A new brand called Get Lost is behind this off-road ready Elise S1
- Project Safari transforms the original Lotus Elise into a bespoke off-road performance machine.
- The reimagined Elise rides 100mm higher and features a fully custom suspension system.
- A photographer-turned-builder created Get Lost to design cars focused purely on driving fun.
The world of niche sports cars is full of underappreciated gems, and few shine quite like the original Lotus Elise S1. Well-loved by enthusiasts but often overlooked by the mainstream, it’s never quite reached the same level of fame (or resale value) as something like a Porsche 911. Still, at least one company thinks that’s about to change.
That company is Get Lost that was founded by photographer GFWilliams, and its first build, Project Safari, takes an already playful car and turns the dial a little further toward chaos.
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According to the team behind this vehicle, it’s not just an Elise with a lift kit and some fancy body panels. Rather, it’s a complete ground-up re-imagining of the lightweight roadster with major changes inside and out. For example, the entire suspension is bespoke, the ride height is 100mm higher than stock, and it leverages all-terrain tires.
Notably, Get Lost doesn’t say anything about the drivetrain other than that it’s new and that it “delivers strong, reliable performance”. So, yeah, probably not British. The air intakes jutting out of the engine bay might hint at something, though. It looks like there are at least two intake manifolds, which points to a V6, or at least something with actual horsepower ambitions.
Supporting that theory are the wide rear fender flares, which seem built to house a lot more tire, and possibly a lot more power. The rest of the design includes square headlights, white rally-style wheels, custom wing mirrors, and a set of proper fog lights up front. Underneath, it’s fitted with a limited-slip differential and a hydraulic handbrake, hinting that the car’s meant to do more than just pose in an Instagram grid.
“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 that’s fun,” says founder of Get Lost, George Williams. “If you get it, you get us. If not? Get Lost.” That’s a very snazzy thing to say, but will it pay off?
Only time will tell, but this sure would look great bombing around the desert with a Porsche 911 Dakar or even a Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato. Get Lost says it’s planning to begin delivery of customer cars later this year and that it’s accepting “letters of interest” from “customers, collaborators, and anyone who sees themselves in this vision.”
