THE REUNION

It’s 30 years since Lotus launched the Elise. We bring together three of the men who turned a simple idea into something truly magical and listen in as they recall those momentous times

- by RICHARD MEADEN

WHENEVER I'M ASKED TO NAME THE MOST significant new car I’ve ever driven, I struggle to think of anything that has left a bigger impression on me than the S1 Elise. In the three decades since I first drove one, no other car has remained so fresh in the memory. The qualities that made it so special then are even more relevant now: the singularity of its mission, the genius of its execution, the magic that’s still bound up in the driving experience, and — sadly — what’s been lost to progress.

We knew it then, but it’s even more obvious now: the S1 Elise distilled the essence of Chapman-era Lotus into a pioneering modern sports car. One that would shape, and for some define, the careers of the many brilliant people working at Hethel.

In this, the 30th anniversary year since the Elise was first shown, we brought together three pivotal characters in the Elise development story to record a podcast: Richard Rackham (chassis design engineer), Matt Becker (development engineer) and Julian Thomson (head of design). It was a very special conversation; one full of detailed anecdotes and vivid recollections, deep-seated affection for the project and tremendous pride at what was achieved. And all expressed with the understated modesty so typical of the bright talent to be found at Lotus in those days.

The excerpts that follow give a flavour of the full one-hour podcast, available on all the major podcast platforms and the evo YouTube channel.

evo: Where did the idea for what became the Elise come from? Was it under GM or Romano Artioli’s ownership [1986-93 and ’93-96 respectively]? Or was it a project you wanted to do and so you just had to make the opportunity?