2017 Lotus Elise Sport 220

The Elise Sport 220 represents the supercharged sweet spot in the Elise range — more potent than the naturally aspirated Sport 190 but retaining the accessible, road-biased character that separates it from the more committed Cup 250. Power comes from the Toyota-sourced 1.8-litre supercharged four-cylinder, producing 217 bhp in a car that weighs under a tonne, making for performance that embarrasses much more expensive machinery on a winding road. This 2017 car has covered 15,450 miles, modest for a nine-year-old Elise and suggesting it has been used with care rather than stored.

Lotus Surrey, the official retailer selling this car, is one of the most established Lotus specialists in the UK, which gives some confidence around provenance and preparation. The Sport 220 came with a range of factory options including aerodynamic and handling packs, so the specific build sheet would be worth verifying — options such as the Sport or Touring Pack meaningfully affect the driving experience and value. The six-speed manual gearbox is the only option here, and the right one: the Elise's shifter is one of the better examples of the type fitted to a modern car.

At 15,450 miles on a 2017 car, this sits in a sensible range — not suspiciously low, not showing signs of heavy use. The Elise's aluminium extruded chassis ages well when properly maintained, and with official dealer support behind this example, it should represent a straightforward entry into one of the purer driving experiences available at this price point.