2011 Lotus Evora $68k Msrp on 2040-cars

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Lotus builds the final Elise, Exige and Evora

Lotus has closed one of the most important chapters of its history: It has ended production of the Elise after a 25-year run. It also built the final example of the Exige, which was closely related to the Elise, and of the Evora, which was bigger and more comfort-oriented. We knew that this day was right around the corner, Lotus announced Final Edition variants of the Elise and the Exige in February 2021, and the British company confirmed that it's keeping the very last examples of the three models for itself. Shown above, the last Elise is a Sport 240 Final Edition model in yellow. The last Exige is a Cup 430 Final Edition finished in British Racing Green, while the last Evora is a GT430 Sport model that wears Dark Metallic Gray paint. All three cars will join the carmaker's growing collection of heritage models. Lotus built 51,738 examples of the Elise, the Exige, and the Evora combined over the past quarter of a century. While that doesn't sound like much, not when Ford sold over 787,000 units of the F-Series in pandemic-ridden 2020, that figure represents nearly half of the cars Lotus has built since its inception. It's worth noting that this number doesn't include the Elise derivatives made for third-party companies; the original Tesla Roadster was built on an Elise-sourced chassis, and the Opel Speedster was developed and manufactured by Lotus. It sounds like the three nameplates have been consigned to the pantheon of automotive history — at least for now. Lotus isn't standing still, however. Funded by Volvo parent company Geely, it unveiled the Emira, a coupe powered by a mid-mounted engine, earlier in 2021, and it's planning to launch its first crossover in spring 2022. The soft-roader will be the first in a series of mass-produced electric models from the company. Looking much further ahead, Lotus will also release a sedan and an electric sports car developed jointly with Alpine.

Lotus announces race-ready Exige V6 Cup and Cup R

Lotus has pulled off the wraps on two new versions of the Exige: the V6 Cup and the V6 Cup R. Based on the Exige S, the V6 Cup is built to be a dual-purpose street and track machine. The 0-60 dash should take just under 3.8 seconds thanks to a full 345 horsepower from a supercharged 3.5-liter V6 engine. Weighing in at 2,380 pounds, the V6 Cup should be an absolute riot to drive, and with a full FIA-approved roll cage, fire extinguisher and six-point race harnesses on board, it's plenty safe, too. Two-way adjustable dampers are standard, as are AP Racing four-piston calipers on all four corners. More importantly, drivers can expect to find the Lotus Dynamic Performance Management system in the cockpit, complete with Touring, Sport and DPM Off modes.
The V6 Cup R, meanwhile, is both lighter and offers more horsepower than the standard V6 Cup. The same blown V6 dishes out 366 horsepower in R trim, and the whole contraption tips the scales at 2,292 pounds. Of course, the same spate of race hardware is stock, minus the DPM system. A lightweight battery, track-spec tow loops and quick-release engine cover help separate the Cup R from its more civil sibling, as do performance brake pads and better oil and water cooling systems.
Check out the brief press release below for more information. Both of the new models are headed for a debut at the 2013 Autosport International Show.

Lotus hits the track with new Elise S Cup R

If you want to take a Lotus to the track but the Exige V6 Cup is a bit too much to handle, the boys from Hethel have a new offering that may be of interest.
The new Elise S Cup R features all the track-tuned bells and whistles of its six-cylinder brethren, including a competition-spec aero kit, adjustable suspension, Yokohama racing slicks on 17-inch forged alloys, tow hooks, remapped ECU, cross-drilled and ventilated disc brakes and an interior with a HANS-compatible bucket seat, six-point racing harness and quick-release steering wheel. But instead of a heavier and more powerful V6, the Elise S Cup R "adds lightness" with the same 1.8-liter supercharged inline-four with 217 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque as the road-going Elise S. Yet with all that track-tuned gear, it's a good four seconds per three-mile lap faster than the showroom stock version in the automaker's testing.
Interested parties can pick one up in the UK for £39,125 (before taxes, equivalent to about $63k) and either lap it to their hearts' content at private track days or enter it in one of the dozen Lotus Cup series operating around the world. Lotus only released this one photo (click above to enlarge), but you can check out the full specs in the press release below.