Lotus is celebrating this year the 50th anniversary of the company’s Hethel site, that’s why they’ve unveiled a special, limited-edition Lotus Elise 250, meant to complement this amazing milestone. With only 50 units, set to be delivered and 32 kg (70.5 lbs) lighter than the Cup version, this special vehicle benefits from a wide list of exclusive carbon-fiber components, such as the front splitter, rear wing, tailgate and front access panel, just to name a few.
Inside the cabin, this Lotus Elise 250 shows off carbon seats as well, dressed in dark blue or dark grey leather, with contrasting stitching, as well as hand-stitched door cards and a carbon-fiber roof panel. The special version of the Elise shares the engine, suspension system and brakes, with the Cup model, making it the fastest street-legal Elise ever.
The supercharged Toyota-sourced 1.8-liter powerplant, that’s hidden under the bonnet, develops 243 hp (246 PS) and 184 lb-ft (250 Nm) of torque, resulting in a 0 to 60 mph time of just 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 154 mph (248 km/h).
All that power is sent to the car’s rear axle through a manual six-speed gearbox and an Electronic Differential Lock that comes as standard. Lotus have also equipped this special 250 with driver-selectable ESP modes, which can adjust throttle response, slip thresholds and remove the understeer recognition feature of the ESP.
The new Elise 250 Special Edition is quick and agile, but it’s also packing AC, cruise control, an in-car entertainment system, auxiliary driving lights, full carpets, floor mats and enhanced sound insulation, so you could say this vehicle is both suitable for some serious fun on the track and also for cruising on the coast.
Customers can choose their Lotus in classic metallic blue, red, yellow and white, but if you like what you see you should totally hurry as only 50 units will be sold, on a first-come, first-served basis. The new Lotus Elise 250 Special Edition is priced at £47,900 in the UK, €64,000 for Germany or 9.4 million yen in Japan.
