Racing-inspired. This is the best way to describe the newest limited edition offering from British sports car maker Lotus, the Elise Cup 260. This rare breed of road-going sports car takes the Elise and adds a host of upgrades to make it a true track weapon for the road.
Actually, it starts off by subtracting a few kilos from the equation. Thanks to the extensive use of carbon fiber components in just about every place possible, the dry weight has been pegged at just 862kg. These very same aero bits also help to give the car massive downforce of 180kg at speeds of around 243kph. This means it will stick to the pavement like glue.
The additions come in the form of more power from the 1.8-liter supercharged engine that generates 250hp and 254Nm of twist, mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox. Thanks to the aforementioned light weight, this little Lotus scoots from 0-100kph in just 3.8 seconds.
Speaking of weight savings, it is worth noting that Lotus took extensive measures to achieve this. Aside from thecarbon components, the seats are made of ultra-light materials. Then there is a lithium-ion battery that takes the place of the conventional power unit. All these make for even greater performance on the road.
And while it may be a modern-day Elise, the Cup 260 takes pride in its heritage, even taking a page or two from the almost 70-year history of the brand. It odes, after all, share lineage with modern-day classics like the Exige Cup 380 and Evora GT430.
The Lotus Elise Cup 260 will have a limited production run of just 30 units worldwide.
