To mark the 50th anniversary of the company’s famous Hethel site, British manufacturer Lotus has decided to create a special edition Elise 250.
The new model is based on the Elise 250 Cup that we saw earlier this year, but has lost yet more weight. As with these sorts of special editions, there will be no increase in power. But since it’s lighter than the standard model, it should be slightly faster, too.
Plenty of carbon-fibre has been thrown at the new model, with the front splitter, rear wing, tailgate and front access panel all fashioned from this lightweight material. The effect on the scale is an overall mass of just 899 kg.
When you add the supercharged 1,8-litre four-cylinder engine (worth 181 kW and 250 N.m) to the equation, you get a power-to-weight ratio of 201 kW/ton. On the Hethel test circuit, the Elise 250 was able to set a time of 1 minute 34 seconds, making it the fastest Elise on the track.
It also makes use of Bilstein sports dampers, Eibach coaxial coil springs, AP Racing twin-piston front calipers, Brembo single-piston rear calipers and an electronic differential lock to improve its handling. A driving mode selector has also been added to help it adapt to different driving conditions.
The Elise 250 will be available in four different colours with a set of ultralight forged wheels that can be painted in two different colours. A carbon-fibre hardtop in also available as an option if you wish to shed yet more weight.
The Elise 250 Special Edition will be priced at £47 900 (around R890 000).
