Lotus is honoring the Bathurst 12 Hour race at the Mount Panorama circuit and its long history Down Under that dates back to Tasman Series of the 1960s with a special edition of the Elise.
Appropriately named the Elise Cup 250 Bathurst Edition, it is aimed exclusively for Australia, which was the company’s sixth largest market globally last year, where it will be offered in a yet-to-be-disclosed number of units, but we don’t expect a lot of them to be on offer.
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The sports car features some minor updates, such as the ‘Bathurst Cup 250’ decals on the outside, as well as black forged alloy wheels and a special numbered plaque that will further highlight its special stance.
Everything else seems to have remained untouched, including the 1.8-liter four-cylinder supercharged engine that develops 181 kW (246 PS / 243 HP) and 250 Nm (184 lb-ft) of torque. Tipping the scales at just 931 kg (2,053 lbs), the regular Elise Cup 250 boasts an impressive 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) acceleration time of just 4.3 seconds and can max out at 248 km/h (154 mph).
“It’s great to kick the year off in Australia, a market that was very successful for us in 2019. Lotus and Australia have a long and rich history and we are committed to building on this close relationship moving forward”, said Lotus’ Asia Pacific & China Regional Director, David McIntyre.
Pricing hasn’t been released yet, but the standard Elise Cup 250 will set you back AU$107,990 (US$72,223) in Australia, excluding on-road costs and other fees. The 162 kW (220 PS / 217 HP) Elise Sport 220, which does the 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 4.6 seconds and has a 233 km/h (145 mph) top speed, has a recommended retail price of AU$87,990 (US$58,874).