Detailed item info Model OverviewThis car has been available in Europe for a decade. while the U. S. had to wait until 2005 for the roadster to hit American shores. In the years since. little has changed for the Elise. A few variants have been made available. like the SC supercharged version. and new paint colors have been added to the two standard-issue choices. There are two trim levels available in 2009: the base Elise and the supercharged Elise SC. The base car has a mid-mounted 1. 8L 4-cylinder engine with 189 hp and 133 lb-ft of torque. The SC supercharges that same engine. for 218 hp and 156 lb-ft of torque. Both editions of the car are rear-wheel drive. with a 6-speed manual transmission. And. while both cars have a top speed of 150 mph. the base model can do 0-60 in 4. 9 seconds. while the SC reaches 60 from a standing start in 4. 4 seconds. The rounded Lotus design and the Toyota engine add up to a fuel economy rating of 21 mpg city. 27 mpg highway -- stellar for a car that goes this fast. Standard features include tire pressure monitoring. stowage bag for the soft top. LED taillights. daytime running lights. independent suspension and cast-alloy wheels. The standard anti-lock braking system comes with Lotus/AP Racing and Brembo calipers. plus 4-wheel ventilated. cross-drilled disc brakes. The interior of the Elise is spartan. which isn't unusual in a car built for speed. Air conditioning and push-button start are standard. as is a leather-trimmed Momo steering wheel. aluminum gearshift knob and handbrake trim and 4-speaker CD stereo. When weight and space are at a premium. four speakers is all a car gets. Options include a hard top. limited-slip differential and traction control. More options are available as part of packages. The Touring package upgrades the soft top's insulation and the stereo system and adds full carpet and full leather seats. The Sport pack upgrades the wheels to forged silver alloy and adds sport-tuned suspension. twin oil coolers. traction control. and sport seats. This package reduces the overall weight of the Elise. normally 1. 84 lbs. by 20 lbs.