2008 Lotus Elise SC 220 and Elise

According to Lotus, the Elise SC 220 was developed in response to customer demands for an Elise with Exige S–like power (we’ve been thinking the same thing). Thus, Lotus bolted a supercharger to the Elise’s 1.8-liter four-pot, just like the Exige S’s. Easy fix, right? Actually, not as easy as you’d think. Although the Exige feeds its Roots-type supercharger via a roof snorkel, the Elise has no roof on which to carve out such an air intake. So Lotus developed an Eaton-style blower and doesn’t use an intercooler on the Elise SC. The resultant power between the two cars is nearly the same, however: 220 horsepower and 153 pound-feet of torque for the Elise SC 220, compared with 220 horsepower and 165 pound-feet of torque for the Exige S. Lotus claims the 2050-pound roadster can hit 60 mph in 4.6 seconds and 100 mph in 10.7.