The New Lotus Elise Cup 250 Has 279bhp Per Tonne

It’s been at least a few weeks since Lotus fiddled with one of its cars, so it should come as no surprise that Hethel now has a new-ish, tweaked Elise to show off.

It’s called the Elise Cup 250, and it’s being dubbed the “fastest, most focused four-cylinder Lotus sports car ever,” a distinction it will probably hold for a month or so. You know, until the next fastest and most focused one comes out.

The familiar 1.8-litre inline-four now puts out 240bhp. With just 860kg to shift about (dry weight, if you tick all the right options), this dinky sports car now has 279bhp per tonne to play with. 0-60mph happens in just 3.9 seconds, and it’ll top out at 154mph.

As ever, Lotus has worked hard to tweak the aero and drop the weight of the Elise. This time around, a new rear wing, front splitter, bargeboards and diffuser help the Cup 250 generate 125kg of downforce at 140mph.

It’s 14kg lighter than the car it replaces, thanks in part to the fitting of carbonfibre bucket seats, forged wheels, a polycarbonate rear windscreen and a lithium-ion battery. If you’re happy splashing a little extra cash, there are further weight-reducing options including a £4000 titanium exhaust (-7kg) and a ‘Carbon Aero Pack’ that costs £3400 (-3.4kg).

Before ticking any of these boxes, the base car will set you back £47,000. It’s available to order now.