Finding ways to lure customers into dealerships - and once there, secure the sale - has rarely been harder for car companies. And that's why we see so many schemes afoot to do just that. Lotus is taking a tried and true approach to the situation, however, offering lots of features for less money, and they're calling it the ‘Purist Edition’.

Built around a Sport-package Elise with all of the options of the Touring package as well, except for the leather-trimmed transmission tunnel, leather door inserts and iPod interface, the car starts out more than $3,000 below what its sticker price would normally be, checking in at $44,920 (including shipping). A base Elise starts at $48,175 (including shipping).

The Purist Edition Elise will be available in only three colors - Monaco White, Saffron Yellow and Ardent Red. Inside, the black leather interior is complemented by a Momo leather steering wheel, air conditioning, CD player and a starter button. Other goodies include 17in alloy wheels shod with Yokohama Neova performance tires.

Like all other standard Elises, the car is powered by a 1.8L four-banger good for 189hp (141kW). Despite the tiny mill, the car's still more than spritely, dashing from 0-60mph (96km/h) in 4.9 seconds, on to 100mph (160km/h) in 12.9 seconds, with a top speed of 150mph (241km/h). And it does it all while getting 21mpg city and 27mpg highway, thanks largely to its 1,984lb (899kg) weight.