When designing a high-performance car every car makers have different ideas and concepts that for some it's an ideal way to design bigger engines with more horsepower, more cylinders and high-octane fuel. Others use the very expensive high technology when testing for the aerodynamics of the car like the wind-tunnel test and others incorporates computerized suspension components and installing the latest turbochargers. For other car manufacturers, making a high-performance car is all about simplicity, lightweight, and a compact engine the principle for the British manufacturer Lotus.

Lotus Elise is the perfect idea that it weighs only 900 kgs compared to the very high-performance Enzo Ferrari and Porsche Carrera GT that weighs at about 1,450 kgs. Although Lotus Elise only has a compact engine, it's still quick and has a very good handling. Its engine is a 4 cylinder, 1.8 liter, all-aluminum with dual-overhead cams and with four valves per cylinder. It has a compression ratio of 11.5:1 The engine seats behind the driver, like most high-performance cars it is a mid-engine design. Since the engine is made by Toyota it is also similar to the engine of Toyota Celica GT-S, but with some modifications like the intake and exhaust system which is already updated, and Electronic Control Unit (ECU) made specifically for Lotus. It has a power output of 190 horsepower at 7,800 rpm and 138 lb-ft of torque at 6,800 rpm. Installing the Toyota's Variable Valve Timing and Lift (VVTL-i) allows the engine to shift on the camshaft's different profile when detected at high rpm range, this gives the engine a more refined performance compared to the previous Toyota engines. The Lotus Elise transmission also came from Toyota, it has a six-speed, close-ratio manual transmission designed for a short and quick shifts and it has a redline of 8,000 rpm. 

In the world of high-performance cars Lotus Elise competes by losing weight. Lotus took away the extras and kept the Elise under 1 ton of over-all weight. Although it is lighter compared to its counterparts Lotus Elise can still be outperformed on straight lines because of much bigger engines and huge horsepowers that other high-performance cars have, but on a very tricky, twisting roads the Elise could outperform other high-performance cars that are much bigger and much expensive on a thousands of dollars more.

When talking about lightweight it is achieved through several different methods, Lotus Elise is a very small car, it is a two-seater car with only a small luggage space. It has a shorter wheelbase that keeps it trim and compact. The chassis is formed of bonded aluminum sheets in a tub shape that it only weighs 150 lbs and some of the weight is trimmed down by the use of carbon fiber on sections of the undertray. By stripping away many of the comforts that are standard on a high-priced car the Lotus Elise achieved more lightweight and performance.

In general, the Lotus Elise as a high-performance car is very quick and responsive. It handles very well on tight corners and sudden turns. With this type of performance there is no doubt that it can out-perform its counterparts in twisting roads and tight corners. So how did Elise achieved this type of rare handling? I think there is no secret about it because what is responsible are the independent double-wishbone suspension with quality springs and shock-absorbers and anti-roll bars. All of these are just well tuned by Lotus experts. I think we must have some tuning guidelines regarding suspensions to achieve a well deserved performance in a car and it should come especially from the experts at Lotus because in their experience they have achieved it in Lotus Elise.

Elise also has a very good stopping power, it has a four-wheel, vented disk brakes with ABS that from 60 mph to a dead halt reached 105 ft. Lotus Elise has a top speed of 150 mph, compared to its counterparts with ultra-high speeds that reached more than 200 mph, Elise no longer needs to worry much about aerodynamics with only the undercarriage was designed to reduce lift in order to keep the rear wheels well on the ground at high speeds.

With all the advantages of the Lotus Elise there are also some disadvantages. Since Elise is small anyone over 5 feet tall have some difficulty climbing in and out. Passenger seat is quite smaller than the driver's seat and it is not adjustable at all. Definitely Lotus Elise is not an everyday car, you can almost feel the road with bumps and all because of sports suspension. Lotus Elise is a pure high-performance roadster and lack of comfort is part of what it is designed for and most of all it's part of its appeal.