With its world-renowned combination of flyweight proportions and small, highly-tuned engines, it was only a matter of time before Lotus released a frugal Elise.

Fitted with a 1.6-litre Toyota engine, its average emissions are only 149g/km of CO2 – less than a 1.6-litre Ford Focus, which emits 157g/km.

At a cruise the Lotus Elise can also manage 56.1mpg (extra urban), giving it a possible 500 mile range, even with its small 9.6 gallon fuel tank.

It should be the perfect car for the cost, and environment conscious, driver who doesn’t want to sacrifice performance and driving enjoyment.

The outgoing 1.8-litre Lotus Elise S emits 179g/km, meaning the new model represents a 16 per cent reduction in CO2 output.

But, while there’s the same 134bhp on offer as before, the 0-60mph dash now takes 6 seconds – 0.2 seconds longer than the old model.

There are currently 150 Lotus Elises for sale on Auto Trader, ranging from £6,500 to £38k in price.

And, you can beat the waiting list for a Lotus Evora, as there are around 20 examples on sale.

By Andy Goodwin, senior web journalist