Introduced in early 2004 for the Elise 111R (later renamed the Elise R in 2006) and S2 Exige, the 2ZZ-GE and its derivatives became the mainstay of high performance factory Elise and Exige models until it was phased out at the end of 2010 with the introduction of the Euro 5 engine regulations (although some cars using the 2ZZ-GE were still produced in 2011 for the US market).
