The Elise SC is a fantastic weekend sports car, but this single-minded sports car is best viewed as a second or third car to take out when the mood strikes. Handling and steering are one-of-a-kind in a racecar-like sense, and the new supercharged engine finally gives the Elise enough oomph (although the Exige S240 is still faster.) The authentic racecar experience extends to the sparse interior and the clumsy ingress and egress experience as well. But at least the Elise's removable roof adds a dimension of openness that is lacking in the fixed-roof Exige.
8.9 / 10
Dynamics
8.5 / 10
Engine Performance
The supercharged Toyota 2ZZ 1.8-liter engine now has 218 horsepower instead of the 190 found in a standard Elise, and that makes all the difference. Whereas the regular Elise and its supremely capable chassis left us begging for more (especially low in the rev range), the Elise SC pulls hard without having to wind it out. Engine noise is ever-present due to the supercharger's location relative to the firewall and rigid engine mountings.
8.0 / 10
Transmission Performance
As ever, the gears and gear spacing in the six-speed manual gearbox are excellent, as are the feel of the clutch and clutch pedal. But the Elise SC doesn't enjoy the launch control system found in the Exige S 240 and the fully-damped clutch that goes with it.
9.0 / 10
Brake Performance
The pedal is very firm, and controllability is excellent. Panic stops are just as short as they are in the big-brother Exige S, but they aren't quite as heat-resistant after a long day at the racetrack.
10.0 / 10
Steering Perfomance
The unassisted steering in the Elise SC is no drawback -- far from it. It doesn't need power assist because the front axle weight comes in under 800 pounds. As a result, steering feel and precision are excellent and the driver knows exactly what the front tires are experiencing at all times.
9.0 / 10
Handling
Like the standard Elise and the Exige, this car carves corners with precision and stability at very high speeds. Understeer is slight, but the newfound horsepower means it can now be effectively steered with the throttle. Cornering limits are higher than just about anyone could ever use on the street, and it makes a great track car too.
9.0 / 10
Fun-to-Drive
Fun-to-drive is what this car is all about. It isn't comfortable. It isn't quiet. It can't haul a lot of stuff. The Lotus Elise SC simply goes really, really quickly on tight, twisty roads.
6.1 / 10
Comfort
5.0 / 10
Ride Comfort
Ride comfort suffers from this car's track-focused suspension, which remains comfortable as long as the asphalt is relatively smooth. Suspension travel is short, so larger holes and cracks come through sharply -- slaloming around the bigger ones is recommended. Los Angeles-style segmented concrete freeways result in a very choppy ride.
6.0 / 10
Wind Noise
With the top on or off, the Elise SC is still notably louder than other convertibles. The wipers and mirrors project awkwardly and the top itself has a few edges that project into the airstream. On the whole, this car seems shaped for downforce instead of quietness.
6.0 / 10
Road Noise
Insulation is sparse, and there isn't any redundant door sealing to help keep road-to-tire noise from leaking into the cabin. These features add weight, something which Lotus abhors unless it enhances performance. The Elise's tires don't pick up as much debris as the Exige S's stickier rubber, but stones and grit still make themselves heard.
5.5 / 10
Front Seat Comfort/Space/Access
With the top on, drivers and passengers alike have to duck under the very low roof and scoot across a high and extra-wide windowsill (the actual aluminum chassis). This is authentic racecar stuff, folks. Once inside, the barely-padded racing-style seat is actually shaped well and there is plenty of space for our 6-foot-2 tester. With the top off, ingress and egress are still clumsy but ducking is no longer required.
8.0 / 10
Driving Position
The steering is fixed and neither tilts nor telescopes. It manages to be in the right place, however. The seat only slides fore and aft and does not have a backrest angle adjustment. Still, the position is quite good. When you're on the gas, foot clearance to the brake pedal is tight and heavily dependent on how wide your shoes are. You'll want to wear a pair of narrow racing-style shoes when you drive this.
6.2 / 10
Function
7.5 / 10
Headlight Illumination
The light is bright and the pattern is broad. Buttons are used to operate the headlights. Our car's daytime running light feature merely kept the main lamps burning all the time, something that's probably wise since many other drivers simply don't see the tiny Elise.
6.5 / 10
Visibility
Forward visibility has never been a problem in the Elise or Exige. As for the rear, the Elise SC has no intercooler to block the rear view. And running with the top off improves visibility immensely. The flying-buttress targa styling hampers view of the rear three-quarters a bit, and the manual outside mirrors are small and hard to aim properly.
8.0 / 10
Instrument Panel Layout
The gauge package is stripped down to bare essentials but lacks nothing. The speedo and tach are large and easy to read, especially now that they have ivory lettering on a black background. Three progressive shift lights illuminate in succession to keep you from over-revving (which the new engine will do more readily). The fuel gauge is still a bar graph, but a tire-pressure monitoring system has been added.
6.0 / 10
Climate Control System Layout
The climate controls are simple knobs that work well, but they are just a bit too far away. If the sun is just right or you are wearing sunglasses, the blue AC "on" and "recirc status" lights are quite hard to see, especially with the top removed.
6.0 / 10
Audio System Layout
This is a single DIN aftermarket-style stereo, so it isn't surprising to find the tiny buttons a bit fiddly and the labels hard to read. Using this stereo is a bit difficult until you memorize them all. Kudos for the REAL iPod interface -- not simply an MP3 input jack.
7.0 / 10
Secondary Control Layout
There are few secondary controls apart from the wiper and turn-signal stalks, which work well. The power windows and door locks are good, and an improved key fob makes the engine start sequence a bit easier.
5.0 / 10
Interior Storage
There are no glove box and no door pockets. An aluminum underdash tray will hold a few items, but not very well. The optional Touring Pack includes a small netted pocket behind the driver's seat -- the only place for your insurance and registration.
5.5 / 10
Standard Cargo/Trunk Space
There isn't much room in the back at all. Soft-sided duffel bags and minimalist packing are a must for trips of any length. The engine sits just in front, so you won't want to carry ice cream in here.
5.5 / 10
Convertible Top Operation
Convertible soft-top removal and installation can be managed by one person. But the pros stop there. The roof is 100-percent manual. It requires multiple pieces. It isn't the most water-tight of its kind. Stowed in the trunk, it slides to and fro with each bend of the road.
5.5 / 10
Trunk Space, Top Stowed
There is little trunk space to begin with. So the addition of its canvas top considerably hampers usable space.
6.0 / 10
Cupholders
They actually added a single cupholder for 2008, and it comes with the Touring Pack option. It's light and made from extruded aluminum. But it tends to slide in and out a bit when driving hard, an annoyance to those who drive with the seat slid well forward.
6.8 / 10
Design/Build Quality
9.0 / 10
Exterior Design
The Elise SC looks like no other car (except the Exige), and gets a lot of thumbs up. It manages to look like a cross between a high-performance car and a thoroughbred racing motorcycle, which pretty much describes how it drives.
8.0 / 10
Interior Design
The design is simple, lightweight and race-derived. Here, too, the motorcycle impression is continued in the look of the tightly bound instrument panel.
6.0 / 10
Interior Materials
The interior materials look correct for the Elise's identity. Extensive use of bare aluminum extrusions is both striking in appearance and light in weight. The optional Touring Pack adds leather touches here and there, but some will feel the car has an unfinished look.
6.0 / 10
Interior Control Tactile Feel
The levers work well, but the buttons and knobs don't feel particularly precise or high-grade.
5.5 / 10
Squeaks & Rattles
The suspension clunks, the doors thunk and a lot of interior parts buzz. They buzz because the engine is solidly mounted in the chassis, and because the suspension bushings are mega-stiff.
6.0 / 10
Panel Fitment & Gaps
There is a low-volume, handmade quality to everything in the Elise and Exige family. And for good reason: They ARE low-volume cars with a lot of hand assembly included in the process. Still, 2008 models seem to have generally better fit and finish than those we saw just a couple of years back. Paint quality is very good.
7.0
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