Photographer-turned-builder George Williams has just rewritten the rulebook on safari-style builds, and he’s done it with the last car you’d expect. Meet the Get Lost Project Safari Lotus Elise – a vehicle so wildly out of step with convention that it circles right back into brilliance. Known for capturing cars with his lens, Williams has now turned his attention to reimagining them, and the result is an absurdly charming off-road take on the famously nimble Elise S1.
The original Lotus Elise is a featherweight, low-slung corner carver designed for tight tarmac and maximum driver feedback. Turning that into a dirt-flinging adventurer feels like heresy on paper – but Williams leans into the chaos with purpose. His Get Lost build lifts the Elise by 100mm, fits it with oversized fender flares, rally-style wheels wrapped in chunky all-terrain tires, and swaps out the soft curves of the original headlights for sharp, rectangular LED units. Add a row of yellow spotlights on the bumper, and it starts looking less like a track toy and more like something ready to chase zebras.
But this isn’t just a garage-born cosplay. The Get Lost team engineered a fully custom suspension setup that keeps the Elise’s signature responsiveness while unlocking real off-road ability. The underbody is reinforced and treated with Cerakote to handle gravel and rocks, and a limited-slip differential plus hydraulic handbrake turn every trail into a playground. That dramatic roof scoop isn’t just for looks, either – it feeds air into the reworked engine bay through twin ducts. Details about the engine are scarce, though it’s clear the famously unreliable Rover K-Series engine has been shown the door in favor of something stronger and more dependable.
Look past the lifted stance and knobby tires, and the thoughtfulness of the design starts to shine. A spare tire sits high on the rear deck, integrated seamlessly with a floating wing that wouldn’t look out of place in a WRC paddock. Inside, the Elise’s famously cramped cabin has been reworked with new seats finished in a classy mix of leather and tweed – offering a bit of refinement, along with actual comfort for taller drivers.
The whole build radiates joy. It’s not polished in a show-car way, but it doesn’t need to be. It’s a celebration of going off-script. George Williams built this car for the kind of people who value story over spec sheets, dirt over dyno numbers. As he puts it, “This car invites you to make bad decisions in beautiful places.” Honestly, it’s hard to think of a better mission statement.
Customer builds for the Get Lost Safari Elise are set to begin later in 2025, with pricing still under wraps. For now, the team is collecting letters of interest from those bold enough to want one. Will it be expensive? Absolutely. Will it make sense? Absolutely not. And that’s exactly why it’s so irresistible.
