The original Lotus Elise didn’t just edge a victory in our poll, it took a landslide win with nearly double the votes of the runner-up. Of course, that came as no surprise: the S1 Elise represents the very best of the Great British sports car, tipping the scales at just 725kg thanks to the innovative combination of glassfibre body and ultra-stiff aluminium chassis. That package, along with a peppy 1.8-litre Rover K Series engine, resulted in an incredibly agile and wonderfully brisk sports car.
Values remain strong six years into the car’s life, with this entry-spec Pure being one of the more affordable at £44,995, or almost what it cost new. Greatness seldom comes cheap, but if ever a car felt worth every penny… Naming your brand-new mid-engine sports car after your ultra-successful Le Mans winner is one hell of a statement, and is exactly what Audi did with the R8.