As Lotus gears up to build its limited run of 311 examples of its new
3-Eleven track car
(see what they did there...) it has confirmed final numbers for performance and pricing ahead of production starting in just a few weeks. In the meantime it's ratcheting up the hyperbole for what it promises will be the most powerful Lotus to wear the badge, boss Jean-Marc Gales describing it as a "game-changing car" compared with anything built before by Lotus or any rival. Strong stuff.
"This is a car that exists within an extremely rarified performance envelope - it offers both hypercar performance and handling," he continues, warming to his theme. "Nothing else provides a sensory overload of this nature, and all packaged under £100,000."
Further details of that pricing structure and the various options are below but, as we already know, the Road version starts at £82,500 and the track-only Race £116,500, both prices including VAT. Built on what is described as a bespoke chassis, the dry weight for the 410hp 3-Eleven Road has been confirmed as 925kg while the 460hp Race is just 890kg for a nominal 517hp per tonne. Impressive stuff but for a third as much you could have a Zenos E10 R with 500hp per tonne by the same measure...
That's only one number of course and where the 3-Eleven scores over the Zenos is in its genuine track focus, including proper downforce. At 150mph the Road version generates 150kg, the Race 215kg. By way of comparison an Exige 360 Cup makes just 42kg, albeit at 100mph. This alone will play a big part in the impressive 1min 19.5sec Hethel lap time recorded by the Race version, 2.5 seconds quicker than originally announced and a whole 10 seconds faster than an Exige 350 Sport.
Speaking of lap times Lotus is persisting with its claim the 3-Eleven is capable of a
sub-seven lap
at the Nordschleife in suitably 'favourable conditions', up to and including actually doing it. It's not alone in this kind of simulated claim of course, the current restrictions on the track meaning even Porsche has to promote 'simulated' composite lap times rather than actual ones.
Full spec differences can be found below in the pricing but, in short, the Road gets a manual gearbox with the Exige Sport 350's exposed shifter linkage, Ohlins dampers, Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres and hits 0-60mph in 3.3 seconds and goes on to 174mph flat out. The Race has the sequential Xtrac transmission (this alone accounts for the bulk of the price difference), Cup 2 tyres and does 0-60 in 2.9 and 180mph. 0-100mph in the Race version is just six seconds dead and it'll generate 1.5g in steady state cornering. Its two-way adjustable Ohlins dampers and adjustable anti-roll bars - along with the Cup 2s - are options for the Road too. Both versions use a lithium ion battery saving 10kg on its own.
Appetite suitably whetted we now await the first drives with interest...
Lotus 3-Eleven pricing and options
Road - £82,500 OTR
Race - £116,500
Options:
Carbon Tonneau Cover*** £2,000
Removable Steering Wheel* (Road) £650
Sports Passenger Seat and four-point Harness*** £1,200
FIA Carbon Passenger Seat and four-point Harness*** £2,000
FIA Carbon Driver Seat and four-point Harness* £800
FIA Cage** £3,000
Fire Extinguisher and Battery Isolator* £2,500
Two-way adjustable dampers* £2,500
Adjustable anti-roll bars* £1,000
Michelin Cup 2 Tyres* £1,000
Road to track logger and GPS Unit*** £1,500
Pro Analysis upgrade to data logger*** £1,300
Metallic paint*** £950
Black Pack*** £1,000
All prices include VAT
*Additional cost for Road only
**Additional cost for Race only
*** Additional cost for both Road and Race