Lotus Elise

After 25 years, the Lotus Elise, along with its Exige and Evora siblings, steps aside, leaving the spotlight to the Emira. Lotus' newest sports car wears a new set of Evija-inspired clothes and continues in the tradition of light, agile performance.

Most cars are significantly heavier now than equivalent models from a few decades ago. But there is one notable exception to the rule. The whole Lotus range adheres to the simplify, then add lightness philosophy of founder Colin Chapman, and the Elise Sprint is no exception.

Few cars can come close to matching the Lotus Elise for race car thrills on the road. It would seem, however, the Elise wasn't racy enough for some. Why else would Lotus feel the need to roll out the new Elise Race 250, a car tailor made for track work and amateur racing?

Lotus has unveiled the Exige Sport 350 model with full specifications and a price starting at £55,900 (US$84,848). The Exige Sport 350 is the latest revival of the "Sport" name for the carmaker and weighs in at 51 kg (112.5 lb) lighter than the Exige S.

Lotus has returned to its roots, adding a new Elise Sport and Elise Sport 220 model to its lineup. The Elise 1.6 and Elise S have been discontinued in favor of these new, lighter Lotus Elise models.

Fresh from looking to the future with its new Evora 400, Lotus is taking a moment to reflect on the past. The British carmaker has announced a special Lotus Elise to celebrate the 20th birthday of the iconic car. The Elise 20th Anniversary Special Edition is based on the Elise S Club Racer.