For those who thought the Elises and Exiges were too extreme, Lotus introduced the Europa S in 2006. Taking up an old name referring to the first mid-engined Lotus, the Europa S used an aluminum frame. As a basis, the Lotus did not use the Elise S2, but the Opel Speedster, with a wheelbase extended by 3 centimeters. The engine was also that of the Opel. In 2008, the Europa SE made its debut, with a more powerful engine, specific wheels, optimized suspension and braking system. Lotus Europa are quite rare: 408 of the S were built, of the SE only 48.