Lotus kept the supercharged 3.5-litre V6 for the SE. The manual received a revised gearbox mount, while changes to damper calibration and alignment were meant to sharpen the way the car feels. Lotus also revised the cooling across the range. The dual-clutch calibration changes apply to the four-cylinder cars, a distinction that can get lost in a list of model-year updates.
If you have an early car, see whether the change you care about is something you can feel. Use the same rough road to judge the ride and try the shift with the drivetrain warm. A spec sheet can tell you the mount changed. It can’t tell you whether you’d pay to change cars for it.
That makes a good First Edition worth driving alongside an SE before you decide.