Lotus confirms race-bred Elise S Cup for the road

Lotus has confirmed that it is producing a road-legal version of its Lotus Elise S Cup R racer, two weeks after Autocar spied the car testing at the Nürburgring.

The Norfolk sportscar company says the Elise S Cup is "designed for driving enthusiasts looking for a road car that can be taken on track days with ease".

It is the most track-focused variant in the Elise range and sits above the Elise, Elise S and Club Racer variants in terms of price and levels of extremity.  

Priced at around £43,500 including VAT (but excluding on-the-road costs), the standard Elise S Cup can be upgraded with a selection of road and track options.

Like the race car, the Elise S Cup uses a supercharged 1.8-litre engine with 217bhp at 6800rpm and 184lb ft at 4600rpm. According to the manufacturer's figures, it can sprint from a standstill to 60mph in 4.2sec and hit a maximum speed of 140mph. The car's unladen weight is put at 932kg.

The Elise S Cup has the same aerodynamics as the full racing version and delivers a significantly enhanced dynamic performance over the standard Elise S.

The aerodynamic package includes a front splitter, barge boards, winglets, a rear diffuser, floor extensions and a new rear wing, which combine to produce significant levels of downforce. Adjustable springs and dampers are another feature of the racer which should make it onto the road car.

The aero package creates 66kg of downforce at 100mph and 125kg of downforce at maximum speed. As a result, the Elise S Cup is three seconds per lap quicker around the Lotus test track than the Elise S.

It rides on six-spoke lightweight alloy wheels, 16in at the front and 17in at the rear. The wheels are fitted with Yokohama Advan Neova tyres, with 175/55 ZR16 covers on the front axle and 225/45 ZR17s at the back.  

Other modifications compared to the race variant include headlights, improved cooling and number plates. A competition-spec roll hoop is fitted as standard and wiring harness modifications mean that a fire extinguisher system and electrical kill switch can be retrofitted if a phased conversion from road car to race car is desired.

Lotus boss Jean-Marc Gales said: “The Lotus Elise S Cup is all about the pure driving experience with the Lotus attributes of high performance, light weight and excellent ride and handling. It is perfect for the driver who desires a quick, authentic, desirable and competitive sports car.”

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