The Lotus Elise Sprint 220 Is A Sub-800kg Lightweight With An Incredible Gear Shifter

We’re still a few years off the all-new Elise arriving, so for the time being, Lotus is sticking to what it’s been doing for the last few years: relentless tweaking. Every model in its range has been nipped, tucked and fettled to produce a seemingly endless supply of ‘new’ models, and the latest in camp Elise is this: the Sprint.

It’s available with either a naturally-aspirated 1.6-litre engine or a supercharged 1.8, and it’s all about Lotus’ favourite thing: shedding weight. In all, 41kg has been lost, dropping the weight of the already lithe Elise to 798kg (dry).

To do that, Lotus has added a lithium-ion battery to save 9kg, carbonfibre seats for a 6kg reduction, 5kg lost thanks to new forged wheels, and finally a carbon access panel, roll hoop cover, engine cover and a polycarbonate rear windscreen adding up to 6kg.

Keen maths enthusiasts will point out that adds to 26kg and not 41kg, but every car in the Elise range is now 10kg lighter. This is thanks to a lighter front clamshell and various other bodywork improvements. Add in optional two piece brake discs and the same gorgeous exposed gear shifter first seen in the Exige (below) and you have your 41kg.

All this does come at quite a cost, though. The base 1.6-litre Sprint is £37,300 (0-60mph in 5.9sec), while the full-fat Sprint 220 with its 1.8-litre supercharged engine (0-60mph in 4.1sec) is £44,300. That’s £5000 more than the standard ‘Sport’ models in each case. So you’re probably still better off with the Sport, but if you’re obsessed with weight loss and like the look of that shifter, you’ll be pleased to know the Sprint is available to order now.