An optional Carbon Aero Pack cuts weight further by replacing the standard front splitter, rear wing spoiler, rear diffuser, and side-floor extensions with carbon fiber pieces.
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In the United States of America, excluding local taxes, a Lotus Elise Race 250 starts at $76,200, but we believe it can do more than most of its drivers.
The aerodynamic aids generate up to 155 kg (341 lbs) of downforce at 154 miles per hour, says Lotus. It goes about the circuits using the same 1.8-liter supercharged petrol engine as its street version and comes with 243 horsepower (181 kilowatts) and 184 pound-feet (250 Newton meters) of torque, the engine linked to a six-speed manual transmission.
The Lotus Elise Race 250 also features a full aero package, including front splitter, rear diffuser, floor extensions and a rear wing. Even its front headlamps have been replaced with lightweight composite blanking panels. Lotus CEO Jean-Marc Gales recently said the Elise will return to the U.S.in 2020, and that the vehicle will stay true to its roots as a lightweight, fun-to-drive roadster. “The Elise Race 250 is the fastest, most focused Elise we’ve ever produced and, judging by what it’s capable of on track, it looks set to become a favourite with our racers around the world”. The premium buys, um, half a second around Lotus’s Hethel test track, the Race 250’s 1:33.5 lap marginally trumping the Cup 250’s 1:34-dead. You can find out more details about the new Lotus Elise Race 250 over at Lotus at the link below.
The auto has been optimized to be as light as possible, and its dry weight is less than 900 kilograms (1,984 pounds).
Handling bits on the Lotus include Nitron one-way adjustable dampers, Eibach coaxial coil springs, AP Racing twin-piston front calipers and Brembo single-piston rear calipers and Yokohama AO48 tyres (195/50R16 on the front and 225/45R17 on the rear). Its arrival coincides with the passing of 50 years since Lotus founder Colin Chapman moved his company to the current Hethel base in Norfolk.
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