Central to Project M1-11’s progress in every sense was Lotus’s association with Hydro Aluminium in Denmark, which produced the aluminium extrusions from which the Elise was largely made.

It’s impossible to overstate the significance of the original Lotus Elise, from the buzz that surrounded its gestation to the impact it made when launched. It was a radical concept in every ...

The much-lauded Lotus Elise was discontinued in 2021 along with the Lotus Exige and Evora, bringing an end to an eventful journey that began in 1996 with the introduction of Lotus' Elise Series 1.

The coupe started life as a Lotus Exige. To transform it into what we see here, the firm hired Julian Thompson—the Series 1 Elise’s original designer—to tweak its bodywork for EV duty.