Lotus adapts to U.S.

The company hopes the re-engineered Elise can out-maneuver its competition by showing the importance of performance through light weight.

In July, Lotus began exporting to the U.S. a Federal version of the Elise-nearly a decade after it introduced the vehicle to other world markets. The first new Lotus model for the United States since 1991, the Elise is spearheading the company's market expansion plans in America.

The Elise has been the best-selling Lotus ever, with about 20,000 units sold worldwide since the original Series 1 (S1) hit the UK market in 1996. That is nearly double the total sales of Lotus's longest-running car, the Esprit, which completes production this year after a 26-year run. The company expects to sell roughly 2200 Elises in the U.S. in its first full year, a significant increase from the 100-unit per year sales volume of the now-defunct Esprit.