Lotus Shares the Details on the New Elise S Cup

Lotus Elise S Cup (Credit: © Lotus)

Though Lotus is going through a rather tough time following its Dany Bahar issues and the downward spiral that followed, it is obviously not ready to throw in the towel. In fact, Lotus is doing the exact opposite, as it has added a new car to its lineup. Sure, it’s not an all-new model, but even a special version of an existing model is a good sign from the struggling sports car builder.

This new model is the Lotus Elise S Cup, and it is essentially the street-legal version of the track-only Elise S Cup R. That’s right folks, this bad-boy is a race car turned street car. The most obvious addition to this Elise is the track-ready aerodynamic kit that includes a modified front splitter, barge boards, a rear diffuser, a rear wing and a fixed roof panel. These add-on items add 145 pounds of downforce at 100 mph and a full 275.5 pounds of downforce at 140 mph. This added downforce played a key role in the Elise S Cup beating the base Elise S by three seconds around Lotus’ test track.

Also keeping the Elise S Cup glued to the tarmac is a sports suspension system with a front anti-roll bar, double shear rear control arms, a sport mode Dynamic Performance Management system, and a set of Yokohama Advan Neova AD07 LTS tires sized 175/55ZR16 up front and 225/45ZR17 on the rear. Optionally, buyers can swap out the base rubber for a set of Advan A048 tires sized 195/50R16 up front and 225/45R17 out back.

Lotus Elise S Cup (Credit: © Lotus)

Under the hood of the Elise S Cup is the tried and true 1.8-liter, 16-valve, supercharged four-cylinder that produces 217 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. This engine mates to a proper, six-speed manual gearbox. Sure, the drivetrain isn’t mind blowing in the power department, but that is plenty when you consider the Elise S Cup weighs just 2,054 pounds. Combining its low curb weight with just enough power allows this street-legal race car to hit 60 mph in just 4.2 seconds and top out at 140 mph.

Inside the cabin, there is just enough luxury to keep most car enthusiasts happy, including slate gray cloth upholstery with SuedeTex accents, sport seats with white contrast stitching, “Cup” logos on the seatbacks, power windows, a heater (no A/C), a remote alarm with immobilizer and dual airbags. There is also a competition-spec roll hoop to keep you safe in the event of a vicious rollover.

All of this comes in at a relatively affordable €47,500, which converts to $61,470. Buyers can opt for other at-cost features, including a Comfort Pack, air conditioning, 14-spoke alloy wheels, FIA-approved racing seats, custom paint, a tow eye kit, a harness bar for a four-point harness, a lightweight battery, an FIA-certified fire extinguisher and kill switches, a performance intake kit, and a sports exhaust system.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t look as if this model will make its way across the pond to the U.S.