Lotus is preparing to usher out the 3-Eleven and
replace it with a new generation of lightweight
sports cars. But not before it makes one last version of the superlight
speedster. Called the 3-Eleven 430, the ultimate edition of the most hardcore
Lotus to date packs the company’s biggest engine into its lightest model.
That means a 3.5-liter supercharged V6, kicking out
430 horsepower and 324 lb-ft of torque through a six-speed manual gearbox. With just 2,028 pounds to motivate, the new 3-Eleven 430 will hustle to 60 in just 3.1 seconds and top out
at 180 miles per hour with the wind in your face. That’s measurably quicker than the previous version of the 3-Eleven,
which took 3.3 seconds to reach 60 on its way to a 174-mph top end.
The Lotus 3-Eleven 430 will
hustle around the company’s famous test track at Hethel in just 1 minute and 24
seconds. That’s a new lap record, beating the Exige Cup 430 by 0.8 seconds and
the previous 3-Eleven by a full two seconds. Put it on the short track at
Hockenheim like Sport Auto did with the previous version and it’s bound to beat
its own lap record of 1 minute 6.2 seconds.
Those figures
are helped by a Torsen limited-slip differential, Öhlins adjustable dampers,
Eibach adjustable anti-roll bars, six-mode traction control, and Michelin Cup 2
rubber on 18-inch front and 19-inch rear wheels. Four-piston AP Racing caliper
front and back keep it all in check, with 584 lbs of downforce to keep it
planted at top speed and 1.5 g of lateral grip.
Those are some impressive figures, to be sure, and a
proper sendoff to a beloved track toy. Sadly Lotus will only build 20 examples,
priced at £ 102,000 (about US$ 142k at current exchange rates).
