It was GM money that paid for the Series 2 Elise. Part of the deal was that Lotus also developed a sports car for Vauxhall/Opel, which is why when the new Elise arrived at the end of 2000 it shared much with the VX220, including bespoke Bridgestone tyres (in size, if not compound) and trick new Bilstein dampers. The S2 also had a more sophisticated look – more ‘pocket supercar’ – while the interior was better trimmed and refinement a notch higher.
The basic S2 had a revised 1.8-litre K-series engine with Lotus’s own management system. Despite having just 120bhp, 0-60mph took a respectable 5.6sec while the ride and handling were the stuff of genius. Then came the first variations…
For those craving more edge, early 2002 saw the debut of the Sport 135 (133bhp, 0-60mph in 5.3sec, also available as a stiffer-riding R version) and the seriously hardcore Sport 190, with its 187bhp VHPD K-series. With a wider audience in mind, they were soon joined by the 111S with the VVC K-series (156bhp, 0-60 in 5.1sec) and higher trims levels. Source: Evo Magazine.
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