At the start of the year Lotus announced the Elise S Cup R, a racing version of the Elise road car, and now it has completed the latest round of testing on the road-going version of the race car: the Elise S Cup. Development work has been undertaken at the company's test track in the UK and at the Nürburgring in Germany.
The S Cup is apparently designed for people who want a road legal car that can be taken on track days and features the same aerodynamic package as the 'R' version. It gets a fixed roof, front splitter, rear diffuser and rear wing. These parts aren't just for show either, as they are claimed to generate 66kg of downforce at 160km/h and 125kg at the car's top speed. At the Lotus test track the Cup version is said to be three seconds a lap faster than the Elise S.
Jean-Marc Gales, Chief Executive Officer of Group Lotus plc, said, "The Lotus Elise S Cup is all about the pure driving experience with the Lotus attributes of high performance, light weight and excellent ride and handling. It is perfect for the driver who desires a quick, authentic, desirable and competitive sports car."
Anything else?
Standard equipment includes a competition specification roll hoop, while there are options for road and track use. It is even possible to fit a fire extinguisher system and electrical kill switch for owners who plan to adapt the car for racing; which would make it a racing version of a road version of a racing version of a road car...