- Lotus in August will quit building Exiges and Elises for the North American market.
- The end of a federal safety exemption and the supply of Toyota engines were deciding factors.
- The Elise won't return to the U.S. until the next-generation model arrives in 2015.
HETHEL, England — Lotus said it will end production in August of Elise and Exige for North America.
The news was confirmed by Lotus spokesman Kevin Smith in response to an e-mail query from Inside Line.
Inside Line reported last month that Lotus planned to eliminate the Exige and the Elise this summer.
Lotus in the U.S. introduced the 2011 Elise and Exige in late 2010.
While the Exige was carried over virtually unchanged, the 2011 Elise received an exterior freshening and new wheels. For 2011, Elise is offered in the U.S. in two versions — the base sports car, powered by a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 189 horsepower and 133 pound-feet of torque, and the Elise SC with a 1.8-liter supercharged four-cylinder producing 218 hp and 156 lb-ft.
Inside Line says: U.S. customers will have to wait until Fall 2014 for the arrival of the next-generation Elise.
Add A Comment »
kjgood says:
07:30 AM, 06/09/2011
Not an entirely surprising development, but one has to wonder how this affects the already fairly skimpy dealer network - i.e. selling only more pricey Evoras until the new Elise appears. However, part of the problem with the current Elise (and moreso the Exige) is that many, like me, found them to fall just on the wrong side of the "practicality line." I like to drive my sport cars regularly, and after a test drive of a new Elise some years ago, I came to the conclusion that it just wasn't quite "there" yet.
Yes, it was incredibly entertaining to drive, but it had some foibles that were hard to get past. Apart from the well-known gymnastics to get in and out of the car, which I felt I could cope with, I found the pedal spacing to be ridiculously close, so much so that I was having trouble depressing the clutch or accelerator without getting a piece of the brake pedal (I like to heel and toe when I want to.... not accidentally!). The cockpit spacing was silly-tight (better really be fond of anyone who rides with you), and the seats were very, very hard. Anyway, it seemed the car was at once brilliantly engineered in most ways, and stupidly engineered in a few other, but very important, ways.
After two Honda S2000's, I was ready for an upgrade and truly would have bought one if I felt it could actually replace the S2K as a practical, regular driver. I would consider one again, if the new version is more fully thought-out. I have to believe there are many other potential buyers who like me just had to walk away from the Elise. Not exactly what you want for what could be the biggest seller in your line.
mini23 says:
08:18 PM, 06/08/2011
I sat in one at an auto show. It maybe a fun car to drive. However you have to really be a a flexible yoga instructor to get in an out of the damm thing. I could see it become a real nusance after a while. Also you cannot see out of the rear of the Exige and the Elise is not much better. The Evora is much more a normal experience getting in and out. It has as well,however, very limited visablility. A little advice to Lotus. Porsche sells more cars for many reasons. One of those reasons is that there is the
real practicality of owning and driving both a 911 as well as the Cayman/Boxster. Al have more room then any of the Loti and you can actually see things out the back. It's great to look at this cars. However if your going to take on the cut and thrust of traffic then please design a car that won't create a potential car accident. I look forward to the replacement for the Elise and Exige in 2014.
mrbacon says:
07:07 PM, 06/08/2011
Come August, Lotus dies forever.
k55 says:
04:53 PM, 06/08/2011
ever try to get in and out of one? Laughable.........althought still think they are special and very sexy......make mine fly yellow please.
blurglide says:
03:18 PM, 06/08/2011
I've been toying with getting one for a long time. They're fragile cars though. They have a big nose, and the whole front and rear sections of the body are one piece "clamshells". if you bump it on a curb or someone taps you parking it almost totals the car. Also hard to drive every day. But damn are they cool, and relatively affordable, too. The Toyota motor is cheap and reliable, too. They may even appreicate after this.
All that said, rumor has it that the new Miata will weight about the same as the Elise, and have about 80% as much power- possibly with a turbo. A little bump in boost might turn it into an affordable, relatively practical Elise fighter.
cjasis says:
02:48 PM, 06/08/2011
Agree 110% with stove001.
stovt001 says:
02:36 PM, 06/08/2011
I really hope I can pick up a used Exige, or even an Elise, one day.
stovt001 says:
02:34 PM, 06/08/2011
How does the future look promising? Two brilliant cars embodying the ideals Lotus was built on but ignored by the mainstream makers replaced by hybrid luxo-barges indistinguishable from the competition. Sad, sad day.
Mazda is the new Lotus.
kdizzle says:
01:51 PM, 06/08/2011
That's fine. The future still looks promising.