California Lotus is a bright idea

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

In the gray, rain-sodden wastes of eastern England where this car was conceived and made, the land of California is seen as some golden place where things never get dirty. Which must be why Lotus put a pale interior into its 2008 California Edition Elise. With the same architecture as the standard Elise (aluminum space frame, fiberglass skin, mid-engined, rear-wheel drive), the California will be available in red or yellow. And only 50 examples will be made.

This time around, the emphasis is more on luxury than the minimalist philosophy normally associated with Lotus, with actual door lining, carpets and plenty of two-tone leather. By using the available hard top, one can even hear the Alpine audio system properly. With a sticker price of $51,770, it might be said that the California Edition was for lotus-eaters. Ouch.

-- Colin Ryan