Behold the £350k VHPK by Analogue Automotive
Ever wondered what a 250hp, sub-600kg, single-seat Elise might be like? Here's the answer...
You might remember that last year, on the 30th anniversary of the Lotus Elise’s debut at the Frankfurt show, Analogue Automotive previewed something very special indeed. The VHPK was to be the Elise at its zenith, the lightest, most powerful, most focused K Series Lotus you could possibly imagine. The promise was mouthwatering - this reality, perhaps even more so. Because now, available to commission and purchase (more on that in a second) is an S1 Lotus Elise that weighs less than 600kg wet and makes 250hp without forced induction. So that’s 400hp per tonne, supercar speed in PH’s greatest car of the past quarter of a century. VHPK promises to be very, very special indeed.
The engine is a further evolution of the Very High Performance Derivative found in cars like the Elise Sport 190. Now at 1.9 litres instead of 1.8, the K Series uses forged internals and bespoke billet parts, so expect it to be even keener than the original unit. The five-speed gearbox is retained (albeit upgraded), with power reaching the road via a limited-slip diff (and with plenty of sound from a stainless steel exhaust). Don’t bank on very much torque; do prepare yourself for one of the great four-cylinder experiences.
Taking weight from a Lotus Elise sounds as hard as making an omelette without eggs, but that’s what’s been done. As well as the single (carbon) seat layout - evoking the Autobytel Lotus Championship of the early '00s - every body panel of the VHPK Elise is now carbon fibre as well; the wheels are forged, sitting on ultralight hubs with carbon ceramic brakes. Even the 48-litre fuel tank and wiring loom have been slimmed down. Customers can go further still with options, including carbon wheels - on a Lotus Elise! - a carbon hardtop, unpainted bodywork and an electric HVAC system. Go the whole hog and a standard S1 is going to look like an Emira compared to this.
Underneath, the VHPK employs a further evolved version of the Supersports’ rosejointed widetrack setup. So there are lightweight - that word again! - aluminium CNC arms and uprights, plus passive dampers to Analogue’s spec. Those who want fully active suspension can have it, though it feels a little out of keeping with the Elise ethos. The VHPK seen here is representative of the 35 customer cars, finished in PK Purple; what isn’t colour matched inside is carbon fibre (as the others will be) and there are gold exhaust tips too. The Supersport had already hinted at how good an Elise could be made; this promises something even more extreme again.
Analogue’s Steffen Dobke said: “This isn’t simply a restored Elise. It’s a complete reimagining of what’s possible with the original S1 recipe – the legendary combination of the Type 111 chassis with that high-revving, lightweight K-Series engine.
“Every VHPK is rebuilt from the ground-up. We only source the best donor cars, which are then stripped right back to a bare chassis – no component is left untouched. What our customers end up with is a car which is superior in every way to a brand new S1 Elise.” Which brings us neatly to the cost; while Analogue includes one of those very good donor cars in the price (great news if you’re trying to sell one, perhaps), there’s no getting away from £350,000 plus taxes. Supercar performance had to come with a supercar price tag, and there’s no way that this much carbon could ever come cheap. Or making so few K Series to such a spec. Those 35 units are for the entire planet, though, and this feels a whole lot more interesting than some four-figure horsepower nonsense. Analogue’s inbox is surely going to be busy. What on earth do they do next?
I'm glad people like this are going to town on the Elise, I think it's a special car and deserves to be celebrated and built upon.
I'd imagine for the money you can alternatively specify a two-seat interior, in case you've managed to become filthy rich without alienating all of your friends & family.
I'd imagine for the money you can alternatively specify a two-seat interior, in case you've managed to become filthy rich without alienating all of your friends & family.
The people who will spend £350k on an Elise have so much money that £350k is a meaningless sum.
They will have many other cars, many of which will be much more expensive than this.
(BTW, people who buy this will already have a Range Rover and a trailer, if they want one. They're probably not living in rented accommodation either.)
That weight with an actual body, not to mention a windscreen, is very rare.
The people who spend £350k on an Elise have so much money that £350k is a meaningless sum.
They will have many other cars, many of which will be much more expensive than this.
Isn't this obvious?
(BTW, people who buy this will already have a Range Rover and a trailer, if they want one. They're probably not living in rented accommodation either.)
And when so many S1 Elise’s are in quite ropey condition these days, the 35 cars this project removes is quite significant.
Also if I’d loved and maintained an immaculate S1 Elise for 30 years I’d be a bit gutted to hear the next owner had literally had binned every component except the tub!
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