"It was about 80 hours to do that job. Something around 15 hours to do the crash structure, 10 hours each to do the clams and get them quick mounted, and maybe five hours to get the roof quick mounted ...

The Lotus Elise and Lotus Exige have a lot in common and look very similar, but they also have some key differences. Let's get into it.

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 nimble mid-engine two-seater featured a revolutionary lightweight design that made the Miata seem like a porker. Weight, as any race-car engineer will attest, is the enemy of performance.

Today it feels as pure a driving experience as they come. Almost as driven-snow pure as the Lotus Elise, which carries some extra grit to match the additional budget required to buy one.