Lotus is planning to end the production of its sporty 3-Eleven and replace it with a completely new generation of ultra light sports cars; but not before releasing the final chapter of this exciting story. The Lotus 3-Eleven 430 is the ultimate edition of the hardcore Lotus, packing the company’s biggest engine, mounted onto the superlight speedster.
A 3.5-liter supercharged V6 engine, developing 430 hp and 324 lb-ft of torque, was mated to a six-speed manual gearbox to deliver high speed thrills and automotive excitement – there are no electronic aids and cool tricks here, just raw power and driving passion. Isn’t that what it’s all about?
This 2,028-pound sports car will do 0 to 60 mph (0-96 km/h) in just 3.1 seconds and max out at 180 mph (290 km/h), a bit faster than the previous 3-Eleven, that could do 60 mph in 3.3 seconds and max out at 174 mph. Even better, the Lotus 3-Eleven 430 has apparently completed the company’s famous test track in only 1 minute and 24 seconds, 0.8s faster than the impressive Exige Cup 430.
It is also worth mentioning that a Torsen limited-slip differential, along with Öhlins adjustable dampers, Eibach adjustable anti-roll bars, a special six-mode traction control, four-piston AP Racing calipers, as well as Michelin Cup 2 tires were added to the mix, to make all of that possible.
Lotus will only build 20 examples of the 3-Eleven 430, each of them set to cost £102,000 or around $142,000. I’m not sure whether or not each of these units has been sold already, but we do know that this is the end of the line!
