We’re obsessed with this rally-inspired Lotus Elise S1

Get Lost. No, not like that. Get Lost is the name of the all-new design and engineering brand responsible for this, a Lotus Elise S1 reimagined for road trip hijinks and off-road funsies. Heritage be damned, we want it.

It’s called Project Safari, and much has been done. Running all-terrain tyres, a new, bespoke suspension system raises the ride height by 100mm, with the aim of ‘refining the body control’ and inspiring confidence. Not things the original was lacking, exactly.

The underbody is reinforced to protect the floor from an assault of gravel, while a limited-slip diff and hydraulic handbrake are added to the toybox.

There’s a new powertrain too, and while specifics are still TBC Get Lost is promising ‘performance and reliability’. Those common Lotus buzzwords of yore…

Obviously the UK-based company couldn’t pass up the chance to rally-ify the exterior, fitting a roof scoop and a floating rear wing with space behind it for a spare tyre. There’s just something fundamentally right about a white alloy, so why not show off the backup?

Meanwhile there are rectangular bi-LED headlights ‘that actually light the road’, and the interior has been given the bespoke treatment too with seats designed to fit taller drivers. That sound you can hear is Gordon Murray cartwheeling around GMA HQ in celebration.

“The idea of taking an Elise off-road might sound ridiculous, and that’s exactly why we leaned into it,” says George Williams, founder of Get Lost. “That one silly idea gave us real creative freedom. Every element was considered from the ground up, not just to look good in isolation, but to enhance the character and capability of the entire car.

“It wasn’t enough for the car to look good – it had to be brilliant to drive too. This is not a modified Elise, it’s our interpretation of what the platform had to offer. Everything has been considered – from the design to the drive – all in the pursuit of creating something that’s fun,” adds Williams. “If you get it, you get us. If not? Get Lost.”

Customer builds are slated to begin later this year. Anyone got an S1 we can, er, borrow?