Punching well above its weight, the new Lotus Elise Cup 250 offers a scintillating blend of purity of purpose with performance at the apex of the recently revised Elise range.
Supercharged, lightweight and distilled from Lotus’ extensive motorsport knowhow, the new model packs 243 hp into a chassis designed to deliver the benchmark in responsive handling and haptic feedback.
The car’s enhanced aerodynamics come from a number of additions including a new lightweight rear wing, front splitter, bargeboards and rear diffuser contributing to 125 kg of downforce at 140 mph.
As the latest car to receive the Cup treatment, the new Lotus Elise Cup 250 bridges the gap between road and track to offer racecar capabilities in a package that can be used every day. Focused on cutting weight and boosting performance, Lotus’ development team has built on the significant updates introduced for the latest Elise, which has already been hailed as a five-star car by the international motoring press.
Dry weight has been reduced to just 884 kg (or 860 kg with all lightweight options) and the adoption of advanced lightweight materials including carbon fibre, titanium and aluminium has helped to cut kilos from crucial areas leading to a 0-60 mph in 3.9 secs and a power to weight of 283 hp per tonne.
There’s retuned suspension, brakes and steering as well as different wheels and tyres.
It’s powered by a 243hp 1.8 supercharged engine good for a 0-60mph time of under 4 seconds and maximum 154mph.
A very wide range of mostly lighter weight options to replace standard kit are available and the car costs from £47,400.