2003 Lotus Elise S2 Type 49

This 2003 Lotus Elise S2 Type 49 is the Series 2 car in its most usable form: a 1.8-litre four-cylinder with a six-speed-free, straightforward manual gearbox, an open-top body and a bonded aluminium tub that keeps weight far below anything else with this kind of road manners. The S2 refined the original Elise's formula with sharper styling and more robust running gear while preserving the unassisted, tactile character that defines the model.

This example has covered just 10,570 miles in more than two decades, which is exceptionally low for an Elise, a car often used hard on track and back road. The 122 bhp quoted on the page comes from the Rover K-series engine used in the entry-level S2, and with so little mass to move it remains a genuinely quick, engaging machine rather than a numbers exercise.

It is offered at Lotus Surrey, the marque's franchised dealer, at £29,000. Low-mileage S2 cars with this kind of history are increasingly sought after as the pre-Toyota Elise becomes a collectible in its own right.