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Lotus's she-devil: the new Elise and its supercharged brother, the Exige, are race cars in street-legal packages.


If cars had personalities, the Lotus Elise The Lotus Elise is a roadster conceived in early 1994 and released in September 1996 by the English manufacturer Lotus Cars. The car has a hand-finished fiberglass body shell atop its aluminium extrusion and bonded frame that provides a rigid platform for the suspension, while  would be one to be reckoned with. She's all about instant gratification and entertainment. And her flirtatious flir·ta·tious  
adj.
1. Given to flirting.

2. Full of playful allure: a flirtatious glance.



flir·ta
 and wild-eyed boldness makes her a real devil.

Elise hails from England. At her heart is a 190-horsepower Toyota-sourced motor harnessed into a Formula 1-inspired chassis that weighs just 150 pounds when stripped. Want more power? Try getting your hands on the even more exclusive Lotus Exige The Lotus Exige (pronounced: ex-seej) is a two-door, two-seat sports car made by Lotus Cars. It is essentially a coupe version of the Lotus Elise, which is a roadster.

The original Exige (NA or naturally aspirated Exige) was launched in 2000 and had a 1.
, her supercharged su·per·charge  
tr.v. su·per·charged, su·per·charg·ing, su·per·charg·es
1. To increase the power of (an engine, for example), as by fitting with a supercharger.

2.
 220-horsepower brother. Lotus dealerships will see only one of these each in 2007.

Lotus is legendary for its race-proven handling characteristics. Elise takes curves and quick lane changes with ease, just as flat as if she were standing poised in the driveway. Her brakes are as heart-stopping as the rest of her. Be careful: Too fast a stop may temporarily pause the rotation of the planet.

Some sports cars are all looks and bling, but the race experience is job number 1 with this car. Elise is a stiff-spring "street-legal race car," and her safety standards match those of cars seen on the Formula 1 race track. If you miss your exit and get lost on the way to wherever you're going, don't worry--just lap back around and you'll likely get there ahead of time. That actually happened to me when the jammed 405 freeway in Los Angeles forced me to take canyon roads from the congested con·gest·ed
adj.
Affected with or characterized by congestion.


congested ENT adjective Referring to a boggy blood-filled tissue. See Nasal congestion.
 San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley

Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills.
 to Santa Monica. I got there 15 minutes early.

Elise's comforts include padded racing seats, heating and air conditioning, and an Alpine stereo.
COPYRIGHT 2007 Liberation Publications, Inc.
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
Copyright 2007, Gale Group. All rights reserved. Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company.

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Article Details
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Title Annotation:AUTOS
Author:Weil, Dan
Publication:The Advocate (The national gay & lesbian newsmagazine)
Date:Jan 30, 2007
Words:256
Previous Article:Alterna-sports.(TOYS)
Next Article:Cinephile.



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