Yes, we get it, another new Lotus. There's a sense of weariness from some quarters. However, isn't it better to struggle keeping up with constantly tinkered Lotuses than see a stagnant and familiar range? We know as well that new product is on the way, a move that will gain added impetus thanks to Geely, and - to be entirely frank - when each uprated Lotus is as good as the recent ones have been, long may it continue.
You won't be surprised to learn that that continues with the 3-Eleven 430. There'll be a little more detail on just why that is, of course, but it feels like these '430' models - Exige and Evora included - are the real gems in their respective ranges. The power they produce - Jean-Marc Gales suggests they typically make a little more than the official 436hp - give them an edge and an intensity not found lower down which, when combined with trademark Lotus dynamic artistry, makes for fairly excellent sports car. Add to that a dry weight of 920kg and you can probably see where this is going...
That being said, it's funny how the eagerness to drive the lightest, most powerful Lotus on sale can be tempered when it's five degrees outside and raining. Puddles are strewn across the Hethel test track seemingly willy-nilly (although usually right where you don't want them), the wind is bitter, and the prospect of staying inside with another cup of tea and a cherry bakewell sounds just fine, thanks very much. Would be a shame to waste the journey, though.
To be honest, trying to get into a 3-Eleven doesn't help matters. No doors means you have to hoist your leg uncomfortably high (paying mind not to volley the mirrors off), then stand on a bare metal floor without your wet shoes making it too slippery and then sit down and do battle with the harnesses. It's an effort. You know those funny overshoes racing drivers use? Might be a wise investment with a 3-Eleven.
Once you're in, the 3-Eleven is comfortable enough and finally starts putting the driver at some ease thanks to the relative familiarity of the interior. Naturally there isn't much there, but much is recognisable from the Exige - pedals, wheel, gearstick and so on. The multi-configurable dashboard and the cut-off switch rather less so.
It's a similarly odd combination of Lotus allied to race car that defines how the 3-Eleven drives, too. Even when pootling around for tracking and cornering pics there's that rare delicacy to the steering, the immediacy of every response and the clunk-click of the exposed manual gearbox, which seems to get better with every installation. Only now it's accompanied by astonishing braking power - the 3-Eleven uses the same AP Racing set up as the equivalent Exige, only it carries 150kg less - and the incredible rawness of driving without a roof. Make sure your helmet visor is all the way down is our advice, or the speed really will take your breath away.
Ah yes, the speed. Even in the rain, even with a manual gearbox, even on a track without huge straights and even after driving an 812 Superfast two days before (sorry, it was an odd week), the 3-Eleven is monumentally, stupendously, slightly terrifyingly, er, fast. Whatever else you've driven on four wheels. It's not just the power-to-weight, either, but the torque-to-weight as well, because 325lb ft for just about a tonne is more than adequate. So not only will it scream fiercely to a 7,000rpm cut out, but the 430 will haul you up there from lower with tremendous strength as well. What it means on a circuit, particularly on a treacherously damp one, is that you can go a gear higher and not feel to be losing out on any performance. The way the 3-Eleven imperiously strides up to and beyond 130mph is addictive, as is the rich, extravagant wail from the supercharged V6. It may no longer be the most modern of powertrains - indeed it arguably never was - but it so perfectly suits this installation that you'll not care a jot.
While it was a shame not to test Lotus's revised downforce claims for this car (the top speed total is now 265kg, up 44kg on a standard 3-Eleven), to test it in the rain is perhaps more revealing. Because we'd all expect a track focused Lotus to feel fabulous in the sunshine on Lotus's test track, right? To discover instead that it's also friendly, approachable and exploitable in the rain - yeah, seriously - is not only more of a surprise, it's more of an achievement, too.
While certain contributing factors to this are familiar from other Lotuses - the impeccable steering feel, the freakishly brilliant variable traction control, the sense of connection through the seat - others are unique to this 3-Eleven, and take it beyond the other Hethel cars. Removing the windscreen means you have fantastic forward visibility, so the car can be placed with supreme accuracy, for example. The aforementioned brakes seem even more confidence inspiring than ever, absolutely tireless in their performance and perfectly weighted. Plus, as crucial as anything else to this, the 3-Eleven 430 gets a limited-slip diff, denied to the Exige and found only in the Evoras. Which are 400kg heavier.
In this car it means poise and precision on corner exit that you never realised was missing before. The diff allows you to measure out the power incredibly accurately, it means the traction on a dismal day is fantastic and, yes, if you really want to, the 3-Eleven will do really quite impressive oversteer. Yet because the driver is so immersed in the process, and because the car's balance is so friendly, there feels to be very little to be scared of. Well it didn't spin, not even once, so something must be right.
So should you turn up to a wet track day in your 3-Eleven, there's nothing to fear. Even with Cup 2s and without stability control. As for getting there, though, it might take a little more resilience. Sure, the dampers can be softened off (the test car has the optional Ohlins TTX two-way adjustable dampers; DFV one-way items are standard), the dimensions make it wieldy and the torque means you're not battling with a super peaky engine. That being said, the exposure to the elements is of course ceaseless and there's not even a heater, let alone any form of entertainment. It will take commitment, put simply, with a helmet required - and probably quite a few stops - for every single journey, and it could well be more commitment than some are willing to tolerate.
Those that can take the 3-Eleven's relentless, uncompromising focus, however, are in for one of the greatest adrenaline fixes on four wheels. Of course the speed, the noise and the crazy way it looks are part of that, but you could create a supercar with those traits and not have something has compelling as the 3-Eleven. By bringing together those attributes with the lovely involvement and engagement we know from every Hethel product down to a 135hp Elise, Lotus has made a spectacular car. Single-minded, for sure, but it's hard to consider the practical concerns when a car so comprehensively nails its brief. Twenty people are in for a riotously good time.
Lotus 3-Eleven 430 - Specifications |
Engine |
3,456cc V6, supercharged |
Transmission |
6-speed manual, rear-wheel drive, limited-slip differential |
Power (hp) |
436@7,000rpm |
Torque (lb ft) |
325@from 4,500rpm |
0-62mph |
3.2sec |
Top speed |
180mph |
Weight |
920kg (dry) |
MPG |
N/A |
CO2 |
N/A |
Price |
£102,000 |
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