Don’t worry my fellow Americans, your supercharged Elises and Exiges are safe. In Europe, however, the introduction of the new 1.6 liter Elise means the old 1.8 supercharged cars are on their way out, victims of the new Euro 5 standard.
Some of the most evocative and special cars on the road today have that “last of the V8 Interceptors” element: anachronistic amounts of power and speed that seem miles out of touch with the realities of modern life, with its traffic, oil spills and speed cameras. Driving the CTS-V was just that kind of experience. As my pupils dilated in time with the rising supercharger wail, I felt extremely lucky, knowing full well that this glorious sensation will likely soon be gone with the glaciers. But a 550 hp supercharged V8 is one thing, a blown Toyota four-banger is quite another. At 217 horsepower, an Elise SC won’t be mistaken for Mad Max’s V8 Interceptor anytime soon, but like the Mazda RX-8, it’s now officially too uncivilized for Europe. To celebrate this achievement, Lotus has built an “RGB” special edition, named after its former director of vehicle engineering, Roger Becker.
I’m sure a turbo DI 1.6 could deliver the same power with less fuel.
Is Euro 5 more restrictive than the latest US rules?
Under Euro5 CO2 regulations, a burning cigarette stuck up a biker’s butt as he pedals at 60 km/h probably won’t pass muster.
I’m not sure the panting, overworked biker would, either.