It's been a little while since the Sport badge had been used on a Lotus Elise. We had the Sport 135, Sport 160 and Sport 190; now it's back on the Sport 220 and a regular 1.6 Sport.
Lighter and cheaper? Excellent news!
Sadly it appears the overhaul for these Sport models is less substantial than those previous models. Both models have the same power as the standard 1.6 and supercharged models, at 134hp and 220hp respectively. They are both 10kg lighter though, taking the 1.6-litre car to 866kg and the supercharged car to 914kg. Performance for the Sport 220 is claimed at 4.2 seconds to 60mph with a 145mph top speed.
Both cars have a Sport button that sharpens throttle response and slackens the threshold of the traction control. Bilstein dampers are said to "further contribute to scalpel sharp steering feeling and provide heightened feedback from the road."
Then there's the tartan. Oh wow. Clearly a nod to the original Esprit, it's an option designed as "a further sign of sports intentions". It's one way to mark out your Elise Sport!
The best news about the Elise Sport models though is not the tartan, it's the price reduction. Both models replace the regular 1.6 and 1.8 S, the 1.6 now £1,000 cheaper at £29,900 and the Sport 220 £700 cheaper than the 1.8 S at £36,500. A range of 'classic Elise colours' are available, with a small options list that includes forged wheels to save another five kilos and some Alcantara trim too.
Both Sport models go on sale in Europe next month and the rest of the world next January. Then we're onto the 21st celebrations, yes?
