Lotus 3 Eleven
Discussion
A few friends have recently asked me why I have chosen the Lotus 3-Eleven as my weekend fun and track day special. Well, my brother was generous enough to lend me his Lotus 2-Eleven for a drive from Goodwood to home one Saturday afternoon and I was completely hooked - it's just sensory overload - the heightened acceleration, speed, precision, braking, steering, and road-holding blew my mind! And the great thing is that, unlike most modern supercars, you don't need to be going Mach 2 to appreciate all these sensations. When Lotus Bell & Colvill asked me if I wanted to drive their 3-Eleven demonstrator around the local Surrey countryside for the day, they didn't need to ask me twice (see pics below). Wow, the 3-Eleven is like the 2-Eleven turned up to 11! The 2-Eleven is already epic but the 3-Eleven has quite a bit more torque and top-end power, although for sure it feels a tad heavier (although we're still only talking 925kg). One of the best drives of my life. I couldn't stop laughing into my lid! I've never ordered a toy so quickly...
That front splitter is going to be fun for speed bumps 
Thanks PH'ers for your messages!
I'm now starting to worry that going for the motorsport front splitter and front canards might have been a tad overambitious. How am I going to get on and off the Eurotunnel to get to Spa and the Ring, for example? I went for the road version of the 3-Eleven specifically so I didn't have to trailer it. First world problems I guess.
I'm now starting to worry that going for the motorsport front splitter and front canards might have been a tad overambitious. How am I going to get on and off the Eurotunnel to get to Spa and the Ring, for example? I went for the road version of the 3-Eleven specifically so I didn't have to trailer it. First world problems I guess.
My God I love the look of these.
Having just bought a VX220 Turbo I now see what all the fuss is about - I was an absolutely convinced Porsche man, but I really have fallen in love with lightweight weekend track and fast road cars and this is pretty well the pinnacle - bet it'll turn a few heads on the high street too!
ETA: just realised the Macca I've been admiring is yours too - lovely garage, OP - excellent choices.
Having just bought a VX220 Turbo I now see what all the fuss is about - I was an absolutely convinced Porsche man, but I really have fallen in love with lightweight weekend track and fast road cars and this is pretty well the pinnacle - bet it'll turn a few heads on the high street too!
ETA: just realised the Macca I've been admiring is yours too - lovely garage, OP - excellent choices.
Edited by Actus Reus on Friday 3rd March 16:21
I know it's a strange thing to say, but I am vicariously excited. I'm hoping to see one at a trackday sometime this year.
Really hope 2017 is a long dry summer so you can enjoy it properly. I know from experience that driving with no weather protection looses it's appeal when the weather turns cold and wet.
Really hope 2017 is a long dry summer so you can enjoy it properly. I know from experience that driving with no weather protection looses it's appeal when the weather turns cold and wet.
Actus Reus said:
My God I love the look of these.
Having just bought a VX220 Turbo I now see what all the fuss is about - I was an absolutely convinced Porsche man, but I really have fallen in love with lightweight weekend track and fast road cars and this is pretty well the pinnacle - bet it'll turn a few heads on the high street too!
ETA: just realised the Macca I've been admiring is yours too - lovely garage, OP - excellent choices.
Thank you. Yes, the blue McLaren 12C and Lotus 3-Eleven will be my stable. I'm a very lucky (now very poor) chap! Having just bought a VX220 Turbo I now see what all the fuss is about - I was an absolutely convinced Porsche man, but I really have fallen in love with lightweight weekend track and fast road cars and this is pretty well the pinnacle - bet it'll turn a few heads on the high street too!
ETA: just realised the Macca I've been admiring is yours too - lovely garage, OP - excellent choices.
Edited by Actus Reus on Friday 3rd March 16:21
I hope to use them both extensively this summer on a mixture of road trips and track days.
Looking forward to reporting good times
SpudLink said:
I know it's a strange thing to say, but I am vicariously excited. I'm hoping to see one at a trackday sometime this year.
Really hope 2017 is a long dry summer so you can enjoy it properly. I know from experience that driving with no weather protection looses it's appeal when the weather turns cold and wet.
My brother had a wonderful Lotus 2-Eleven but didn't get as much use out of it as he would have liked. Then a little one came along so he had to sell. He was successful, however, in managing to get me hooked and convince me to put the order in for the 3-Eleven. When the sun is out and the roads are dry it promises to be motoring nivarna Really hope 2017 is a long dry summer so you can enjoy it properly. I know from experience that driving with no weather protection looses it's appeal when the weather turns cold and wet.
Following this thread with great interest, please keep us posted. The 311 seems to be an amazing car for the money, and I've been seriously considering a race version for track days, as I'm approaching a point with my Exige where developing further will entail both a large sunken cost and 'ruining' it for the road by stripping it out and/or pushing the mechanicals to the point where they become unreliable.
The toss-up for me is whether the performance differential of a race 311 will outweigh buying a fully specced preowned 211 GT Supersport for half the money (and if I can handle the ball ache of having another car to maintain).
The toss-up for me is whether the performance differential of a race 311 will outweigh buying a fully specced preowned 211 GT Supersport for half the money (and if I can handle the ball ache of having another car to maintain).
over steer said:
Following this thread with great interest, please keep us posted. The 311 seems to be an amazing car for the money, and I've been seriously considering a race version for track days, as I'm approaching a point with my Exige where developing further will entail both a large sunken cost and 'ruining' it for the road by stripping it out and/or pushing the mechanicals to the point where they become unreliable.
The toss-up for me is whether the performance differential of a race 311 will outweigh buying a fully specced preowned 211 GT Supersport for half the money (and if I can handle the ball ache of having another car to maintain).
Is the Lotus 2-Eleven GT Supersport the GT4 race-spec track special? If so, that's an absolute weapon! Honestly, I've only driven a road-spec 2-Eleven and 3-Eleven over the course of a day, each on separate occasions. Based on this limited experience, personally I don't think a race-spec 3-Eleven is worth double a 2-Eleven GT4. I've seen the race-spec 3-Eleven at Bell & Colvill (see below) and whilst it's an epic thing, £130,000 is a huge amount of money. The difference in price would buy you a lot of tyres, fuel, track days etc. in the 2-Eleven GT4! Still, I can see why someone would be tempted by the race-spec 3-Eleven...The toss-up for me is whether the performance differential of a race 311 will outweigh buying a fully specced preowned 211 GT Supersport for half the money (and if I can handle the ball ache of having another car to maintain).
56Lotus said:
Hi all
One day I would love to get an Eleven, 2-11 and 3-Eleven all together in one go. I can do the Eleven down in the south west (Devon), any other owners interested?
Jon
Hi Jon. I might be in a position to bring my 3-Eleven down to Devon but not until next year I'm afraid. Obviously if another 3-Eleven owner can get down to you sooner then I look forward to seeing the photos on PH One day I would love to get an Eleven, 2-11 and 3-Eleven all together in one go. I can do the Eleven down in the south west (Devon), any other owners interested?
Jon
Ben (baronbennyt)
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