Lotus has begun production of its latest models, as the first examples of the 3-Eleven and the new Elise Cup 250 have rolled off the production line in Hethel, UK, and are on their way to their happy owners.
The 3-Eleven is billed as the company’s quickest and most expensive series production car ever and that’s really saying something coming from an automaker with a history like Lotus’. The lightweight, hardcore roadster packs a supercharged V6 good for 460 horsepower, enough to send it to 60 mph (96 km/h) in 2.9 seconds, on to a top speed of 180 mph, and around the Nürbugring in under 7 minutes. This first customer example was completed in a tone-on-tone matte and gloss black livery.
Joining it at the end of the production line is the Elise Cup 250. With less weight and more power, the Cup 250 version is capable of reaching 60 mph in 3.9 seconds, topping out at 154 mph, and lapping the company’s renowned test track in just 1:34. That’s four seconds faster than the Cup 220 version it replaces and just two seconds adrift of the Evora 400, despite having just 243 horsepower on tap.
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