The Lotus Elise will get an update for 2016 that sees the return of the ‘Sport’ naming designation and the featherweight sports car get even lighter.
The revised Elise Sport and Elise Sport 220 will arrive in local showrooms around the middle of next year, replacing the Elise and Elise S variants of the current range.
Previously used on the Lotus Esprit, the Sport name highlights the brand’s moves to make the updated two-seat roadster even more performance focused.
Both the Lotus Elise Sport and Sport 220 variants are 10kg lighter than their predecessors, weighing in at 866kg and 914kg respectively.
Traditional eye-catching tartan upholstery, first used in the 1976 Esprit S1, is available as an option alongside leather and Alcantara.
The Elise Sport and Sport 220 carry over the existing powertrains. The Sport gets a naturally aspirated 100kW/160Nm 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, while the Sport 220 features a supercharged 162kW/250Nm 1.8-litre four. Both use a six-speed manual transmission to drive the rear wheels.
Despite having subtly improved power-to-weight ratios, neither is any quicker than before, accelerating from 0-100km/h in 6.5 (Sport) and 4.6 seconds (Sport 220).
Fittingly, both come standard with a Sport mode that increases throttle response and relaxes the traction control intervention.
Full Australian prices and specifications will be announced when the Lotus Elise Sport and Sport 220 arrive in mid 2016.
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