Punching well above its 860kg weight, the new Lotus Elise Cup 250 blends purity of purpose with performance at the apex of the recently revised Elise range.
Supercharged, lightweight, scintillating and distilled from Lotus’ extensive motorsport knowhow, the new model packs 243bhp into a chassis designed to deliver the benchmark in responsive handling and haptic feedback. The car’s enhanced aerodynamics come from a number of additions including a new lightweight rear wing, front splitter, bargeboards and rear diffuser, all contributing to 125kg of downforce at 225km/h.
As the latest car to receive Lotus’ Cup treatment, the new Elise Cup 250 bridges the gap between road and track to offer racecar capabilities in a package that can be used every day.
Focused on cutting weight and boosting performance, Lotus’ development team has built on the significant updates introduced for the latest Elise, which has already been hailed as a five-star sports car by the British motoring press.
Dry weight has been reduced to just 884kg (or 860kg with all lightweight options) and the adoption of advanced lightweight materials including carbon fibre, titanium and aluminium has helped to cut kilos from crucial areas leading to a 0-100km/h timing of 4.3 seconds and a power-to-weight ratio of 283bhp per tonne.
The Elise Cup 250 carries the new visual identity first introduced on the new Elise Sport and Sprint models. Changes to the body include a redesigned lightweight front clam panel with wider radiator apertures and mesh pattern grille, and a newly redesigned rear transom panel featuring two light clusters, rather than four, visually enhancing the exterior.
The Elise Cup 250 also includes a number of high-performance additions unique to this model. These include revised dampers and ultra-lightweight forged wheels with Yokohama Advan A048 LTS tyres – 225/45 R17 at the rear and 195/50 R16 at the front. 
Check out the Lotus Elise Sprint, a 798kg flyweight roadster.
