Get Lost: Project Safari goes where no Elise has gone before

Despite spanning nearly 30 years and three generations, the Elise lineage has never seen a rally-ready model. Until now. It’s far from factory spec, but Get Lost’s toughened-up S1 has our seal of approval.

We weren’t being cheeky, the company responsible for this outdoorsy Elise really is called, Get Lost. Funny name, but the concept is serious. Taking a standard Elise S1 and throwing most of it away, Get Lost’s ground-up retromod is as comprehensive as they come. So thorough, in fact, that founder George Williams argues “This is not a modified Elise, it’s our interpretation of what the platform had to offer.” 

So, while it looks like a ‘90s Lotus — albeit one with massive all-terrain tyres and spot lamps stuck to its nose — it’s a whole different beast under the skin. That means the suspension is entirely bespoke, offering a 100mm lift in ground clearance and the ability to thrash down gravel trails or over muddy rutted tracks with ease. In true rally fashion, there’s also a hydraulic handbrake to aid the Elise’s agility through tight hairpin turns. Oh, and don’t forget that limited-slip differential helping the rear wheels to dig in and claw their way out of trouble. 

It’s got all the rally kit, then, but what’s stopping the Elise’s dinky shell from shaking (or smashing) itself to pieces? Afterall, Julian Thomson’s original Lotus design was never engineered to cope with such gruelling terrain. Well, Get Lost’s multidisciplinary team of motorsport engineers and fabricators have reinforced the underbody to protect any of the Elise’s weak links, while a ceramic coating helps to further guard against corrosion and errant pebbles.

However, these fortifications would make little sense with the original K Series powerplant left in situ — the old Rover unit was neither particularly grunty nor durable. That’s why Get Lost has swapped the ageing engine for something stouter, though it hasn’t revealed a brand or power output just yet. Still, it’s fun to postulate which motor might be nestled in there now. A turbocharged Audi BAM for torquey off-road oomph? Or perhaps a supercharged Honda K20’s razor-sharp throttle response better suits the S1’s pure and simple mantra? Either way, we’re sure it’ll be something special. 

Anything else you should know? Well, the interior has apparently also been overhauled — though we’ve got no pictures of the cabin to share — starring bespoke seats designed to accommodate taller and wider drivers. Then, on the outside, new eye-catching white alloys, a rear-mounted spare wheel, and even an overhead intake, help tie the whole dirt racer theme together.

Will Project Safari join the celebrated ranks of adapted off-road sports cars — Porsche 911 Dakar, Ariel Nomad, and Lamborghini Sterrato, included — or slide into obscurity? Well, for some, messing with the original Elise’s masterful formula is simply sacrilegious. For others, this new setup represents a match made in heaven. Either way, as founder George Williams concludes, “If you get it, you get us. If not? Get Lost.”

Which camp are you in? Do you think there’s a market for more lightweight rally conversions?

Hero image credit:  Newspress/Get Lost