars as daily drivers. But for the 2011 model year, Lotus is going a bit bigger than usual.

The Elise's changes are most evident up front, where the car gets a whole new face that's meant to bring it more in line with the new Evora, which is a bit more elegant and less insect-like than the Elise has always been. Each headlight/turn signal assembly is now worked into one housing as opposed to the two on each side of earlier cars. The grille grows more prominent and looks happier, while new vents at each of the front corners are more graceful. If you can spot any changes at the rear of the car, you have a sharper eye than us. A new 17-inch wheel choice is borrowed from the Evora as well.



In terms of less visual changes, we're told the new Elise finally gets an option of cruise control, and we suspect that too is a result of Evora development. Beneath the skin, all 2011 Elises use a six-speed manual mated to either a 192 hp normally-apsirated engine or a 217-hp supercharged variant. There's also an entry-level model using a slower, 1.6-liter version of Lotus' Toyota-sourced four-cylinder, but we suspect that will remain over on the company's own side of the Atlantic.

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