Montreal Auto Show: Lotus Elise 2006

If you are any type of racer, you will definitely need one of these: a Lotus Elise. This small car is finally coming to North America and, thankfully Canada, after having long been reserved for the European market.

Many remember the Lotus Esprit as the Lotus car as it was available for a long period of time in the later part of the 20th Century. Since its demise, we have been without a Collin Chapman automobile.

The secret to the Elise is the lack of weight. In other words, the car has an incredibly advantageous power-to-weight ratio. The Elise has Toyota's proven 1.8L 4-cylinder equipped with Variable-Valve-Timing with Intelligence. Located behind the seats, the engine puts out 190 hp and 135 lb/ft of torque. A 6-speed manual transmission is standard. Performance is impressive. It takes a scant 4.9 seconds to reach 100 km/h and the top speed is of over 225 km/h.