It’s amazing what a four-banger can do in combination with a light chassis
Lotus has lifted the veils off its new Elise Cup 250, a car it describes as the "fastest, most focused four-cylinder Lotus sports car ever."
As with all Lotus models wearing the "Cup" moniker, the Elise Cup 250 is fundamentally a track car that's legal to drive on public roads.
Tipping the scales at just 884 kg/1,949 lb (or 860 kg/1,896 lb with all weight-saving options) thanks to the use of materials like carbon fiber, titanium, and aluminum, the new Elise Cup 250 has a power-to-weight ratio of 283 hp per metric ton. It's also 14 kg (31 lb) lighter than its predecessor.
The light weight and the 243 hp 1.8-liter supercharged four-cylinder engine give it supercar levels of performance. Like its predecessor, it covers the 0 to 60 mph (0-96 km/h) sprint in 3.9 seconds and can reach a top speed of 154 mph (248 km/h).
Based on the recently updated Elise range, the Cup 250 variant features many aero upgrades including a new lightweight rear wing, front splitter, barge boards and rear diffuser, all of which contribute to 125 kg (275 lb) of downforce at 140 mph (225 km/h). That's obviously useful on a track when negotiating high-speed corners.
Other styling changes are inspired by the Elise Sport and Sprint models and include a redesigned front clam panel with wider radiator openings and mesh pattern grille, as well as a new design of rear transom panel featuring two light clusters, rather than four.
Inside, the Elise Cup 250 features carbon race seats clad in black Alcantara with red or yellow stitching, exposed aluminum, and carbon fiber, and the six-speed manual gearbox with an open-gate design, first introduced on the Exige Sport 350.
The Elise Cup 250 also boasts a series of unique high-performance additions, including revised dampers and ultra-lightweight forged wheels with Yokohama Advan A048 LTS tires (225/45 ZR17 at the rear and 195/50 ZR16 at the front).