Lotus Elise S1 reimagined as radical safari rally machine
British start-up Get Lost has revealed a Lotus Elise S1 restomod that reimagines the legendary 1990s sports car as a dramatic rally-raid machine.
Dubbed the Project Safari, it has been conceived as an exercise in defiance against the Elise’s original intent.
“The idea of taking an Elise off-road might sound ridiculous, and that’s exactly why we leaned into it,” said Get Lost founder George Williams.
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Chief among the changes made to the mid-engined roadster is the installation of a bespoke suspension set-up that raises its ride height by 100mm, giving it significantly greater ground clearance.
The undertray is reinforced to protect it from rocks sprayed upward by the chunky Nankang all-terrain tyres and from any extrusions encountered during any low-speed excursions.
The wheel arches are flared to accommodate the taller rubber and a new air intake – styled to mirror the look of the Elise’s front grille – hovers above the cockpit.
Lighting has been upgraded by way of rectangular LED headlights, intended to contrast against the Elise’s curves, and a rally-style pod of four lamps mounted on the front end.
Surrey-based Get Lost added that the Project Safari uses a different powertrain to the Elise’s original Rover-supplied 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine.
It has yet to detail what it opted for but said the new unit will “bring the performance and reliability you actually want in a car like this”.
Potential candidates include Honda’s K-Series and Ford’s Duratec four-cylinder engines. Both are already popular transplants for the S1 and bring significantly greater power than the original engine’s 118bhp.
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The Project Safari also receives a limited-slip differential and a hydraulic handbrake.
“This is not a modified Elise; it’s our interpretation of what the platform had to offer,” said Williams. “Everything has been considered, from the design to the drive, all in the pursuit of creating something that’s fun.”
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