2011 Lotus Elise facelift unveiled ahead of Geneva debut

The Lotus Elise has been on the market for 14 years, and for the first time in over seven years this 2-seat mid engine sportscar gets a facelift. As we are talking about Lotus, the changes are all about more efficiency.

Key changes are a new body design, which seems to be inspired by the Evora. Lower and smoother nose, new integrated headlights(LED) help reduce the Elise’s coefficient of drag by four percent. Other notable changes are a new front fascia, wider grille and updated splitter.

For the 2011 model year, the Elise range will get an all-new 1.6-liter engine with 134 hp (Won’t be available in North America) and the same old 1.8-liter engine with 192 hp and a supercharged version with 217 hp.

A six-speed manual remains standard on all models, and two new lightweight wheel sets are available as an option, along with cruise control.

In Europe sales are expected to start in April with North America following soon after.