Special Lotus Elise celebrates racing heritage | New Release - Car News May 2020

17:17 Thursday 14 May 2020

Four new limited edition versions of the Lotus Elise are now on sale.

Just 100 examples of each will be available, priced at £46,250 on-the-road.

The four Classic Heritage Editions of the Elise boast colour schemes commemorating Lotus’ illustrious racing history. A black and gold livery pays tribute to the iconic Lotus Type 72 which Brazilian legend Emerson Fittipaldi drove to the 1972 Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship, becoming the youngest-ever winner of the title at the time. The Red, white, and gold scheme goes back further, referencing the Lotus Type 49B that Graham Hill raced to his second world title four years earlier. A blue, red, and silver version is inspired by the Lotus Type 81 driven by future World Champion Nigel Mansell in his debut Grand Prix back in 1980. Finally, and fittingly given his recent passing, a blue and white colour scheme echoes the one worn by the Lotus 18 of Sir Stirling Moss on the occasion of the marque’s first pole position and first victory at the 1960 Monaco Grand Prix. The blue and white colours were those of the privateer Rob Walker Racing team, with whom Sir Stirling repeated the feat with an unlikely victory over the dominant ‘shark nose’ Ferrari’s at Monaco the following year.

Based on the Elise 220, each car comes with an exclusive numbered plaque on the dashboard, and an additional £11,735 worth of extras for just £6,350 more than the standard model. Those extras include DAB digital radio with four speakers, air-conditioning, cruise control, ultra-lightweight forged alloy wheels with racing livery finish, two-piece disc brakes, black carpet with floor mats, interior colour pack with the upper door trim and central seat insert finished to match the exterior, and detailing on the door, gear selector surround and dashboard. Several optional extras are available for each car, including a fibreglass hardtop roof, lightweight lithium-ion battery and titanium lightweight exhaust.