1997 Lotus Elise S1 1.8i review from UK and Ireland

Corroded headlamp brackets and reflectors (common fault, but easy/cheap to fix if you DIY and buy the parts from the manufacturer, not Lotus)

Split fuel hose.

Fuel filler neck needed replacing due to leak.

Creaking shock absorber necessitated replacement of set at just 45,000 miles.

Trip reset button very temperamental.

Interior gets drenched in heavy rain.

Now I've sat and typed the list above, I realise this car has actually been a bit of a nightmare. Certainly, it's not been trouble free motoring at all, but such is the fun value and the unique driving experience that you forgive it anything. It hasn't seemed anywhere near as bad as the list above looks.

The Rover K-Series engine hasn't missed a beat. It starts first time, every time and still delivers superb acceleration. It might be overshadowed by the more powerful/tuned variants in some of the more recent tuned Elises, but the standard K works really well in this featherweight car. There's none of the lumpy idle, fragility, appalling reliability or peaky delivery that you get with many tuned K's, just smooth, consistent and eager response pretty much from idle, with a very meaty midrange to play with and superb reliability. 45 mpg is also easily achievable which is astonishing for a car capable of 0-60 in a whisker under 6 seconds. It does run out of puff a bit past 90 mph, but never feels underpowered below this.

There have been many superlatives written about the Elise's handling and they are true, but it also demands skill to get anything like the best from it. In fact, I would argue that driving this car without at least a basic understanding of understeer and oversteer (particularly lift-off oversteer), and how to exploit/control/avoid them is actually quite dangerous.

The Elise is not a particularly vicious or unfriendly handling car, just a very light mid-engined one, with a high power to weight ratio and nothing whatsoever in the way of driver aids. It goes without saying that you have to be careful with the throttle in the lower gears, particularly exiting roundabouts or T-junctions in the wet, unless you are prepared to wind on some opposite lock and view proceedings through the side windows for a while, but the Elise's big vice is lift off oversteer. It is quite simply, "quick" when it happens. Even with that gorgeous 2.5 turn unassisted steering, you have to be mighty quick with the opposite lock. The car has enough front end grip that you rarely need to back off to tuck the nose back in, so you learn to just keep it smooth, and keep some drive on the rear wheels throughout a corner. In the dry, and in 3rd or higher, you can use full power out of any remotely well surfaced corner and it'll just squat and go.

So, it goes well, is mechanically bulletproof, and handles well within its (and the drivers) limits, but what about the rest? Well, it's what you'd expect from a British sports car really. Lots of silly, niggly, quality related problems and that lovely British sieve effect whenever it rains. Thankfully I can now garage the car, but when it lived outside, I got sick of bailing it out after a downpour.

Comfort wise, it's actually fine once you're in (easier said than done with the roof up). The driving position is first class and the seats very comfortable. Engine and wind noise levels are high, but as long as you keep cruising speeds below around 85 mph, they don't become uncomfortable. Sitting so low means that oncoming headlamps can be dazzling though, and there's an irritating reflection of the car in front's tail lamps in the rear windscreen when driving at night. None of this in any way detracts from the experience though.

Costs-wise, it's cheaper to own than a Mondeo. I have never had less than 37 mpg average out of a tankful, and 45 is regularly returned on a run. Early Elise prices have bottomed now as well, so I would still get back probably 90% of the £11,500 I paid for the car 18 months ago, and this will not drop much further if the car is kept maintained and in good condition. Insurance is high, and parts are astronomical if you go to Lotus dealers, although Lotus's "parts bin" approach when building the car means you can save a fortune if you buy parts from other sources or even breakers. The windscreen wiper and mechanism comes from a Citroen AX, as do the light swithes. Column stalks and locks are from Vauxhall, and all engine and service parts are standard Rover, meaning big savings can be had if you avoid Lotus dealers. My best saving was the headlights, which cost me a staggering 65% less by buying direct from the manufacturer rather than through the Lotus dealer. All things considered then, the car costs no more to own and run than a family hatch.