Monday 23rd October 2017

The Elise Cup 260: lighter, meaner, pricier

Lotus has launched the 'ultimate' limited-edition Elise - yours for Porsche Cayman GTS money

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This is the Lotus Elise Cup 260. It's a replacement for the current Cup 250 - itself a lightly worked over version of the orginal Cup 250 - and is derived from the track only Race 250. Clear?

To the numbers then. An extra 7hp from the 1.8-litre supercharged four pot brings total power up to 253hp - Cup 253 obviously wasn't deemed as marketable though - and kerb weight is down from 917kg previously to 902kg. These improvements allow the Cup 260 to cover the 0-62 sprint in just 4.2 seconds, one tenth quicker than the Cup 250.

Many of those weight savings come from previously optional carbon fibre components now offered as standard on the latest model. These include two-piece brake discs, lightweight carbon race seats - weighing just 6 kg each - a lithium-ion battery, forged alloy wheels and a polycarbonate rear screen. The devil's in the detail though, so the front access panel, engine cover, roll hoop cover and side sill covers have also been on a diet, together saving a further 6kg.

Elsewhere, lift reducing louvred front wheel arches, a gigantic new rear wing developed from the Lotus 3-Eleven, and a carbon front splitter and rear diffuser help the Cup 260 to generate up to 180kg of downforce at top speed - a 44 per cent improvement on the Cup 250. All of which makes for a Hethel lap time 2.5 seconds faster than its predecessor.

With so much kit included, you may be wondering how you're supposed to spend the extra cash you've set aside for options - well, fear not because a £3,000 carbon fibre hardtop, £4,000 titanium exhaust, and £400 stereo with Bluetooth provide ample opportunity for list price embellishment. Speaking of which, the RRP is £59,500 - the same as a Porsche Cayman GTS with a few decent options on. Although with only 30 being built we're sure Lotus will have no problem shifting them.

That doesn't mean that there aren't a fistful of alternatives just a click away. Sitting in the classifieds we have this brand new - it can't be easy for Lotus dealers can it? - Cup 250, and this Exige Sport 350, both for a few thousand pounds less than the 260. There's also this 2-Eleven for nearly half the price - admittedly a rather different proposition; but if you're looking for the ultimate pared-back, track-derived expression of an Elise, a 2-Eleven is mightily hard to beat.

[Porsche911R]

Another car another day, looks ugly this time round over a cup250.

[Porsche911R]

kambites said:

What's wrong with the indicators? I know the S2 front ones used to fall out sometimes but I thought the S3s were OK?

I think he means the 1980's Vauxhall indicator storks :-),

[Porsche911R]

kambites said:

Ah yeah, thinking about it that was obvious given the context.

although the indicator did fall out my S2 and also the wiper motor failed and the car caught fire, the paint bubbled and the ECU died.

sttest car I have owned for faults , but I did like driving it.

Issue today is people are still have problems and dealers cannot pass a warranty claim so faults are not fixed for months , and for some odd reason Lotus have to send out "A MAN" to take a look !!! he is a busy man so with more cars sold this MAN is over worked lol

I know a few Lotus suppliers they are always on stop !!

A £60k Elise is a joke, a £33k 1.5 year old 2nd hand 220 CUP is a nice toy, or a £38k Exige V6

problem is some sucker has to buy the new ones, the good news is these suckers cannot afford to keep them after the 2 year 50/50 deal so you get nice 2 year old cars up for sale at not much more than 1/2 price :-), these are the cars to buy and most faults have been fixed by then.

Edited by Porsche911R on Tuesday 24th October 09:21

[Porsche911R]

great car 2nd hand, but as you well know a Carbon rear spoiler with a crack in it is not a good thing on a £50k car.
I am sure you have had a new one already :-)

Also the supports go rusty etc etc

but at £37k you have saved the 1st year drop and as you say these hold value well so cheap motoring as long as Lotus don't keep you off the road too long.

As I said buying one 2nd hand with all the faults sorted and £15k saved is the best option.
I might treat myself to a cup 220 or even that white cup 250 at Howards if there is a deal, as it has a exhaust and a Momo both of which I would want to do.

I see that dealer cannot shift that blue 220 cup though and it's down to £35.5k now. again tempting.

[Porsche911R]

The thing is it's a track car really so that extra at the top end is very nice, again as you stated Komotech 265bhp is quite cheap.

I used to love mine on track as you don't have to be rich to track an Elise over say the v6 exige which is a killer on every thing.

The Elise is cheap as chips to track on fuel, brakes tyres etc, def take it on track in 2018 ;-) the LOT days are very good value and a good day out.

[Porsche911R]

twinturban said:

Interesting to see the threads around the time of the Exige Cup 260 launch.

Same names doing the same moaning. "Way too heavy, way too expensive, only 5bhp more than the last one, load of bks, what idiot will buy this etc"

Where are the Exige Cup 260s now? Asking £55k in the classifieds and selling as soon as they go up. That's when you can buy a used Exige V6S for less than £40k too.

The idiots that bought them enjoyed a car that drives like nothing else at any price and anyone who kept one since new until now would have not lost a penny on it.

Only 30 for the world will make this rarer than the Exige Cup 260. Clearly there are people out there who prefer the 4 cylinder Exige to the V6 and are prepared to pay more for it. I think this car is for them. For me I think the Sprint 220 is probably all the Elise I could wish for plus a bit less grip might mean a bit more fun. But why shouldn't there be an ultimate Elise with high end carbon parts and vented arches? If you wouldn't want a go in that you're definitely in need of a new hobby!

have you ordered one, or a Sprint ? ;-) the Sprint 220 listed at Howards is £52k lol !!!

[Porsche911R]

twinturban said:

Isn't it more ridiculous that a person obsessed with Porsche spends all his time in the Lotus section?

Your mission in life appears to be putting people off buying a Lotus but I think you're doing a better job of putting people off Porsche! Lol!

Not brand loyal to anything, just say it how it is what ever the brand, done 5 years in Lotus and 10 in Porkers.

I want people to buy cars on the 50/50 at these daft prices so I can buy them 1/2 price in 2 years.

IF you don't like a Porsche don't buy one, nothing I will say changes what people buy.

in the last 30 days you have posted 4 times, 2 in Lotus section 2 in the Porsche section ! and the Lotus posts were only to slag me off lol

[Porsche911R]

Gadzookoids said:

Taking the individual anecdote as fact for a whole brand - the only car I have seen have a serious problem on track was a Porsche Boxster Spyder which blew its oil sump, spread oil on the exhaust and promptly set itself on fire.

I have never seen that happen to an Elise so they must be better in every way!

Bar all the s2 Exige's which loose 3rd gear on most track days ! and that still happens on the v6 on 4th and 5th gear !
that's after the heat soke has slowed them down after 3 laps !

at least the elise went to charge cooling in 2012, the V6 is a stter though for it

My Elise also caught fire ! and there was a recall for that issue !

or rear toe links trying to kill you if you track one !
https://youtu.be/8odtKj7aXFM

yes they do smell of clue and you can see the glue lines, why they use red glue seems daft.

and the endless K series head gaset fails

I love the cars at the £30k price point, they do look and feel cheap at >£40k let alone £60k

most owners here have an older one as the car IS 21 years old and basic the same thing bar the new ones weigh more !

Porsche also have bad times from 2005 to 2010 with engines, but difference is you get it fixed quick and have a nice loan car, with a Lotus you can wait 6 months, have to get taxi's or a crap cheap banger if you are lucky, ok on a £20k car not with a £60k car.

[Porsche911R]

MellowshipSlinky said:

Both my Exiges needed a little bit of warranty work - it was done at my convenience, with a courtesy car.

When one needed a new clutch, yes I admit the field engineer had to come and look at it first ( it's a fair job to do and Lotus can't just chuck money around with gay abandon) but again, was done at my convenience with a courtesy car.

This is real life experience over the last 3 years or so.

can a dealer not pass a clutch !! lol what does "my convenience" mean if the clutch is gone you cannot drive it !

how long did you have to wait for the "field engineer " ? the "field engineer " thing is the BIG issue with me, I bought a new car on the basis a fault on a BRAND new car would be fixed straight away, so I drove off in it, it took 6 months to fix it !!!

I know people out cars for the whole of summer 2017 :-(

[Porsche911R]

MellowshipSlinky said:

The clutch hadn't bust, just noisy.
Car was totally driveable with no affect in performance,
I think I waited 2 weeks for him to take a look and then another 2 weeks for the dealer to have a slot to do the work.

David, what confuses me with your constant bashing of Lotus, whilst you say you'd like one, the way the company works seems to cause you much pain and anguish.

Perhaps you'd be better off setting your sights a bit lower and get another Porsche?

lol I love the way they drive, it's the ltd ed and all the crap you have to go though if it goes wrong.

you buy a cup 220 a cup 250 comes out, then within 4 months another cup 250 comes out, then 6 months you have a cup 260.

I bought my GT4 knowing it's the top car in the model line up and will be for at least 4 years and it cost me £74k and is worth £80k after 2 years still !

A dealer will sell you a new/old car knowing they have the new one in the back !

dealers still have the gen 1 cup 250 for sale with the old sloppy gearbox, and Lotus have done all the dealers in and that's bad for resale values.

if the model runs were set in stone like Porsche and dealers like Murray's did not give cars away, I might be in one.

but my local dealer will not match a price from Murray's and if it goes wrong my local dealer won't give a st if I buy a car from Murray's, why would they !

so I would have to pay more for a car to secure good back up, which is needed for a Lotus which is discounted at other dealers in a massive way, so I am out of pocket before I have left the show room and out of date as Lotus will bring another model out in 6 months.

Porsche are taking a leaf out of Lotus book with ltd ed and the issue is you have to be VIP to get anything now.
I can Porsche bash, they have got so much in demand because of the hype the ave person is not allowed one.

The GT4 is a cracking car and mega value though I must say.

Edited by Porsche911R on Wednesday 25th October 10:21

[Porsche911R]

Rawwr said:

I don't get the out of date thing. If you were happy with your car when you bought it, why would you be less happy because something else was released?

I like to buy the top model in the range and have no regrets, it's been a my motto in life and stood me well over my car buying life, while people buy cheap buy twice, or buy cheap and fit a komotec kit etc etc same with TV's or most things.

If you buy the best available you never have that need to upgrade as there is no upgrade path, and you know this with Porsche for at least 4 years.
So after 2 years if you want to move the car on you are selling the top model in the range knowing the next owner will be buying the top model and that it will still be for another 2 years, it's great for resale and values. And allows people on a low wage like me to drive cars worth £100k.

the cup 250 is a great car and I would be happy buying one, but then to have another within 4 months with one of the biggest issue fixed in the sloppy change it would piss me right off, esp when you then ask for a part ex and it's now classed as out of date and only worth £31k trade value !

yes people are happy in their gen 1 cup 250, but the gen 2 cup 250 is a better car and if you want the best a company can do at the time then you will want the new car. resale has now hit you in the bks after 4 months as your car is out of date.

Then 6 months later they bring out the cup 260 lol so that new cup 250 with the open gate box is now out of date again all with in a year and taken another £10k hit

It kills sales, it kills resale and hurts dealers.

buying a cup 220 and komo tec it is lost money and makes the car even harder to sell with zero warranty to boot.
ok if a keeper, but no car is a keeper in my line up.

Edited by Porsche911R on Wednesday 25th October 11:23

[Porsche911R]

Rawwr said:

To me, that just seems like the attitude of someone deeply insecure about their own decisions.

I cannot see why that is insecure, it's good business sense, I run about in x amount worth of cars I own outright because I buy wise. !

How can buying a car at the top of it's game be an insecure decision ? knowing I can sell it in two years as still the best car in that model range gaining max value back for it. it's not pose value or snob value other wise I would buy 911's ;-)

it's very hard to sell a gen 1 cup 250 now unless you price it £10k less. it basics Martin !

I find the comment very odd esp from you.

Edited by Porsche911R on Wednesday 25th October 12:31

[Porsche911R]

Rawwr said:

Even more bizarre is the incessant posting on threads asserting this unusual - and it is unusual - view.

its a view most people agree with bar S1 die hard Lotus owners, other wise Lotus would sell some bloody cars in the UK.

[Porsche911R]

Rawwr said:

No, it really, really isn't.

look you don't even own one, prob never will again and so your view is quite pointless.

I on the other hand keep trying to get back into the brand but they keep moving the goalposts, You goto a dealers and most demos have issues waiting to be fixed, by the time they are fixed the demo is out of date and a new model is out.

If Lotus don't do something by the 2020 Elise release they will go under.

Because having a load of die hard skint S1 owners is not going to keep them alive.