Analogue Automotive Teases Single-Seat Lotus Elise

The Lotus Elise turns 30 today. It was on 12 September 1995 that the British firm introduced a Lotus 7 for a new age, a return to its roots, with a lightweight, two-seat sportscar. The little car with a big heart has also inspired many other brands to do the same. While Lotus has since gone in a different direction under new ownership, there are some companies that wish to return to days gone by. Say hello to the Analogue Automotive single-seat Lotus Elise aka VHPK. The company will produce just 35 of these restomods on order.

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Featherweight

The Analogue Automotive takes the basics of the original concept and applies a raft of changes. The company makes extensive use of carbon-fibre throughout, replacing the original car’s glass-fibre body entirely. Other changes include carbon-fibre disc brakes all round, to reduce unsprung mass, as well as trim items and the steering wheel made of the same material. As a result the VHPK tips the scales at a scant 600 kg. That is quite a drop for a car that was already considered a lightweight.

Click here to watch our video review of the lightweight Dallara Stradale sportscar.

For One

Even more extreme is the removal of the passenger seat to align the driver’s chair along the car’s centre-line, just like a single-seat racecar. Unlike a McLaren F1 and GMA T.50, which also boast centre seats, you can’t take two friends along because that’d add too much mass. Analogue Automotive stays true to the original S1 Lotus Elise by maintaining that car’s Rover K-series engine. However, the company completely rebuilds the naturally aspirated inline-four using forged internals. As a result it now produces just over 185 kW. That power, as always, is sent to the rear axle through a manual transmission.