The Ultimate Driver’s Car Is Being Reinvented for the Road Like Never Before

This British restomod is set to weigh about half as much as a first-generation Mazda Miata while making more than twice the horsepower.

Close-up of a car headlight with a bright white circular LED ring and a carbon fiber housing surrounding the light. The car's dark body is partially visible around the headlight.

By Gray Van Dyke

Published 4 hours ago

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After Lotus unveiled the Elise at the 1995 Frankfurt Motorshow, the car took the automotive world by storm with its svelte aluminum chassis and razor-sharp handling.

Over the course of the Elise’s production life, Lotus continued to refine the model through subsequent generations, stylistic facelifts and special performance variants. Ultimately, though, the brand discontinued its beloved driver’s car in 2021, moving forward instead with the Emira, alongside initiatives to get into SUVs.

Analogue’s VHPK will see the Elise become more driver-focused than ever (literally).

Analogue Automotive

Now, thirty years after the Elise first broke cover, it’s being reinvented for the road like never before.

A singular approach

The project is called ‘VHPK,’ and it’s the product of seasoned Lotus tuning wizards Analogue Automotive. Based on the Series 1 Elise, it’s set to take the model’s performance to new heights next year.

Close-up of a car grille with a metallic mesh pattern and a silver emblem featuring a stylized "A" on a dark purple or maroon vehicle surface. — Between its sharp badges and striking purple paint, Analogue Automotive has an eye for detail.

For starters, in the spirit of the legendary Elise that competed in the Autobytel Lotus Championship, the car will have a center bucket seat without any provisions for passengers. It’s not about enjoying the company, but rather about being wholly focused on the road.

What’s more, Analogue Automotive has developed VHPK from the ground up to be as light as possible, equipping it with full carbon bodywork, carbon wheels and carbon ceramic brakes such that it will tip the scales at just a hair over 1,300 pounds.

As if that weren’t enough, the outfit will be reworking the car’s Rover 1.8-liter K-series engine, bumping up the displacement and fitting it with bespoke billet and forged internals. With more than 250 ponies on tap, it’s expected to deliver a face-melting power-to-weight ratio of 400 horsepower per tonne — more than double that of the original Elise.

The center seat will position the driver right in the middle of this lightweight cornering machine.

Analogue Automotive

If that sounds as fiery as it is featherweight, that’s because it is. For perspective, a first-generation Mazda Miata hovered around 2,100 pounds, and it made all of 116 horsepower from its 1.6-liter engine.

Armed with experience

While you might be thinking that the VHPK seems too good to be true, Analogue Automotive has a history of restoring and building performance Lotus Elises, so it has the chops to make this kind of project come to life.

Black Lotus Elise sports car with a convertible roof, parked on a gravel area beside a road, surrounded by greenery and white wildflowers. — The SuperSport already makes for a lightweight performer, tipping the scales at just over 1,500 pounds.

The company’s SuperSport, for instance, is also based on an Elise S1. Tuned to produce a slightly milder 200 horsepower, it’s also a little more willing to compromise in that it has room for a passenger. Though it comes in slightly heavier at 1,550 pounds, it’s nevertheless lightweight.

Moreover, given that the tamer SuperSport can hit 62 mph in 4.5 seconds and climb to a top speed of 145 mph, the VHPK is bound to be a screamer. After all, it’s set to feature an extra 50 horses in the stable and come in over 200 pounds lighter.

Black convertible sports car driving on a road with blurred green foliage in the background, featuring round headlights and a sleek, aerodynamic design. — If you’re looking for a modernized version of the ultimate driver’s car, Analogue has you covered.

Rare breed

Analogue Automotive will be building just 35 examples of its VHPK — worldwide. Though the company hasn’t announced a base price, the extra upgrades and added exclusivity mean that it should start at more than the SuperSport’s £100,000 (~$136,000, sans donor) MSRP.

It’ll be taking shape come early 2026. You can learn more at the Analogue Automotive website in the meantime.

About the Author: Gray is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, motorcycles and anything else with wheels. When he’s not chasing the latest industry news, he’s probably wrenching on one of many projects. For better or worse, he believes classics make perfectly practical daily drivers.