Lotus Reveals the 3-Eleven

Lotus 3-Eleven (Credit: © Lotus)

The turnaround of Lotus has been nothing short of amazing in recent months, as the company moves from being essentially written off to showing that it does still have the ability to be innovative within the constraints of its budget. The latest example of this innovation is the new 3-Eleven, which is available as a track-only rig and a street-legal sports car.

From the outside, it’s obvious that the 3-Eleven means business, as this roofless sports car is about as aggressive-looking as it gets. What’s more, the use of lightweight materials helps significantly drop its curb weight. In fact, the track-only version checks in at a svelte 900 kg (1,984 pounds). Unfortunately, there is no mention of the street-legal version’s weight, but I am sure it’s about the same, as only an aerodynamic kit that adds 215 kg (474 pounds) of downforce separates the looks of the race version from the street-legal 3-Eleven

It’s clear that Lotus designed the cabin for racing, as the full-width windshield and passenger seat are options, and these are removable and a panel sits in their place for optimal aerodynamics on the track. Standard in the cabin is a quick-release steering wheel, a four-point harness, and a color TFT screen. The race version adds in a data logger, a six-point harness, a fire extinguisher, an FIA racing seat, and a kill switch.

Lotus 3-Eleven (Credit: © Lotus)

Powering the 3-Eleven is the same 3.5-liter supercharged V-6 that powers the Evora 400. However, this race-ready rig has the wick turned up to 450 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque. Mated to the street-legal version’s engine is a six-speed manual transmission, while the race version has a six-speed sequential transmission with paddle shifters.

The powertrain adds up to a three-second sprint to 60 mph and a 174 mph top speed for the race version. Lotus did not reveal the 0-to-60 sprint time for the road-going model, but it is likely no more than 3.2 seconds, and its top speed is slightly higher than the racing model at 180 mph.

Lotus will begin delivering the 3-Eleven in April 2016, and it will limit production to just 311 units. The standard model will check in at £82,000 ($128,822) VAT included, while the racing model will run £115,200 ($180,979) including VAT.