Elise T Bar

[The_British_Lion]

Since the launch of the S2 Elise and those tempting Lotus pictures showing a 'development' version of the hardtop with a gull-wing roof, the demand for such a fabled accessory has been strong. In fact, some cars were probably sold on the strength of it. However, it didn't take long for Lotus themselves to give up the fight, and chalk up the development time and cost down to experience, saying that it couldn't be done

Middlemoor Mouldings already do a brisk trade in 'standard' hardtops for the S1 and S2 Elise. Their customer base extends around the world, and currently they are completing an order for 40 roofs. It all started when the owner, Steve, took delivery of his S2 Elise and was told that a hardtop would be an extra £1800. Upon exclaiming that he could make one himself for less, he was told to 'go on then', and the rest, as they say, is history.

So, because they said it couldn't be done, Steve decided to have a crack at the fabled gull-wing roof, and in the best British tradition, has proved the doubters wrong. To be fair, however, this is no cut-down version of the ordinary roof. The roof has been stiffened with carbon fibre and kevlar, to mitigate not only the problems associated with chopping such a large piece out of the roof, but also as well as the probable extra loads from people clambering in and out of the car, using the roof as a hand-hold. A number of cunning features also make this roof impervious to the effects of rain (well, when shut obviously), as well as reducing the cabin buffeting at speed.

The existing roof is the pre-production S2 version from which the moulds will be made, and frankly it could almost be a production item. It makes less noise than the standard roof, and the finished quality is excellent, as expected. There are a few items to be finalised, but these are mostly to do with the fittings and fixtures, such as the locking handles and the exposed aluminium hinges, which may be colour-coded. The S1 roof will have to be slightly different in size, since the boot aperture is smaller and the panels 'as is' will not fit, but this will not change any of the functionality; both will be offered with optional sun-visors on the front retaining clamp, which look a bit of an afterthought but apparently do the job.

However, orders are currently being taken, and although the asking price of £1500 + VAT (painted) may be at the high end, its still cheaper than the not-so-equivalent Lotus item, plus it means you can enjoy your Elise all year round.

Link: http://elisehardtop.co.uk/