Final Lotus Elise handed over to its namesake

Production of the Lotus Elise mid-engined roadster recently ended after 26 years – and the final customer car to roll off the assembly line has been given to the woman who inspired its name.

At the time of the Elise’s launch in 1995, then-owner and chairman Lotus and French supercar maker Bugatti, Romano Artioli, named the new sports car after his granddaughter, Elisa Artioli.

Just two years old at the time of the car’s launch in 1995, Elisa assisted with the car’s unveiling at the Frankfurt motor show. Now, the final Elise built for a customer has been handed over to Elisa in a ceremony at Lotus’ HQ in Norfolk, England.

Named Sunshine by Artioli after its Championship Gold paint, the example in question is a Sport 240 variant, equipped with anthracite wheels, red brake calipers, a black exterior trim package, and black Alcantara upholstery on the inside, with gold stitching and accents.

This particular edition is powered by a 1.8-litre four-cylinder supercharged engine, good for 179kW and 244Nm, mated to a six-speed manual transmission driving the rear wheels.

Artioli wrote an emotional farewell to the Lotus Elise in a personal letter, remarking, “I was attached to your steering wheel proudly showing my T-shirt with the words “I am Elise” and from there I didn’t want to get out. I felt in my world the way I feel today, when I am with you, I sit and I am at home.”