Raceline is pleased to offer to the discerning Lotus Elise driver a range of tuning packages, based on the original and acclaimed Raceline 150 kit. This comprises a stainless steel tuned-length exhaust manifold and system (retaining the standard catalytic converter), complete with silencer; a pair of high performance camshafts; modified high-flow air filter housing with high performance filter element; special 'Raceline' branded cam cover insert; and a specially-developed electronic control unit (ecu, or 'black box') and ancillaries, which is unique to Raceline Cars, and allows the full potential of the engine to be unleashed.

In developing these tuning packages, Raceline has been careful to maintain the Elise's essential virtues. They add no discernible weight; indeed a Raceline-tuned Elise may be lighter than standard, as the Raceline silencer alone is almost 13lb (6kg) lighter than the standard version. The Raceline kit therefore preserves the Elise's superb balance. As Colin Chapman well knew, low weight confers many benefits, aside from the obvious one of improving acceleration. Braking and road holding are also improved, as there is less mass to decelerate and change direction. For that reason the Elise chassis is easily able to handle the extra performance provided by a Raceline tuning kit. They simply make a great car even better....

But it's not just about improved performance. A Raceline-tuned Elise can be driven slowly when required, in which case it is totally undemanding and without temperament. Even the Raceline 160 remains smooth and tractable, while at each level of tune the Raceline-developed ecu eradicates the lazy throttle response that gives the standard 1.8i engine such a disappointingly 'unsporty' character. Instead, a 'K' series engine equipped with a Raceline tuning kit has razor sharp throttle response.

In heavy stop-start traffic - sadly an all too common feature of modern road conditions - the Raceline-tuned Elise can be 'trickled' along in first gear with little or no throttle, which even the standard car with its mild cams and relatively modest specific power output can not always achieve on its Rover-developed MEMS engine management system, despite the best efforts of Rover's army of designers and engineers. And because the Raceline-developed ecu allows the perfect control of fuel and sparks necessary for efficient combustion, any Raceline-tuned Elise will easily pass the dreaded MOT emissions test, so long as the catalytic converter remains in place.

Sadly perhaps, the days of carefree performance tuning are gone. In recognition of this, Raceline has chosen to adopt a responsible approach: responsible to the customer; and responsible to the environment too. For example, many potential purchasers of tuning kits - not just for the Elise, but for other makes and models too - may not be aware of the implications of the latest MOT test requirements. Not only is the car required to pass the statutory emissions test, which in most cases is relatively easy to achieve provided the catalytic converter is retained and kept in good working order, but it must also hold the factory specified idle speed, steady to within 50rpm each way. Failure to do so results in an automatic MOT failure, regardless of the emissions produced.

For that reason we felt constrained to stick with the standard Rover plenum chamber rather than change to a throttle body-based system as some other Elise tuners have done. Because the standard Rover plastic plenum chamber restricts airflow somewhat, it is relatively easy to obtain more power using individual throttle bodies; but we thought this was inappropriate, as it is more difficult to achieve the necessary stable factory-specified idle speed with throttle bodies. There are other drawbacks to throttle bodies too. They are heavier than the lightweight plastic Rover item, with the added drawback that the extra weight is carried high too; noisier (the standard plenum chamber does a good job in dampening induction roar); costlier; and bulkier, which means encroaching on the boot and hence reducing luggage space, already necessarily limited in a car as compact as the Elise. Instead, we have followed the more difficult path of achieving a substantial power increases, yet retaining the standard Rover plenum chamber and idle speed control valve.

For the same reason, we do not advocate removal of the catalytic converter, as some have done. Almost certainly, this will cause the car to fail its annual MOT test, although admittedly this does not become a problem until the vehicle is three years old. However, as we have taken such pains to ensure our Raceline tuning kits will pass the MOT emissions test, it would appear rather counter-productive to remove the 'cat'. In any event, we have found on the dyno that removing the catalytic converter is worth only some 5bhp. For those using their vehicles exclusively on track, however, we do offer a 'cat' replacement pipe for the exhaust system. And for those after the best of both worlds, we are also able to offer a sports catalyst, which costs negligible horsepower, but substantial cash!

As much as we car enthusiasts may resent the bureaucrats, do-gooders and other assorted busybodies spoiling our fun, sadly, the problem isn't going to go away. Rather than bury our heads in the sand, Raceline has decided to meet the problem head-on, and with these constraints in mind, we have developed our Elise tuning kits to pass all current emissions test requirements, despite the difficulties this presented. And this is not just a problem come MOT time: with traffic in many areas now subject to random checks for polluting vehicles, the authorities have the power to levy heavy fines on transgressors, and are likely to take an especially dim view of any vehicle found to have been modified from the standard specification (ie with 'cat' removed). As the authorities become aware of the revenue-generating potential of such checks, inevitably they - like speed cameras - are likely to become more commonplace! Emissions' testing holds no fears for the Raceline-tuned Elise though.

Raceline is renowned for its thorough and painstaking approach to tuning. Therefore, you can be assured of enjoying your Raceline-tuned Elise for a long time to come. Or, in the unlikely event that you should wish to sell, you can sell with confidence. For example, the Raceline electronic control unit is designed and built to aviation standards, and is fully CAA-approved. Okay, you may not want to fly in your Elise(!), but it is reassuring to know the ecu is built to the very highest standards of reliability and durability demanded by the aviation industry.

For all of Raceline's painstaking approach to research and development, and proven commitment to quality, it is the performance improvement of the Raceline 150 Elise that truly impresses. When the driver wishes to draw on the enhanced performance, the response is immediate. The engine remains perfectly tractable at low rpm, but from 4500rpm the tachometer needle fairly zings around the dial, right up to the redline at 7200rpm. Compare that with the performance of the standard engine, which has just about given its best at a little over 6000rpm. Just when the standard engine starts to labour, the Raceline 150 unit really starts to sing....

For those who prefer to retain the standard Rover exhaust manifold (for example to comply with the regulations for some race categories), the entry level 145 kit incorporates all the components of the 150, bar the four-branch exhaust manifold and collector. Naturally, this reduces the price somewhat, and also reduces the cost of fitting, as fitting time is reduced. At the other end of the scale, the 160 kit has all of the components from the 150 kit, with the addition of a modified gas-flowed cylinder head, which allows a full 160 horsepower to be unleashed and produces a very exciting package. While the performance of the 145 version is only slightly inferior to that of the 150, the 160 is noticeably quicker and even more responsive.

Official performance figures are not available, but even the briefest of test drives will confirm that the improvement over the standard Elise is astonishing. Where the standard car is rapid enough to be entertaining, the Raceline 160-equipped version is truly exhilarating. Yet noise levels are little changed from standard, the Raceline exhaust system giving a pleasingly sporty exhaust note.