Less is more for the new bantamweight Lotus Elise Cup 250

When vehicles get a little long in the tooth, car-makers like to freshen things up with a mid-life facelift – often taking the opportunity to tweak some styling elements, boost power and add more standard equipment to keep the model competitive.

British lightweight sportscar specialist Lotus however, likes to do things a little differently when compared with the other manufacturers out there. As the famous Colin Chapman once said, “adding power makes you faster in the straights”, while “subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere”.

Lotus is bringing its refreshed Elise range to Australian showrooms in the coming few months, and the new line-up will be topped by the hardcore Cup 250 variant.

With 184kW on tap from its supercharged 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine, the Lotus Elise Cup 250 will shame most other sportscars in the zero to 100km/h sprint.

Against its rivals, the Elise Cup 250 seems like it’s at a disadvantage with only 184kW on tap from a Toyota-sourced 1.8-litre supercharged four-cylinder engine.

For context, that’s 86kW short of Audi’s firecracker RS3 Sportback, 66kW off the entry-level Jaguar F-Type coupe and even down on power compared with the more standard 197kW Subaru WRX, 245kW Nissan 370Z and recently discontinued 206kW Holden Astra VXR.

Looking over into more run-of-the-mill passenger cars, the new Lotus can’t even beat the 206kW Skoda Superb 4x4 wagon in a game of top trumps. So is the Cup 250 a non-contender in the sportscar segment before it has even arrived in local showrooms?

As with all Lotus models, power figures tell only half the story. Weighing in at only 860kg dry, the Elise Cup 250 is lighter than nearly everything else available on the market.

As any car enthusiast should know, power figures in a Lotus only tell half the story and while the engine output seems low, so does the Cup 250’s weight rating.

With all weight-saving options ticked, the new Lotus tips the scales at just 860kg dry – lighter than most cars on the market including the Kia Picanto, Holden Spark and every single Mini model in the range – and features a power-to-weight ratio of about 214kW per tonne.

What does all that mean? Well the new hardcore Lotus will accelerate from zero to 100km/h in 4.3 seconds, making it about as fast to the landmark triple digit time as a V12-powered Aston Martin, a BMW M4 and a HSV GTS-R W1.

Accelerating from zero to 100km/h in 4.3 seconds, there isn’t much on offer that will be able to catch the Lotus Elise Cup 250 once it gets going.

The Cup 250 can carry onto a top speed of 248km/h – although who is brave enough to reach this figure in a sub-1000kg Lotus convertible, we don’t know – and thanks to an extensive, and optional, aerodynamic package, over 125kg of downforce will be created at terminal velocity.

As always, Lotus has been fastidious with its weight-saving measures, swapping out the traditional battery for a lithium-ion unit, replacing the pews with carbon-fibre race seats and installing a polycarbonate rear windscreen for a combined weight saving of 14kg over its predecessor.

The new-look front end clamshell panel, which features larger intakes, saves about 8.7kg, while the tail-lights incorporate the reversing lights and foglights into a single unit for an additional 0.3kg weight saving.

The revised rear end features redesigned tail-lights which integrate the brake lights, reversing lights and foglights into a single unit to save 0.3kg in overall weight.

Luckily though, the British sportscar-maker has not just subtracted weight to make the Elise Cup 250 fast around the bends, but has swapped out the regular suspension components for a Bilstein damper and Eibach coil spring combo.

Ultra-lightweight forged alloy wheels and super-sticky Yokohama Advan A048 LTS tyres are also utilised in double-staggered fitment with 195/50R16 at the front and 225/45R17 in the rear to ensure maximum roadholding.

The added aerodynamic package, revised suspension, sticky tyres and bigger brakes aid in the on-track performance of the Lotus Elise Cup 250.

Beefier brakes are also used for added stopping power, with 288mm sized cross-drilled and ventilated brake rotors with twin-piston AP Racing callipers up front and Brembo single-piston units at the rear.

In all, an additional 40kg can be shed by ticking the right options including a lightened exhaust system plus carbon-fibre components including aerodynamics, front access panel, engine cover and rollover hoop cover.

The inside of the new Lotus might be sparse, but the Elise Cup 250 promises to be one of the best feeling sportscars in years.

Inside, the Elise Cup 250 wears a new instrument panel with easier to read figures, an exposed open-gate manual shifter, new centre console and improved entertainment system that features iPod and Bluetooth connectivity.

Limited-edition and hardcore models based on the Elise are not new to Lotus however, with the Hennessey Venom GT and all-electric Tesla Roadster being built on the same platform.

Although, it is probably the 340R back from 2000 that the bespoke, hardcore Lotus Elise has built its reputation on, featuring wild-styling, a custom-built bodyshell and no roof or doors.

Tipping the scales at 701kg and powered by a reworked Rover K-Series engine, the Lotus 340R could accelerate from zero to 100km/h in just 4.4 seconds – 0.1s off the pace of the new Elise Cup 250.

Sold out before it was even revealed, only 340 examples of the 340R were produced from Lotus in its Hethel factory, a restriction not currently placed on the Elise Cup 250.

While no pricing information has yet to be revealed about Lotus’ latest model, it is expected to wear a pricetag more substantial than the $84,990 before on-roads of its standard S sibling.

It will likely be worth it though, as the new Elise Cup 250 has honed Lotus’ mantra of lightweight performance to a fine art.

Tung Nguyen GoAuto.com.au

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