Lotus Elise 250 Special Edition
To mark the 50th anniversary of
the company’s Hethel site, the new Elise 250 Special Edition is even lighter
than the Cup version.
Tipping the scales at just 899 kg, the latest variant is 32 kg lighter than the Cup thanks to
a series of exclusive carbon-fiber components, including a front splitter, rear
wing, tailgate and front access panel, among others.
The cabin features a pair of carbon
seats dressed in either dark blue or dark grey leather with contrasting
stitching, with the door cards also getting the hand-stitched treatment. Lotus
also offers a carbon-fiber roof panel as an option.
It may look a bit softer than the Cup,
but the 250 Special Edition uses the same powertrain, suspension and brakes
with the ‘Fastest Street-Legal Elise Yet’. Lotus claims it laps the Hethel test
circuit in 1'34'', which makes it the fastest street-legal Elise ever.
The supercharged Toyota-sourced
1.8-litre engine pumps out 243 hp at 7,200rpm and 250 Nm of
torque between 3,500 and 5,500rpm, giving it an impressive 270hp/tonne
power-to-weight figure. 0-100 km/h comes in 4.3 seconds, with
the top speed set at 248 km/h.
Power is sent through a manual six-speed
gearbox to the rear where a standard-fitted Electronic Differential Lock works
its magic to give this British lightweight better traction during cornering.
Lotus has also fitted the car with driver-selectable ESP modes that include
‘Sport’ and ‘Race’ settings. These adjust parameters like throttle response,
slip thresholds and remove the understeer recognition feature of the ESP as you
work your way towards the off switch.
Things like air conditioning, cruise
control, an in-car entertainment system, auxiliary driving lights, full
carpets, floor mats and enhanced sound insulation can also be specified.
Customers will be able to choose between four colors (classic metallic blue,
red, yellow and white), with a set of ultralight forged wheels finished in
silver or black completing the exterior features.
Lotus is going to build just 50 examples
and sell them on a first-come, first-served basis. Pricing for the new Elise
250 Special Edition is set at £ 47,900 for the UK, € 64,000 for Germany and 9.4
million yen for Japan.
