2001 Lotus Elise Series 2 Photos, engines & full specs

In 2001, Lotus introduced the Series 2 of the Elise, giving it an upgraded look that made the lightweight British sportscar even more desirable.

With the Elise, the British automaker was practically reborn. The lightweight targa-top vehicle became a worldwide sensation in just a few years. Despite its low power, it was faster on race tracks than many other sportscars from that era. Moreover, its cornering speed ability was excellent. But soon, customers started to complain about the car’s ability to cope with traffic. It was too rigid, had a scarce interior, and some of its design lines were not the most pleasant on the road. Then, Lotus considered improving its best-selling model and launched the Elise Series 2 in 2001.

The most significant exterior change was at the front, where the dual round headlights were replaced with snake-eyes-shaped ones that integrated two headlamps and the parking lights. Between them, on the upper side of the bumper, the automaker installed a set of new elliptical turn signals. Furthermore, on the apron, the redesigned grille was flanked by two side scoops. There was one thing that nobody complained about, and that was the massive exhaust vents on the front panel.

From its profile, the car kept its overall shape with the raked windshield and the short cabin. But instead of the previous small air intakes placed on the quarter panels, Lotus installed taller and wider ones that were extended over the sculptured door panels. Finally, at the back, the Elis featured an integrated lip spoiler into the rear lid that concealed the trunk and the engine bay. Another upgrade was for the removable rag top that covered the tiny cabin, which was easier to install and remove. Out back, the Lotus badge took center stage on the rear fascia while the round taillights remained similar. Another change was for the exhausts, which were moved downward compared to their initial position on the Series 1 Elise and integrated into the diffuser under the bumper.

The cabin was still cramped due to the wide side sills of the aluminum chassis, which forced Lotus to install slim sports seats. Between them, a narrow center console housed the hand brake and the gear stick. For the 2001 model year, customers could order the car with an Alcantara-wrapped dashboard, which reduced glare and made the car look more upscale. Still, the instrument cluster remained similar, with two large dials for the speedometer and tachometer and a few warning lights underneath.

Behind the cockpit, Lotus had to install a new range of engines that could comply with the new Euro3 emission standards that became mandatory for all cars sold starting in January 2001. Rover’s K-series engines were still available for specific markets, so Toyota started to supply its inline-four 1.8-liter powerplants to Lotus, with or without superchargers. Like in the previous model, the Series 2 Elise was only available with a manual transmission.