2000 Lotus Elise

We are delighted to offer this 2000 Lotus Elise, which is finished in the rare colour scheme of black with a matching black leather interior.

Having only had two owners, it still shows just 20,000 miles on the odometer, this low reading is explained by the fact it only accrued around a thousand miles between 2008 and 2015, and was off the road between 2015 and 2025. However, please not that the Speedometer and odometer are not currently functioning.

Freshly recommissioned and recently MoT’d, it is fighting fit again and ready to thrill and delight its next owner.
 

The black coachwork will come as something of a shock for those of us more used to seeing the Elise in a brighter or a lighter colour.

And yet it works well, giving the Elise an understated elegance and subtlety we love. Of course, that same hue highlights any flaws more ruthlessly than any other colour from the Lotus palette would but that’s not too much of an issue here either because the overall fit ‘n’ finish is still pretty good.

The orange front indicators and wing-mounted repeaters are a welcome touch of sunshine on what is otherwise a discreet background. They, like the equally vivid rear lamps, are free of cracks and sun damage.

The black fabric hood is as rudimentary as they all are, but it still fits well and fastens as it should. It’s largely free of damage too, sporting just the one small section of burst seam above the rear-view mirror.

The lightweight alloy wheels are largely free of kerbing rash with only a few light nibbles here and there. There is a little bit of alloy corrosion on some of the double-spokes, but this too is limited and by no means ruins their appearance.

The tyres are new and matching Yokohama Advans, 195/50R15 on the front and 225/45R16 on the rear. All have very good tread, and all were made in 2025.

We will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly.

If we’re being picky, and we do like to be because we know so many of you bid sight unseen, then the Janspeed exhaust tailpipes are offset to the nearside.

There are also two tiny scratches to the offside rear wing, the paint around the rear numberplate has developed a texture, the outside of the nearside door and the inside of the offside door have microblisters, the paint protection film on the rear air intakes and leading edges of the rear wings is a bit scruffy, the offside door has a scuff on it, the offside rear buttress has a chip in the paint finish, and the nearside headlamp cover is damaged.

The coachwork also suffers from significant fine scratches, although we suspect this could be significantly improved by machine-polishing. 
 

The interior is wonderfully minimal, containing everything you need and nothing you don’t.

The sparse seats, which are far more comfortable than they look, are in a very good condition; it’s common the find wear to the outer edges given the challenges the Elsie presents in getting in and out, but these present very well with no significant colour loss and only light creasing.

The steering wheel and gearknob are as clean as they are simple, and the Stack dashboard gives you all the information you need in the clearest, simplest, and lightest way possible.

The elegant alloy pedals sit against an alloy background. The (very good) carpets are minimal to save weight, and yet you really don’t miss the presence of anything more luxurious as the engineering architecture that surrounds you is so attractive.

The rest of the interior is very good and is testament to both Lotus engineering and a quarter of a century of meticulous curation.

In fact, the only problem we can see is a bit of light tarnishing to some of the alloy surfaces, wear to the driver’s armrest, and some deterioration to the reflective surface of the rear-view mirror.
 

The Elise’s service history is recorded as follows:

•    30.05.2000 – pre-delivery inspection by Nelmes Garage Ltd
•    20.07.2000 and 1,298 miles – service by Nelmes of Romford
•    30.05.2001 and 3,276 miles – service by Nelmes of Romford
•    13.06.2007(?) and 17,019 miles – service by Dream Machines
•    07.10.2025 and 20,182 miles – recommissioning service by Julian Godfrey Engineering including four new Yokohama tyres, sparkplugs, front brake pads, a steering rack boot kit, and a water pump and cambelt

As you can see, the fuel-injected engine starts well and settles into an immediate steady idles. It revs beautifully too and does it all without illuminating any warning lights on the dashboard.

Its cosmetic condition is a little grubby but a couple of hours of professional attention would probably transform it. More importantly, we can’t see anything in there that is an actual problem, so you could delay valeting it for a good while yet.

The underside is very good. Of course, structural corrosion isn’t going to be one of your concerns, but we can’t see anything untoward there full-stop, only nicely presented and clean surfaces.

We have noted though that the speedometer and odometer are not currently functioning, though the current mileage is as per the recent MoT. 
 

The Elise’s MoT is valid until September 2026.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear, and it comes with two sets of keys.

The history file includes the Elsie wallet and book pack, the V5 registration document, and an invoice for the most recent service.
 

With somewhat tired paintwork, something its colour does nothing to hide, it would be easy to dismiss this Elise and move onto searching for one that looks superficially better.

And yet, given some professional attention, we think it could look significantly better for not a lot of money. Factor in its low mileage and you could be the proud owner of a hard-charging Elise you wouldn’t be afraid to use as Lotus intended.

Its condition also affects our guide price; despite that low mileage and the recent recommissioning work, we don’t think it’s going to breach the £20,000 mark, and may even sell for as little as £16,000, which would be a remarkably small price to pay for an Elise of this quality.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.