2016 Lotus 3-Eleven revealed, quickest and most expensive Lotus ever



Lotus has revealed their quickest and most expensive series production model ever at the 2015 Goodwood Festival of Speed, the 3-Eleven.

Set to deliver pure driving thrills with its open cockpit design, the 3-Eleven weighs just below 900 kg and packs 450 hp from a supercharged V6, enabling it to reach 100 km/h in less than 3.0 seconds.

The 3-Eleven will be available in two guises: Road and Race, and as you would have guessed, the Race is the the more hardcore version of the two.

EXTERIOR

Like the 2007 Lotus 2-Eleven (or even the original Lotus Eleven of the late fifties), the 3-Eleven embraces the open cockpit concept and serious aero work. The body panels are made using resin infusion composite technology, which is a first for a production car, and as a result the panels are 40 percent lighter compared to fibreglass.

The aggressive kit is certainly not just for show, in the Race version they can generate downforce of up to 215 kg at 240 km/h, making sure the 3-Eleven stays grounded wherever it goes.

Everything is designed to make the 3-Eleven as aerodynamic as possible, and that includes the front splitter, the side scallop, the huge rear spoiler, and the rear diffuser. Even the roll cage is finished with an aerodynamic cover to generate downforce.

INTERIOR

Don’t expect leather seats, sat-nav, or even carpet in the 3-Eleven. The interior is so focused on the driver they made the passenger seat as optional item. There’s a digital instrument cluster to display vital information for the driver, and just a few buttons on the center panel and that’s about it.

Lotus 3-Eleven (3)

Fitted as standard is a removable steering wheel and sports seat with four-point harnesses, but if you want data logger system, you’ll have to get the Race version. You will also get an FIA-approved racing seat with six-point harnesses as well as a fire extinguisher and battery kill switch in the Race version.

PERFORMANCE

Lotus took the supercharged 3.5-litre V6 from the Evora 400 and massaged it to produce more power before plonking it in the 3-Eleven. The outcome is 450 hp and 450 Nm, in a car that weighs less than 900 kilos that translates as more than 500 hp per tonne.

Different gearbox combo will be paired to the engine, the Road version will get a close-ratio six-speed manual with a Torsen limited slip differential, while the Race version gets a six-speed sequential transmission with a mechanical limited slip differential.

Lotus 3-Eleven (8)

Sprint time from 0 to 100 km/h is clocked under 3.0 seconds, and the top speed is at 280 km/h for the Race version and 290 km/h for the Road version.

The 3-Eleven utilises front and rear double-wishbones suspension with Eibach springs, and owners will get to tweak with the front anti-roll and the Öhlins dampers to suit their plan of attack.

The lightweight forged aluminium wheels are staggered, the rear wheels are wider and an inch bigger than the front. The tyres measuring 225/40 ZR18 at the front and 275/35 ZR19 at the back are either Michelin Pilot Super Sport for the Road version, or Michelin Cup 2 for the Race version. Meanwhile the brakes are from AP Racing, and it consists of 332 mm two-part grooved and vented brake discs and four-pot calipers.

WHAT ELSE?

The 3-Eleven will be limited to just 311 units (of course), and each will be hand-built in Hethel. Production will kick-off in February 2016 with deliveries starting a couple of months after that. Prices start at £82,000 for the Road version and £115,200 for the Race version.


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