2019 Lotus Elise Sport 220

This 2019 Elise Sport 220 sits near the top of the Series 3 range, pairing the supercharged 1.8-litre Toyota-sourced four-cylinder with the lightest-weight, most driver-focused body of the family. With 220 bhp in a car of well under a tonne, it delivers the kind of power-to-weight that still embarrasses much newer machinery, all through a conventional manual gearbox and unassisted-feel hydraulic-era steering character that Lotus has long been known for.

This car has covered just 8,350 miles, a low figure for a 2019 car and one that suggests it has been used sparingly rather than commuted in. The Sport 220 was positioned as the more road-biased alternative to the Cup 250, retaining a usable cabin and a softer edge to its dynamics while still offering the supercharged engine, which is the key reason to choose it over the lesser Elise Sport.

The Series 3 Elise is now firmly in the final chapter of its long production run, and the 1.8 supercharged cars are increasingly sought after as the last of the pure, analogue, lightweight Lotuses. A manual, open-top, low-mileage example offered by a Lotus dealer is exactly the sort of car that tends to hold its value well.