'ring lap times
weren't a thorny enough topic as it was
the speed limits
now in place for all activities - including Industry Pool testing - make claiming a new benchmark time slightly tricky. Those limits may
eventually be lifted
but not until the track has been modified, making like-for-like comparisons near-impossible.
Very fast, but not without caveats
So when Lotus test driver Marc Basseng claims its
new 3-Eleven
is capable of "pushing towards a flat-seven lap" and a press release boasts of a 7min 6sec lap "recorded by the vehicle's data logging acquisition system" and "one of the fastest ever drives of the Nurburgring Nordschleife" an eyebrow has to be cocked. And, sadly, not because this suggests the 3-Eleven would appear to be capable of giant-killing, hypercar matching pace around the Nordschleife.
It might well be. But at the moment Lotus's claim that 3-Eleven "proves its credentials" at the Nurburgring is left slightly hollow by circumstances out of its control. And close scrutiny of its own press release, which admits that impressive sounding lap is in fact a compilation of best sector times from two weeks of testing and, even then, over the Sport Auto lap distance, which misses out the short straight before T13. The press release doesn't mention whether the times were 'achieved' with the manual £82,000 Street 3-Eleven or the £115,200 Race variant, with its sequential 'box, Cup tyres and increased aero. Both cars use the same 456hp version of the Evora 400's supercharged 3.5-litre V6 but, clearly, the latter would be the one geared towards setting lap times.
"No steak on a stone until its sub-7:10"
A pity then that Lotus's achievements with the 3-Eleven are, by necessity, underwritten by caveats and small print. Because however quick it would go on an unfettered lap of the Nordschleife one thing would appear clear - this is a seriously, seriously rapid car. And a good-looking one too, the mule photographed at the 'ring appearing suitably downplayed and serious in its matt grey paint. With the expensive track day toy market hotting up with the arrival of the
Vuhl 05
Elemental RP1
and others Lotus needs to make some noise about the 3-Eleven.
If anything can be taken from the data published after these two weeks of 'ring testing it would be that Jean-Marc Gales' focus on less weight and more performance across the model line-up would seem to be bearing fruit and true to the firm's core values. We're expecting this in the much rumoured 'Cup' version of the Evora 400, more potent chargecooled Exiges and more besides. 'Easy wins' for Gales as he seeks to reinvigorate Lotus but ones we can all get behind if it means cars like this.
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