The Lotus Elise S Cup is the latest addition to the Hethel’s entry-level model range offering all the aero bits of the Cup R racer in a road-legal package. Putting it simply, it’s the most hardcore Elise you can buy today.
It is also the first Elise with a fixed roof that’s not called an Exige; since the latter went for a V6, Lotus felt that it made sense to offer this solution and keep the Elise moniker.
Being propelled by a supercharged 217hp 1.8-litre Toyota engine, the small Elise still uses the same recipe, first introduced almost two decades ago, for providing best-in-class driving thrills.
EVO’s Henry Catchpole takes the fastest Elise for a quick drive on track and on public roads, giving us a taste of what the S Cup really is.