Project Safari is a comprehensive Lotus Elise restomod turning the sport car into off-road racer

The Lotus Elise S1 was one of the most popular sports cars in the mid-90s, appreciated by purists and motorheads for its distinct design backed by performance. Although the car has been lost in time, overshadowed by names like Porsche 911, it still manages to turn heads. Now, passionate motorsports photographer GF Williams turned car builder has crafted a restomod version of the Elise dubbed Project Safari with a rally race character.

Under the Surrey-based company Get Lost, Williams and his team of fabricators and engineers have beefed up the sports car for off-road-ready adventures. That’s almost like changing the racing DNA of the sports car and morphing it into a beast that can take on dirt trails without any iota of hesitation. With this mod, the track-hugging Lotus retains its featherweight character and a compact footprint. However, the conversion isn’t just about slapping on body panels or increasing the ride height. According to George Williams, “This is not a modified Elise, it’s our interpretation of what the platform had to offer. Everything has been considered – from the design to the drive – all in the pursuit of creating something fun.”

Designer: Get Lost

The visual aesthetics are noticeably different from the original with a 100mm lift, and the underbody is reinforced with maximum protection to make the car ready for the unforgiving tracks. The large fenders hug the all-terrain tires, bespoke suspension coated in Cerakote for protection from rocks and debris. The round headlights have been replaced by the rectangular ones to give the Elise an aggressive personality.  Rally car element is exemplified by the yellow auxiliary lights mounted on the hood, which make the dusty tracks well lit. For maximum control on the roads, Willams’ team added a rally-style limited-slip differential and a hydraulic handbrake.

Get Lost has added a mid-mounted roof scoop with an intake that splits into two ducts, feeding air into the engine. The makers inform that the Project Safari is loaded with a different powertrain, suggesting the original 1.8-litre Rover K-Series has been swapped for something with more meat. The zircon-coated twin exhaust further cements the fact that the Project Safari has more power than you could bargain for. The roll bar and the rear deck hold the spare tire, which is integrated with floating wings that are reminiscent of a WRC rally car. On the inside, the modded Project Safari Elise has bespoke seats trimmed in leather and tweed.

According to Williams, every element of the modded Lotus Elise doesn’t work in isolation; rather, “enhances the character and capability of the entire car.” The production of the Project Safari is slated to begin by the end of this year. There’s no word about the pricing of the car yet, but more could come on that in the future.