Lotus Elise
Sold prices, market value and cars for sale
As of October 21, 2026, Shifty has recorded 257 public sales of the Lotus Elise. The records run from February 2018 to October 2026. In the past 12 months, 63 sold at a median of $45,000. The Shifty Estimate runs from $27,100 for the S1 111S to $74,600 for the S2 SC.
Generations
Versions
About the Lotus Elise
- Built
- 1996 to 2021
- Versions
- 4
- Body styles
- Roadster, Convertible
- Power
- 134 to 218 hp
- 0 to 60
- 4.4 to 5.4 s
- Top speed
- 127 to 148 mph
- Designers
- Julian Thomson, Russell Carr
The Lotus Elise first appeared in 1996. Its chassis was built from extruded aluminum sections glued together. Lotus developed the bonding process with the Danish company Hydro. The bare chassis weighed 67 kg. A mid-mounted 1.8-liter Rover K-series engine made 118 bhp. The car weighed 731 kg. Just over 10,600 Series 1 Elises were made before the Series 2 took over in 2001.
Tougher European crash rules meant a new Elise had to be made. The Series 2 ran in pre-facelift form from 2001 to 2009. Lotus switched to Toyota 1.8-liter ZZ-GE engines in 2004. In 2008 the supercharged Elise SC was announced with 217 hp.
The Series 3 of 2010 was a facelift of the Series 2. Its Toyota engines were a 1.6-liter with 134 bhp and a supercharged 1.8-liter with 217 to 250 bhp. Lotus revived the Sprint name in 2017 for the lightest Elises. They weighed as little as 798 kg.
In February 2021 Lotus announced that the Elise would end after 25 years. The Final Edition cars were the Sport 240 and the Cup 250.
Sources: evo: used Lotus Elise S1 review, PistonHeads: Lotus Elise S2 used buying guide, evo: Lotus Elise S3 review, CompleteCar.ie: Lotus Elise and Exige Final Editions
The market
Recent sales
Common questions
How much does a Lotus Elise cost?
In the past 12 months, 63 sold at a median of $45,000. Half of the 20 most recent sales landed between $35,361 and $54,000. The Shifty Estimate runs from $27,100 to $74,600, depending on version.
What is a Lotus Elise worth today?
The Shifty Estimate depends on the version. Each describes a well-kept example. S2 SC: $74,600. S3 Elise: $56,700. S1 111S: $27,100.
What is the cheapest Elise to buy?
The S1 111S has the lowest Shifty Estimate, at $27,100. In the past 12 months, 3 sold at a median of $27,078.
Which Elise is worth the most?
The S2 SC has the highest Shifty Estimate, at $74,600. In the past 12 months, 8 sold at a median of $71,250.
What is the most expensive Lotus Elise ever sold?
The highest sale on file is $121,000, for a 2011 Lotus Elise SC at Bring a Trailer. It sold on Sep 15, 2026. It showed 1,100 miles.
How many Lotus Elises have sold?
Shifty has recorded 257 public sales since February 2018. 63 came in the past 12 months. The most recent sold for $30,000 on Oct 20, 2026.
What generations of the Lotus Elise are there?
Shifty tracks 3 generations of the Lotus Elise: S1 (1996 to 2001), S2 (2002 to 2011) and S3 (2011 to 2021). The busiest is the S2, with 51 sales in the past 12 months. The S2 has the highest 12-month median, at $45,500.
Which Elise sells most often?
The S2 SC trades most often, with 21 recorded sales. 8 came in the past 12 months. More sales make its value the firmest to read.
Where do Lotus Elises sell?
Of the last 20 sales with a known venue, 19 were at Bring a Trailer. The rest: Collecting Cars (1).
How many miles do Lotus Elises have when they sell?
Across the last 20 sales with a recorded odometer, the median was 18,500 miles. The lowest showed 1,100 miles and the highest 76,000 miles.
Where do Shifty's Lotus Elise prices come from?
Every figure here comes from recorded public sales and live listings of the Lotus Elise. Each sale is filed by version and year. Shifty leaves out cars without a clean title, mismatched cars and implausible prices. The Shifty Estimate weights the most recent sales most heavily. These figures were read on October 21, 2026.