Verdict
The Lotus Elise offers a unique driving experience. It has been designed to perform and handle through light weight, making it cheaper to run than almost any other sports car.

Expert rating: 3.9

Pros
• Thrilling to drive
• Low running costs
• Holds its value

Cons
• Not a car you can drive every day
• Noisy on the motorway
• Few creature comforts

1. Exterior: 4/5
If you want a racing car for the road on a tight budget, the Elise is almost certainly on your shopping list. In its most recent guise its lines have become less curvy and more taut, while its headlights have more menace. New for 2011 are improved aerodynamics with a larger rear diffuser, LED tail lights and improved alloy wheel designs.

2. Interior: 3/5
Weight - or rather, lack of it - was key to every stage of Elise design, and it's no more obvious than in the cabin. Getting inside is tricky with the roof in place. Much of the lower surfaces are bare metal, with just a shallow dashboard, small instrument cluster and MOMO steering wheel in front of the driver. The seats look excruciatingly devoid of padding, but actually provide impressive support thanks to their moulded shape.

3. Practicality: 2/5
While people can and do drive their Elise to work, or even away for weekends, it takes a dedicated enthusiast to do so. For the majority of customers the Elise makes more sense as a toy. At most a few soft bags can be carried in the 112 litres of space behind the front seats. Rear visibility can be an issue for parking, but the Elise is so small, it's rarely a problem.

4. Ride and handling: 5/5
The lightweight bonded aluminium chassis has racing suspension bolted directly onto it, is incredibly stiff and has a low centre of gravity. This provides incredible handling, with instant response from the steering and exceptional agility. Because the car is light and stiff, it can also use relatively soft springs and dampers, so it rides surprisingly comfortably. With its engine mounted in the middle the Elise is prone to neither understeer nor oversteer, but both can be provoked by aggressive driving.

5. Performance: 5/5
The entry-level Elise has a 134bhp 1.6-litre petrol engine giving 0-62mph in 6.5 seconds. It's a responsive engine, which sounds surprisingly rorty with the sports exhaust fitted, while its overall performance is just enough to excite the chassis. A Club Racer version gets the same engine and power, but with 24kg shaved for slightly better performance. The Elise R has a 189bhp 1.8-litre engine for serious performance while the supercharged Elise SC has 217bhp and can worry far more expensive machinery with its acceleration from zero to 62mph in 4.6 seconds.

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6. Running costs: 5/5
The 1.6-litre Elise is the cleanest petrol sports car currently on sale. Its combined fuel consumption of 45mpg and emissions of 149g/km are no worse than a petrol family hatchback. The Elise R and SC emit 195 and 199g/km of CO2 respectively, making them cleaner and cheaper to tax than most similarly-performing cars.

7. Reliability: 4/5
The standard fitment of Toyota 1.6 and 1.8-litre engines instantly gave the reliability of the Elise a boost. These engines are tough, with few reported faults, but can begin to use more oil as the mileage increases.

8. Safety: 3/5
A large part of feeling safe in the Elise comes from the knowledge the car has great brakes and handling to avoid danger. If the worst does happen, the car's structure is extremely strong and there are two airbags fitted. Anti-lock brakes (ABS) are fitted to help prevent skids.

9. Equipment: 3/5
The standard Elise is spartan, with just electric windows, alarm, CD radio and central locking as standard. Add the Touring pack and you get leather trim, while the Sport pack enhances the suspension and adds traction control.

10. Why buy? 5/5
Because the Lotus Elise is built for pure enjoyment of the road and track. Its handling is confidence inspiring for novices, but also allows more advanced drivers to improve their skills and enjoyment of the car.