Lotus' effervescent 3-Eleven is four wheels and a seat attached to 336kW

IF LOTUS lives by the first principle of ‘less is more’ then it may have just created one of its greatest cars to date.

The new Lotus 3-Eleven takes the company's lightweight principle to a new level, resulting in stratospheric performance.

Weighing in at under 900kg Lotus’ 3-Eleven hyper sportscar has been built with no compromise in the quest for fewer kilos and the battle against inertia. Park your 3-Eleven in a stiff breeze and it may not be there when you come back.

Offered in two options, the track-focused Race version and a street-legal Road variant, priced from the equivalent of $171,000 and $200,000 respectively, just 311 of the highly-strung and viciously capable sportscars will be built.

The British car-maker started from scratch with the new model and designed a chassis of extruded aluminium, which is glued together and not bolted or riveted. Over that, the engineers laid super light but tough carbon-fibre panels saving 40 per cent of weight compared to fibreglass.

One of the notable omissions in the weight-scrubbing exercise was the roof and windscreen, the 3-Eleven is strictly an open-top proposition. Two occupants sit ahead of its mid-mounted supercharged Toyota engine, but in the case of the Race, one seat can be put in the bin and sealed over with a more aerodynamic tonneau.

Lotus has explored the race-car-for-the-road recipe before, with its almost as bonkers 2-Eleven which came to Australia in 2007.

Its roll-cage is incorporated into the body and, in the case of the track version, is beefed up for FIA approval and use in racing. Other international racing-approved features include the driver’s seat with six-point harness, data logger, fire extinguisher and power kill switch.

Speaking of power, the lotus hasn’t gone light on the engine. Starting life as a unit similar to the 3.5-litre V6 that drives the Australian-built Aurion sedan, Lotus adds a supercharger, a liquid-to-air charge cooler and a serious amount of tuning.

The extensive engine treatment blows the sedate standard output of 200kW up to a mighty 336kW and 450Nm. All that grunt is sent to the back wheels via a six-speed manual transmission or a sequential version in the Race. Final drive is dealt with by an oil-cooled torsen limited-slip differential.

That hearty output is enough to get the 3-Eleven to 100km/h from a standstill in under 3.0-seconds and on to a top speed of 290km/h or 10km/h less for the Race thanks to its significant aerodynamics.

It may weigh well under a tonne but when blasting on at 240km/h the little Lotus effectively gains another 215kg thanks to the extensive aerodynamic aids - there are no Fast and the Furious all show and no go spoilers at Lotus.

The circuit is the 3-Eleven's natural habitat and it recently smashed the lap record at Lotus' home test track in Hethel.

The company offers a variety of aero settings with adjustable spoilers and two different front splitters that complement the rear diffuser, while the car’s underbody is flat for improved airflow.

Some of those aerodynamic features may spell bad news for Australian Lotus fans though, and the road version is still being evaluated for local public road approval.

The Lotus’ suspension is the ultimate sportscar solution with double wishbones in each corner made of more lightweight components including Eibach springs, adjustable anti-roll bars, and Ohlins dampers.

This is the view you're most likely to see of the 3-Eleven. Accelerating to 100km/h takes less than 3.0-seconds and it won't stop until 290km/h.

The name-dropping continues with the brakes and AP Racing callipers with two-piece 332mm discs housed inside forged aluminium wheels, which measure 18-inches at the front and an inch bigger at the back.

Tyres are either Michelin Super Pilot Sport or Cup 2 depending on if the rubber is going to be shredded on the road or racing circuit.

Inside, things are also minimalist to keep the weight down and the 3-Eleven’s uncarpeted interior features skinny racing seats and four-point harnesses in the Road version, while all cars get an F1-style removable steering wheel.

Lotus got rid of anything unnecessary for the 3-Eleven, including a roof, windscreen and doors.

Speaking at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, where the car was unveiled, Group Lotus PLC chief executive officer Jean-Marc Gales said the 3-Eleven is true to the company’s ethos by punching well above its weight against vehicles costing three times the price and more.

"We always say that to make a sportscar better, you make it faster and lighter,” he said. “The new Lotus 3-Eleven carries that philosophy to a new level, and is perfectly in keeping with our brand values.

“This new car is a giant slayer, capable of embarrassing far more expensive rivals. It condenses our engineering know-how into one, hard-core package, and is so focused that it won’t suit everyone. This is a perfect demonstration of the faster and lighter concept, something which will be crucial to all Lotus cars in the future.”

Its lightweight forged alloy wheels measure 18-inches at the front and 19-inches at the other end. Note the little Union Jack in its indicator repeater.

With all its race-bred gear and engineering expertise you would expect the 3-Eleven to be pretty handy on the track and you would be right. The newest and most expensive Lotus produced to date lapped the company’s Hethel test circuit in a very quick 1 minute and 22 seconds - the fastest time achieved by any Lotus.

Lotus’ new addition to the bantam British line-up is, without doubt, it’s most potent vehicle to date. The company has left the ultimate driving purist wanting for nothing except the answer to just one question. Do you go for the Road or Race?

If you still can’t decide then consider this: For the price of a Porsche 911 Turbo you could have both.

Daniel Gardner GoAuto.com.au

Protect your Lotus. Call Shannons Insurance on 13 46 46 to get a quote today.