Skip advert
Advertisement

Get Lost: Project Safari is the off-road Lotus Elise you definitely were not expecting

Off-roading and the Lotus Elise aren’t natural bedfellows, which makes the Project Safari even more exciting

The crossover fad really is getting ridiculous now, but according to its makers that’s just the point with the new Get Lost: Project Safari. This highly modified Lotus S1 Elise is a rally-raid style reimagination of the iconic British sports car – the first from new brand Get Lost founded by Automotive photographer GF Williams. And the good news is that it’ll be put into limited production starting later this year. 

Advertisement - Article continues below

The one-off Project Safari’s transformation has been designed ‘to blend rally-inspired capability, road-trip practicality and design-led innovation’ in one two-seater package. To do so, the fundamental Elise body shell has been largely unchanged, but sits significantly higher off the road on much larger rally-style wheels and off-road tyres. 

In order to fit the new wheel and tyre package inside the Elise body, the team at Get Lost has fitted a set of black-coloured wheel arch extensions, which are joined by a set of high-mounted driving lights, bespoke wing mirrors and new LED headlights. The suspension setup is also completely new, providing the obvious raise in ride height as well as wider track widths. 

Project Safari Lotus Elise - front 3/4 rear

Just like you’ll find on a Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato, the intake has been moved from the bodyside to a roof scoop in a distinctive wishbone-design that sits over the Elise’s compact two-seater cabin. This rests on the rear roll hoop, and sits in conjunction with a sculpted tyre-rest on the rear deck for a spare wheel. 

There are no fundamental changes to the engine, according to Get Lost, which means it will run the same iconic K-Series four-cylinder petrol unit as the standard car, as well as a five-speed manual gearbox. This powers the rear wheels, but what is new is the limited-slip differential, plus a rally-style hydraulic handbrake.

Joining the bespoke exterior colour is a fully-retrimmed interior with brown Alcantara, giving the whole cabin a more luxurious and comfortable feeling. 

The Project Safari probably won’t replace the family Toyota RAV4, it is undoubtedly one of few off-road capable Lotus Elises in existence – and might well be considered more convincing a 4x4 than the 2.6-tonne Lotus Eletre.

Now you can buy a car through our network of top dealers around the UK. Search for the latest deals…

Skip advert
Advertisement
Senior staff writer

Senior staff writer at Auto Express, Jordan joined the team after six years at evo magazine where he specialised in news and reviews of cars at the high performance end of the car market. 

Find a car with the experts

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Best future classics 2025: car investments that could make you money
Future classics - header image

Best future classics 2025: car investments that could make you money

Identifying future classic cars is a tricky but potentially lucrative business, here are our future classic recommendations
Best cars & vans
6 Jan 2025

Most Popular

New Kia PV5 Passenger MPV undercuts the VW ID.Buzz by a huge £25k
Kia PV5 Passenger - show front

New Kia PV5 Passenger MPV undercuts the VW ID.Buzz by a huge £25k

New entry into the electric people carrier market undercuts the VW ID. Buzz by a significant margin
News
29 Apr 2025
Car Deal of the Day: BMW’s ultimate luxury SUV at an unusually low price
BMW X7 - front

Car Deal of the Day: BMW’s ultimate luxury SUV at an unusually low price

German firm’s flagship SUV could never be called cheap but it is exceptional value at £735 a month – making it our Deal of the Day for Sunday 27 April
News
27 Apr 2025
New Volkswagen ID.3 Match 2025 review: attractive price boosts EV’s appeal
Volkswagen ID.3 Pure Match - front

New Volkswagen ID.3 Match 2025 review: attractive price boosts EV’s appeal

The value-focused Volkswagen ID.3 Match performs well and is easy to live with
Road tests
28 Apr 2025