How many Lotus Elises are left in New Zealand?
Rare 1 in 28,162 on the road Built 1997-2024 British
Updated from the NZTA Motor Vehicle Register, counted as at 31 August 2026. Recounted every month.
The car that saved Lotus. Launched in 1996, it had a chassis of bonded aluminium extrusions and weighed little more than 700 kg, so a modest Rover engine was plenty. Later ones used Toyota power. It was named after Elisa, granddaughter of the then Lotus chairman Romano Artioli, and built until 2021.
Still on the road, by model year
The most are from 1999: 17 still registered. Every year is listed under the chart.
Every model year
| Model year | Still registered |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 6 |
| 1998 | 12 |
| 1999 | 17 |
| 2000 | 13 |
| 2001 | 4 |
| 2002 | 9 |
| 2003 | 10 |
| 2004 | 14 |
| 2005 | 12 |
| 2006 | 8 |
| 2007 | 5 |
| 2008 | 5 |
| 2009 | 5 |
| 2010 | 6 |
| 2011 | 3 |
| 2012 | 4 |
| 2013 | 6 |
| 2014 | 2 |
| 2015 | 2 |
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 4 |
| 2022 | 11 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 1 |
By badge
The versions the register records, most numerous first.
| Which one | Built | Left | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sport 240 Final Edition | 16 | Rare | |
| 111R | 15 | Rare | |
| 111S | 9 | Rare | |
| Exige | 4 | Rare |
What Rare means
Spotto grades every car by how many are still registered in New Zealand. With 166 still registered, the Lotus Elise is Rare: the grade for cars with 25 to 174 left.
By how many are left it ranks 1st of the 15 Lotus models and equal 888th of all 2,903 cars in Spotto's catalogue.
The six grades: Common, 8,000 or more · Uncommon, 1,200 to 7,999 · Scarce, 175 to 1,199 · Rare, 25 to 174 · Super rare, 5 to 24 · Unicorn, fewer than 5.
Seen one?
Spotto grades every car on New Zealand roads by how many are still registered, down to the generation and the badge. Log the ones you spot, build a collection, and see who else has found one.