Lotus introduced the Elise in 1996, and it changed the sports cars forever just by following Collin Chapman’s guidelines from the ’60s: make it light!

Despite its redesigned exterior and other aesthetic changes, Lotus built the 2001 Elise on the same extruded and bonded aluminum platform.
It was still light and agile, but unlike its predecessor, it was heavier. It also produced more power on the upper versions, so it managed to improve its performances.

The most striking difference was at the front, where the carmaker changed the headlights and installed elliptic lenses. Also, the front bumper sported two side scoops to cool the front brakes. Lotus made taller air-intakes for the engine on the sides, with five slats, while at the back, it added exhaust vents next to the round taillights.

Inside the cockpit, the carmaker installed a rounded-shaped dashboard covered in Alcantara and better equipped than its predecessor, depending on the options. While the base version featured just the dials in the instrument cluster, the upper trim level sported a stereo on the passenger side. But, like its predecessor, there was hardly any storage space in the cabin or the door cars. Even the speakers for the sound system were mounted under the dash panel because they didn’t fit inside the doors.

Under the hood, Lotus installed the same Toyota-sourced 1.8-liter engine with or without variable valve timing. Its power increased up to 192 hp, and that led to higher top speeds.