An unexpected player has emerged with a cheeky mission: to disrupt, delight, and most importantly, deliver fun. Enter “Get Lost,” a brand-new automotive venture spearheaded by renowned photographer-turned-founder GFWilliams. With its debut project, the aptly named “Get Lost: Project Safari,” the brand turns conventional wisdom on its head, taking the beloved Lotus Elise S1 and catapulting it—quite literally—into bold, off-road territory.
At its core, Project Safari is a love letter to the pursuit of unbridled joy, a ground-up reimagining of the classic Elise S1 formula infused with rally grit, road-trip heart, and a near-maniacal attention to detail. “The idea of taking an Elise off-road might sound ridiculous, and that’s exactly why we leaned into it,” quips George Williams, Get Lost’s fearless founder. “That one silly idea gave us real creative freedom. Every element was considered from the ground up, not just to look good in isolation, but to enhance the character and capability of the entire car”.
Design: Where Curves and Angles Collide
The design ethos of Project Safari can best be described as Elise nostalgia with a mischievous edge. While respecting the elegance of the original’s smooth, fluid curves, the car introduces striking updates meant to convey its rugged, adventurous personality: bespoke rectangular headlights, an aggressive roof scoop, and a thoroughly revamped interior swathed in top-tier materials. It’s a study in contrasts. Every detail has been painstakingly crafted to honor the car’s roots while boldly stepping into uncharted territory—and for an off-road Elise, that seems fitting, doesn’t it?
Performance: Fun Meets Functionality
Design isn’t the only aspect where Project Safari dares to play on its own terms—Get Lost’s engineering team ensures that the vehicle performs as strikingly as it looks. With all-terrain tires and a bespoke suspension system delivering increased ride height and width, the car promises confidence whether you’re barreling down a muddy trail or carving up canyon roads. Add to that a limited-slip differential, a hydraulic handbrake for some sideways shenanigans, and a new powertrain designed to take a beating while delivering exhilarating performance, and you’ve got a machine that’s equal parts capable and capricious.
Williams calls it “a car designed in form and function for fun adventures.” It’s not just a rally-modified Elise, after all, but rather an entirely new vision for what the lightweight sports car could be. And, perhaps unsurprisingly, the brand doesn’t shy away from embracing exclusivity. With customer builds set to begin later this year, aficionados of Get Lost’s cheeky mantra––“If you get it, you get us. If not? Get Lost.”––will have their chance to embrace the brand’s winking defiance.
The Bigger Picture: A Brand Built on Passion
Get Lost isn’t just another automotive start-up; it’s the manifestation of over a decade of passion, expertise, and immersion in the industry’s most iconic vehicles. With a multidisciplinary team drawn from the worlds of motorsport, design, and fabrication, the brand represents the perfect alchemy of creativity and engineering prowess. Together, this team didn’t just rewrite the rules; they smashed them apart and replaced them with a singular vision: fun.
Call to Adventure
As Get Lost gears up for the next chapter, letters of interest are now welcomed—not only from prospective buyers but also collaborators and fans who see themselves reflected in its audacious approach. Whether you’re into rally adventures, road-trip escapism, or simply appreciate bold, uncompromising automotive art, Get Lost extends an invitation to join the movement. Who knows? Maybe it’s time to channel your inner adventurer and heed the brand’s subtextual call to action: get lost, and find yourself.
Project Safari is more than a car. It’s a reminder that, in an industry often ruled by utilitarian sensibility, there’s room—no, there’s necessity—for frivolity, for audacity, for the pursuit of sheer, unadulterated fun. The rest, well, they can get lost.
