Lotus->ke49 promised a trio of sports cars occupying their space at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show and, next to the new generation Exige S and the Exige R-GT, that promise has been delivered with a new addition to the Elise->ke1678 lineup: the Elise S. This new model will replace the existing Elise SC which just displayed its final hoorah with the special edition Elise SC Final Edition.

The Lotus Elise first appeared about 15 years ago and promised the performance of a supercar, but the fuel economy of a city car. That idea is still going on strong today with a new 1.8 liter super charged engine delivering a total of 217 HP and 184 lb-ft of torque. The great thing about the new Elise S is that it has a comparable power output to the Elise SC - it actually has a higher peak torque (184 lb-ft to the SC's 156 lb-ft) - but it has answered the fuel economy and CO2 emissions issues brought on by the change of regulations.

Want to know more? Hit the jump for details on the Lotus Elise S.

2012 Lotus Elise S

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2012 Lotus Elise S
  • Engine/Motor: Lotus-designed supercharged I-4
  • Horsepower: 217 @ 6800 rpm
  • Torque: 184 @ 4600 rpm
  • Transmission: 6-speed gearbox
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Exterior

Much like the new design of the Exige S, the Lotus Elise S gets smoother lines to clean up its look. The front grille has been modified to add a little aggression, while also providing an uninterrupted line across the front of the vehicle. Head towards the middle of the car and we'll find a standard black soft-top roof going back towards the optional new rear diffuser with a silver anodized finish.

Dimensions

Overall width (door mirrors excluded)

1719 mm

Overall width (door mirrors included)

1850 mm

Overall height – midladen (as per unladen with 2x 75 kg occupants)

1117 mm

Overhang – front

783 mm

Overhang – rear

702 mm

Ramp Angle – front

13.5 degrees

Ramp Angle – rear

23 degrees

Ground clearance – midladen (as per unladen with 2x 75 kg occupants)

130 mm

Vehicle mass – unladen (running order, full tank of fuel, no occupants, no luggage)

TBC

Weight distribution

Front: 38%; Rear: 62%

Drag Coefficient

0.41

Aerodynamic balance at 160 km/h (100 mph)

5 kg front; 7 kg rear


Interior

For the interior, the new Elise S offers standard lightweight aluminum passenger footrest, a black plain/perforated leather steering wheel, a black leather gear lever gaiter, a polished aluminum gear knob and handbrake sleeve, and an engine start push button.

In addition to the new features, there will also be three packages available:

Touring Pack

  • Leather ProBaxTM seats
  • Padded leather door panels
  • Perforated leather door inserts
  • Leather trimmed center console
  • Black perforated leather handbrake lever gaiter
  • Black carpet mats with embroidered Elise logo
  • Noise insulation paneling
  • Auxiliary driving lights
  • iPod* stereo connection
  • Trinket tray divider and cup holder
  • Cruise control


Sport Pack

  • Bilstein Sports Dampers
  • Silver 14-spoke forged wheels
  • ProBaxTM sports seats


Black Style Pack

  • Black wheels
  • Black rear diffuse

Engine

The new Lotus Elise S delivers a similar power output to the outgoing Elise SC using a Lotus-designed supercharged 1.8 L I-4 engine mated to a 6-speed gearbox with constant mesh helical gears and an open differential. This engine puts out 217 HP at 6800 rpm and a peak torque of 184 lb-ft at 4600 rpm, the star of the show being the increased torque (up from the SC's 156 lb-ft of torque). Unfortunately,the performance specs, fuel economy, and CO2 emissions are not available at this time, but we'll provide an update as soon as this information becomes available. As of right now, Lotus has ensured that the fuel economy and CO2 emissions have been improved.

The Elise S will be equipped with a fully independent suspension utilizing unequal length wishbones, a Bilstein mono-tube gas damper, Eibach coaxial coil springs at each corner, and a front anti-roll bar. Also, like with the Exige S, the new Elise S will be equipped with the Lotus DPM (Dynamic Performance Management) switch which allows the driver to alternate between three driving modes: Touring, Sport, and DPM off.

Dynamic Performance Management (DPM)

  •  Corner Brake Control (CBC)
  •  Drag Torque Control (DTC)
  •  Electronic Differential Lock (EDL)
  •  Traction Control System (TCS)
  •  Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
  •  Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)*
  •  Hydraulic Brake Assist (HBA)*
  •  Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD)*
  •  Understeer Recognition


All apart from * can be completely switched off.

Prices

Prices for the new Elise S will be announced at a later date, but we imagine the price tag should read somewhere close to the $55,000 found on the outgoing Elise SC.

Competition

With the new updates, the Lotus Elise S has finally become a serious competitor for models like the Audi TTS->ke3007. That being said, the Audi TTS boasts of a 2.0 L TFSI engine that can crank out 272 HP, which leaves the 217 HP from the Elise S in the dust, but the Elise S will probably weigh in close to 1931 lbs of the standard Elise which is significantly lighter than the 3219 lb Audi TTS. Bottomline: We'll have to wait for Lotus to reveal performance numbers to properly compare the Elise S to the Audi TTS.