Beneath this Rocket Bunny body kit lies a 1,000-HP Lotus Elise.

      Pandem USA via Instagram

      Lotus discontinued the Elise production in 2022, yet the aftermarket continues to find ways to reimagine the roadster. Japanese tuner Rocket Bunny has created one of the most heavily modified Elise models we've encountered. Powered by a Subaru engine, it’s almost unrecognizable as an Elise.

      Nearly every body panel has been altered, giving off strong classic endurance race car aesthetics. The front is flatter and significantly lower than that of the original Elise, the wheel arches have been flared, and a large chassis-mounted wing dominates the open rear. The body ends just before the wing, providing a clear view of the engine and racing tires from behind the Elise.

      The most noticeable indication that this is a Lotus is the windshield frame, seemingly left unchanged. It’s hard to comprehend the immense amount of fabrication that went into this build; it’s a far cry from the wide-body kits for which Rocket Bunny is mostly known.

      Typically, the Elise features a Toyota-sourced four-cylinder engine. Rocket Bunny’s version is designed to utilize either a Subaru-sourced EJ family flat-four or a rotary engine, presumably from Mazda’s inventory. While there are other rotary engines available, it’s unlikely anyone would go to the effort of rebuilding an NSU Ro 80-sourced twin-rotor Wankel for a time-attack car like this.

      Currently, this Lotus is equipped with a 2.5-liter turbocharged EJ25 flat-four generating 1,000 horsepower, which is astonishing given the weight-saving strategies employed in the project. Details on how this power level was reached haven't been disclosed; the only technical information available is that the drivetrain features a Link ECU engine management system. However, there’s a substantial amount of aftermarket support for Subaru’s renowned boxer, and we suspect there’s little left in the engine that retains a Subaru part number.

      The modifications don’t stop there. The front and rear subframes are custom in-house designs, the interior is fitted with a single lightweight Recaro seat, and a Wilwood Big Brake kit has been added to maintain an impressive power-to-weight ratio. Rocket Bunny has built this Elise for time attack competitions and Pikes Peak, meaning the 1,000-horsepower flat-four’s exhaust might soon resonate through the Rockies.

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