Lotus has come up with four new limited-edition versions of the evergreen Elise sports car, each in a special livery which pays homage to the marque's enviable motorsport heritage.
Classic Heritage Editions
Choose from four different combinations for your Elise: there's black and gold, referencing the livery of the Lotus Type 72D which Brazilian Emerson Fittipaldi drove to five victories in 11 Grands Prix during the 1972 Formula 1 season, propelling him to the drivers' title and making him the then-youngest F1 champion at the age of 25, a record which stood until Fernando Alonso took the 2005 crown when just 24; then there's red, white and gold, for the Type 49B driven by Graham Hill in 1968, in which he won three races and his second F1 drivers' title; the blue, red and silver is inspired by the Type 81 used in the 1980 F1 season, which was driven by Elio de Angelis, Mario Andretti and some boring Brummie Brit by the name of Nigel Mansell, who was making his debut; and finally there's the blue and white scheme, in tribute to the Lotus Type 18 from 1960 - particularly poignant this year, as it was the first Lotus to achieve an F1 pole position and race victory at the Monaco GP 60 years ago, in the hands of no less a luminary than the recently departed Sir Stirling Moss.
These four Elises together are called the Classic Heritage Editions and they offer an enhanced exterior and interior spec over the Sport 220 models on which they are based. Not only do they get the exclusive colour schemes inside and out, they come with a numbered build plaque on the dashboard, referencing the fact that just 100 Classic Heritage Editions will be made in total. The split of colours will be entirely dictated by customer demand.
Each car also has a number of standard features which were previously cost options, including a DAB digital radio with four speakers, air-conditioning, cruise control, ultra-lightweight forged alloy wheels with a racing livery finish, two-piece disc brakes and black carpets with floor mats. The Elise interior colour pack is also integrated in the spec, which colours various elements (upper door trims, central seat inserts, gear selector surround and dashboard) in the exterior hue. However, the blue-and-white Elise Classic Heritage Edition is the only one not to quite follow the rules here, as it features red Alcantara seat centres instead of blue.
Motorsport success
Ema Forster, head of product marketing for Lotus, said: "Motorsport success has been at the heart of the Lotus philosophy for more than seven decades and the Elise is our iconic roadster known around the world for its exceptional 'For The Drivers' performance. What better way to celebrate than by bringing these two pillars of our brand together, launching four new Classic Heritage cars which fans will instantly recognise?"
Several optional extras are available for each Elise, including a fibreglass hardtop roof, lightweight lithium-ion battery and titanium lightweight exhaust. Lotus is quoting a price of €47,848 for each car, although that might be affected by our VRT laws and the CO2 emissions of the vehicles in question.