2005 Lotus Elise
Despite being produced since 1996, the United States didn't see their first availability of Elises until 2005 when the Series 2, known in some circles as the Federal Elise, hit our shores. Ironically, NHTSA provided a 3 year exemption because the car did not meet bumper and headlight regulations. From Car and Driver magazine: "For pure sportscar thrills, it's in the top five most entertaining cars available. The same comments apply to the federalized Elise, which, although it is 450 pounds heavier than the original, is faster and better equipped but still has nearly perfect balance."
For consignment, a 2005 Lotus Elise, garage kept and coming with two tops, there is no car on the road that gives more of a go fast go kart feel. Legendary for their quickness and handling, this little racer is not only fun to drive, but fun to look at.
Exterior
Coming straight at you, the Lotus has an angry wasp face, with LED headlights and a sneering grille that is mirrored by the intake vents on the hood. A single wiper blade is enough to cover raked windshield, race car style, and the window frame meets the hardtop which carries Bordeaux Red, the color of the car. Sport side mirrors have a dual post that allows airflow and along the shoulder line, flying buttresses surround the vertical rear window and surround the engine vents. Straked intake scoops form the rear quarter panel and pontoon hips, all flowing seamlessly into the rear wing. Four round tail lights flank Lotus letters in the center while an aftermarket exhaust replaces the dual tips and a visible muffler fills the space between the back panel and the lower valance. The stock exhaust will come with the car. 16-inch wheels are in front and 17-inchers are in back and they wear staggered-size tires with an early 2022 manufacturing date. The car is low and wide, and the paint is in very good condition. Flaws include a spider web crack on the rear panel, scratches and rock chips on the front, scrapes and a crack on the chin corner protectors, and scrapes on the chin.
Interior
The sparse race inspired interior begins with leather clad door cards with a window switch and small actuator. Step over the big door sill, this might take some practice, and find yourself buried in deep bucket seats, thinly covered with padding and topped with stitched black leather. Once in, don't even think about getting out until this E-ticket ride has come to full and complete stop. Meanwhile, your legs will be out in front of you on the aluminum floor pan as you grab the small, ergonomic steering wheel and depending on your age, you might be prone to look for the slot to put the quarters in. No, this is the real deal, no matter how much it feels like an arcade game. Dual gauges are in your sightline, and you also have an AM/FM/CD radio and A/C at your disposal. Rising from the floor, almost like an add-on is the stout metal shifter in a tall formed base. Above us, we find the headliner of the hardtop a bit droopy and there is a soft top that goes with the car.
Drivetrain
Mid-engine design means this baby is mounted behind the seats, so we lift up the hatch to reveal a 1.8 liter DOHC inline four-cylinder engine, Toyota's 2ZZ-GE built in collaboration with Yamaha, and rated at 190 horsepower. Doesn't sound like much you say? Well, in a car that weighs less than 2,000 pounds, it's more than enough. It's fuel injected and tied to a Toyota C64 6-speed manual transmission which keeps power at the back with 4.53 gears. Behind the clean engine bay, you'll find a small trunk that can handle some groceries but also houses the battery. On a skate like this, only power disc brakes at all four corners will do.
Undercarriage
Remember those triangular hood scoops from the early 70's Mustang Mach 1's? Yeah, well, there are similar scoops on the bottom of this car where flat belly pans take up most of the real estate. Everything is essentially covered by aluminum pans which gives the passing air nothing to hang up on, pure aerodynamics. What we can see around the wheels has some typical surface rust and some road dirt, but nothing out of the ordinary. Coil spring suspension is found front and rear.
Drive-Ability
No coin flip needed here, some of us simply won't fit in this car or whose former football knee injury is going to impede ingress and egress. Be that as it may, we were able to gleefully get the kart out on the loop to find the expected cornering prowess and quick acceleration. Unless you drive a Caterham 7, this will be the lowest car you drive. Look to your left in traffic and you'll be eye level with the door handle of a Miata. There's not enough room in this car to store all the smiles it will produce and with Toyota reliability, you'll be able to focus on the driving experience. You might be warm doing it as the A/C is blowing cool but not cold. Also, the heater blower does not operate at high speed. Beyond that, everything worked as it should. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the time of your purchase.
These are special cars and the last one we had the honor of representing sold in less than a week. We'll keep this short so you can get right to the phone. It's better to be sitting in a Lotus, than to be sitting in the lotus position, so up you go, to get the car of your dreams.
SCCPC11155HL32395
S-United Kingdom
C-Lotus
C-Passenger Car
P-2ZZNA
C-Manual Belts, Front Airbags
111-Elise
5-Check Digit
5-2005
H-Hethel Assy Plant
L-LHD Federal Emissions, AC
3-Elise
2395-Sequential Unit Number
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8 acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.
With so many great cars, you know we have a lot to talk about, and we do that each week on the Classic Auto Mall Podcast with host Stewart Howden. Stewart discusses new inventory as well as trends in consignments and car prices, while interviewing celebrities and automotive professionals about amazing cars and their history. Tune in each week to the Classic Auto Mall Podcast wherever you enjoy listening. You can also watch on YouTube!
