elise

Getting closer to the Paris Motor Show, more is being revealed - or rumored, perhaps - about what will be on show. AutoExpress is predicting the appearance of five Lotus concepts at the end of September: a roadster, two front-engined grand tourers, and the new Esprit. Last month, we postulated that a supercharged or convertible Lotus Evora convertible might make the scene, and there's a slight chance of seeing the 2012 Lotus Elise. The two front-engined GTs are the real surprise, seeing that there hasn't been much said about them previously.

Lotus Elise SC fleet at Hertz Italiana - Click above for high-res image gallery

Ever fantasize about driving an exotic sportscar around Italy? Well who hasn't. And there are plenty of companies on the peninsula that'll be glad to help you out. Count among them now car rental giant Hertz. But while you may have images in your head of wafting around the countryside in a Maserati or Lamborghini, Hertz has something entirely different on offer: the Lotus Elise.

Rumors have been circulating for almost a week that Lotus was planning to release a stripped-down, low-cost version of the Elise in the States. Today, we finally received confirmation from Lotus' U.S. PR-man, Kevin Smith, that indeed, the Elise "Purist" edition is on the way, and unlike the dozens of other limited-edition Elises coming out of Hethel, this is one we can actually get behind.

According to Smith, the "Purist" edition is an attempt to get the Elise closer to the MSRP it carried when introduced to the U.S. market in 2005. So Lotus has set the price at a slightly more achievable $43,995, or around $3,500 less than a base Elise.

Click for updated gallery of the Lotus Clark Type-25 Elise SC

Lotus has a dedicated following around the world, and many of them were undoubtedly disappointed that the first special edition of the new supercharged Elise was limited to just 25 examples, all of which were sold within the UK and Ireland. Although Lotus enthusiasts in the U.S. will surely remain disappointed, a handful of those in Europe will get another lucky chance at limited edition Elise ownership with Lotus' announcement that it will produce an additional run of 25 examples of the Clark Type-25 Elise SC for sale on the continent.

Click above for a gallery of the Lotus Elise by Kahn.

Special edition Elises are becoming a dime-a-dozen, but Lotus decided Kahn Design should be tasked with creating its own bespoke version of the Elise to celebrate the automaker's 60th anniversary.

Rumors of a new sports car from Abarth have been circulating for months, and although details are still sketchy, one thing's for sure: a mid-mounted engine is part of the package. Autocar is confirming previous rumors that Fiat's sport division has struck a deal with Lotus to use the next Elise as the basis for the new sports car.

Click above for a high-res pic of the Lotus Clark Type-25 Elise SC

Click above for a high-res gallery from the Lotus Challenge Series.

Jack Fried is barely audible under the stentorian sound of the supercharged four behind our heads. With two helmets worth of plastic and padding between his strained, soft-spoken voice and my assaulted ears, I'm only able to make out a few words of every other sentence. When we finally line up in the starting grid, Jack shuts off the engine on his Lotus Cup 255 and turns in my direction. "I've sold most of my track cars," he says, "This is all I need."

I hear that.