The Lotus 3-Eleven and the Lotus Elise Cup 250 have driven off the production line for the first time at the famous Hethel factory. The Malaysian-owned sportscar maker, which is on its way to being profitable for the first time in its 68-year history, describes the lightweight duo as “two of the greatest, most extreme Lotus models ever produced.”
“The lucky owners of these will be the first to find out just how special the latest Lotus cars really are. We’ve raised the bar yet again, to produce two vehicles which the competition cannot hope to match. From the outright firepower of the 3-Eleven, to the sublime handling of the Elise Cup 250, these cars, better than any other, encapsulate our ‘light is right’ mantra,” said CEO Jean-Marc Gales.
The 3-Eleven, announced earlier this year, is Lotus’ quickest and most expensive series production car ever. It utilises a new lightweight composite body and a bespoke chassis based on the proven Lotus design of extruded and bonded aluminium sections.
With a revised 3.5 litre supercharged V6 engine developing 466 PS and 525 Nm of torque having just to haul 890 kg, the over 500 hp per tonne machine is capable of sprinting from 0-100 km/h in three seconds flat. Top speed is 290 km/h. With an open cabin and no windscreen, helmets are a must.
As part of its development, the 3-Eleven spent time at the Nurburgring, where it was one of the fastest road going cars to ever tackle the track, capable of setting a sub-7 minute lap time. It also set the fastest lap time ever recorded by German car magazine sport auto at Hockenheimring in March.
Meanwhile, the Elise Cup 250 is the faster Elise ever. Announced in February, it’s powered by a new higher-output version of the familiar supercharged 1.8 litre Toyota engine. With 243 hp and 250 Nm hauling just 931 kg, 0-100 km/h is done in 4.3 seconds on to a top speed of 248 km/h.
It laps Hethel’s test track in 1 minute 34 seconds, four seconds less than the Elise Cup 220’s best time. Customers wanting to cut weight still further can select the optional Carbon Aero Pack to reduce the flyweight’s mass to 921 kg. Limited to 200 units a year.
The arrival the new cars coincides with the 50th anniversary of the founding of the famous factory in Norfolk. In 1966, Lotus founder Colin Chapman moved the company to the purpose-built Hethel facility. Lotus is marking this milestone in the company’s history with special edition cars and events throughout the year.
GALLERY: Lotus 3-Eleven
GALLERY: Lotus Elise Cup 250
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this is totally a go kart car size. really scale down sport car.
For 68 years Lotus did not make a penny or a sen in profits. It was loss making. And our Proton, despite being loss making also, bought Lotus for few hundred million pounds.
Sendiri kudung dan cacat tapi mahu tolong orang lain yang cacat juga.
this is why Proton is losing RM4 million PER day. Not per week, not per month, not per year but PER DAY!
Imagine if everyday you lost RM100 from your wallet. how would you feel? Well Proton is losing RM4 million per day. Imagine how the rakyat feel when they ask billions in handouts every other year.
U mean they have been loss making for 68 years and yet no bashers persoal them why still in business!? Oh isit cuz they r our colonial overlords so means cannot persoal them but now bought by P1 so we can persoal P1 lah?!
Apa kelanjiaoan ini?!
Go back to sleep john if you cannot understand the logic
Kinda agreed tht lotus under P1 is going no where..see since took over, not much model coming out, only facelifted elise..and out of the consumer world sportscar.
Yes P1 adapted the ride & handling knowhow, but thats it..nothing else..if it doesnt contribute anymore in intangible nor tangible gain, better just sell off and get the profit to enhance P1 better. Anyway, if P1 really wanna to be profit again:
1. change the lousy cvt’s in the existing line up to problem free 5 speed auto. Your car looks good but drag down by the gearbox.
2. Model change for Exora, and come up with a SUV asap and price reasonably.
3.replace all lazy & irresponsible mentality staff in the service center & recruit experience staff in aftersales from established japanese brand.
Although is easier said than done, but this is the thing tht keep on affecting P1.
i think you’re missing the whole point of the article. “on its way to being profitable for the first time in its 68-year history”. that pretty much sums it all up.
Strange also that you do not seem to realise there is such a thing as an evora 400…
If I have a business and has been losing money for the past 6 (not 68) years, my company will already tapao long time ago!
Lotus to the rescue of Proton, finally the investment in Lotus pays off. Great !
Time for some comparo between Lotus 3 Eleven and the extreme version of the evergreen Ariel Atom, Caterham 7, KTM X-Bow and recently another extreme lightweight special Zenos E10..
Parent company Proton should do staff exchange with Lotus. Send some Lotus staff to Malaysia and send some Proton staff to UK to learn from Lotus operations.
Hopefully the Proton staff who go to UK work hard and don’t get excited seeing the white women there like the Malaysian ambassador to New Zealand aka stalker.
No use la, MAS and Proton similar culture, tido is budaya kita.
More rumors flying (oh the pun) Mueller’s actual reason he resign is cannot stomach corruption, re-launch of 747 back into service without consulting him was the last straw. U know, I know la, some people need to cari makan, to hell with running MAS as business. If persoal, maruah will tercabar, must protek protek
Parent company Proton should do staff exchange with Lotus. Send some Lotus staff to Malaysia and send some Proton staff to UK to learn from Lotus operations.
Hopefully the Proton staff who go to UK work hard and don’t get excited seeing the white women there like the Malaysian ambassador to New Zealand aka stalker/pervert
243 hp and 250 Nm with 931 kg. My mind blown.
A very powerful supercharged Campro engine indeed!
Give me the 5 concept cars!
Its obvious with better management, things always can change around.
MAS, Proton, all katak management should be fired. Too much politics in all G related business which is counter productive..
Single seater track car, sounds hella fun to drive.
Caterham is oso up there with them
a caterham is a totally different car to what a lotus is although they share the same “father”.. colin chapman.
New design please…..