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  2. Lotus
  3. Lotus Elise
  4. I (Type 111)

Lotus Elise I (Type 111) gallery (1996–2001)

The first generation of the iconic ultralight sports car that revitalized Lotus in the late 1990s.

All photos 229 I (Type 111) 2 1996–2001 II 61 2001–2011 III 166 2011–2021
Lotus Elise I (Type 111) photo 82667 1600 x 1200 35 Elise 49 — 1996
Lotus Elise I (Type 111) photo 82666 1600 x 1200 34 Elise 49 — 1996

The first-generation Lotus Elise (Series 1, Type 111) debuted in 1995 and entered production in 1996. It revolutionized sports car engineering with an extruded, bonded, and riveted aluminum chassis developed with Hydro Aluminium, wrapped in lightweight fiberglass body panels. Available strictly as a two-seat roadster with a removable soft or hard top, it was powered by a 1.8-liter Rover K-Series naturally aspirated inline-four engine producing 120 hp in standard trim, 145 hp in the VVC-equipped 111S, and up to 190 hp in dedicated track variants like the Sport 190. Power was routed through a 5-speed manual Rover PG1 gearbox. Weighing just around 725 kg, the car delivered legendary handling and agility. Throughout its lifecycle, several special editions were introduced (Sport 135, Sport 160, Type 49, 111S), along with technical updates such as replacing early MMC composite brake rotors with conventional iron units. The Elise Series 1 was primarily sold across the United Kingdom, mainland Europe, Japan, and Australia.