What's the news?
Another day, another fast Lotus. Hethel is churning out ever more focused versions of its sports cars at a ferocious rate, and the latest flyweight flyer is the Elise Cup 250.
The firm's engineers claim that this new model is actually the fastest four-cylinder car they've ever made, despite it having no more power than the outgoing Cup 250. True to Colin Chapman's ethos, the performance benefits come from adding lightness.
Lotus claims a dryweight of 860kg, if you go the full hog and specify the optional carbon aero pack, carbon hard top and titanium exhaust. The quoted kerbweight is still a far-from-fat 917kg, meaning that the supercharged 1.8-litre engine's 243hp propels the Cup 250 to 100km/h from standstill in 4.3 seconds. Downforce is said to be 125kg at 225km/h, thanks to the aforementioned aero that includes a new rear wing, bargeboards and rear diffuser.
Inside, hand-built carbon seats shave further grams, while numerous trim options from tartan to Alcantara cloak the surfaces. A T45 steel roll hoop helps stiffen the shell, giving the revised suspension a more stable base to work from. Hardened shocks and springs are teamed with forged alloy wheels wrapped in Yokohama Advan rubber, and two-piece brake discs also aid the diet programme.
Anything else?
The car is available to order in the UK now at a price of £47,400 (around €54,500), and CEO Jean-Marc Gales enthused: "We know what existing Lotus enthusiasts demand from our cars and we are also bringing in many new customers who can see clearly that we offer an unrivalled combination of performance, styling, dynamics and value for money. A Lotus rewards like no other car, with sharp handling, tremendous speed and a pure, undiluted driving experience. The power and aerodynamic prowess of the new Elise Cup 250 has taken the fight beyond the reach of lesser rivals and, at just 860 kg, it shows that we are ahead of the curve in delivering lightweight, intelligently engineered sports cars."