The Series 1 Lotus Elise is one of the greats. And so, obviously, is the McLaren F1. As standard they share a dedication to lightweight and driver involvement. Purity personified. But now this evolution of the Elise from Analogue Automotive takes the connection even further. The SuperSport puts a bit of gold in the engine bay of the Lotus.

It does much more besides. For a start, the 1.8-litre Rover K Series engine is fully reworked so that it produces 210bhp and 160lb ft of torque. It does this without resorting to any sort of forced induction, yet remains supremely drivable. No lumpy cam histrionics or peaky, narrow power bands here. It’s matched to a close ratio ‘box, a Quaife ATB LSD, lighter flywheel and motorsport driveshafts.

As Steffen Dobke - founder of Analogue Automotive - explains in the film, the Lotus Elise’s chassis has received just as much attention. It begins with a full restoration, stripping the bonded extruded aluminium tub back as far as it will go so that it can be cleaned up and made as good as new. The rear subframe is also strengthened slightly. The original steel wishbones are replaced, in this case with a wider track and Nitron Clubsport dampers. There is also a quicker steering rack and lightweight steering arms.

Although the beautiful bodywork isn’t fundamentally changed, it appears wider thanks to the lower ride height and some clever alterations to the lights. At the rear, the lower grilles become functional and the reversing and fog lights replace what were previously merely reflectors. It’s all designed to enhance the original without changing it beyond recognition.

Henry Catchpole not only drives and reviews the Analogue Automotive SuperSport in this episode of The Driver’s Seat, he also puts to bed a certain myth… involving toothpaste and different colour glues. We hope you enjoy the film - if you do then please think about subscribing to the Hagerty Drivers Club https://www.hagerty.com/drivers-club/

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Like what you see? Watch our other series including:
Redline Rebuilds | Time-lapse engine rebuilds from start to finish http://bit.ly/RedlineRebuild
Barn Find Hunter | Tom Cotter searches the country for abandoned cars http://bit.ly/BarnFIndHunter
Jason Cammisa on the Icons | The definitive car review
https://bit.ly/JasonCammisaICONS
Revelations | Untold Stories About Automotive Legends with Jason Cammisa
https://bit.ly/JasonCammisaRevelations
The Driver's Seat with Henry Catchpole
https://bit.ly/HenryCatchpole

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