The iconic Lotus Elise S1 becomes the spectacular Project Safari thanks to the Get Lost brand

If you are a rally enthusiast you will surely be familiar with the possibility of seeing the car you least expect prepared to compete, whether on tarmac or gravel, something that undoubtedly leaves us with images and photographs to remember. More surprising is when a brand like Porsche officially brings back the 911 Dakar in a modern version, although perhaps what most blew our minds in recent years was the spectacular Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato.

If you enjoyed these last two conversions, the one we bring you now will not leave you indifferent and, mind you, although it is not an official factory preparation, it is no less striking. The automotive landscape now has a new brand called Get Lost, based in the United Kingdom and founded by the expert car photographer George F. Williams, behind which stands a great team with roots in the automotive world, design studios and manufacturing.

Get Lost presents its first project, called Project Safari, and note that for it they have taken as a base none other than the Lotus Elise S1, that is, the first generation of this iconic lightweight sports car. Precisely this is the main characteristic of the cars from the Hethel marque, their low weight, something Get Lost did not take into account, since the priority was not to improve it or make it more special but to reinvent it for a different function and without any restriction. In fact, G.F. Williams himself says that the idea of taking an Elise off the road may seem so ridiculous and absurd that it was what encouraged them to start and, above all, to do it with greater creative freedom.

In this way you can see that the Lotus Elise S1 that served as the base is perfectly identifiable, yet it bears no resemblance to the concept that Julian Thomson once drew for Lotus. The flowing, aerodynamic lines of the Elise S1 contrast with the oversized Project Safari, with visibly widened wheel arches that look absurdly attractive against the original side lines. Beneath these wheel arches sit all-terrain tyres fitted to striking wheels, and, as is the rule on an off-road car, we must not forget the spare wheel mounted on the redesigned rear.

A bar of auxiliary lights has also been installed at the front, and greater height and width have been achieved with a new suspension system made entirely to measure, which offers greater security when tackling difficult terrain and gives the whole set added stability. You will also notice the large air intake that rises above the roll protection, which supplies fresh air to an engine whose characteristics have not yet been revealed, although Get Lost states that the Project Safari will also feature key elements such as a limited-slip differential and a hydraulic handbrake.

No images of the interior have been offered either; we are told it has been redesigned using high-quality materials, and if we add a few off-road gadgets we get a preparation that is certainly curious and very interesting. We will surely not have to wait long to learn more specific details about the Get Lost Project Safari, since the British brand hopes to begin building it for its customers at the end of this same year.