Lotus remembers some of its most famous cars. Cars that raced to the finish and brought Lotus some important victories in Formula 1. Lotus has launched four new limited-edition versions of the Elise, which pay tribute to the company’s pioneering and highly successful racing history.
The exterior colour combinations are black and gold; red, white and gold; blue, red and silver; and blue and white. The famous black and gold references the livery of the Lotus Type 72D which Emerson Fittipaldi raced to five victories over the course of the 1972 Formula 1 season.
Red, white and gold echoes the Type 49B that Graham Hill raced in 1968, while the blue, red and silver is inspired by the Lotus Type 81 of 1980 driven by Nigel Mansell, Elio de Angelis and Mario Andretti.
The fourth new Elise, finished in blue and white, is in tribute to the Lotus Type 18 design from 1960. Exactly 60 years ago, it was the first Lotus car to achieve a Formula 1 pole position and victory, courtesy of the late Sir Stirling Moss, at the Monaco Grand Prix.
Officially called the Elise Classic Heritage Editions, all four offer an enhanced exterior and interior spec over the Elise Sport 220 on which they’re based. They are on sale now across selected international markets.
As well as their unique colour schemes, each car comes with an exclusive numbered ‘build plaque’ on the dashboard referencing the limited production run. A total of just 100 cars will be made, with the final numbers of each variant dictated by customer demand.
The Elise interior colour pack is also now integrated as standard. Elements include the upper door trim and central seat insert finished to match the exterior, with detailing on the door, gear selector surround and dashboard picking out key colours. The only one that’s different is the blue and white car, which has red alcantara seat centres.
Pricing is very simple – all four cars cost exactly the same, at £46,250 (€47,848). While that’s £6,350 more than a standard Elise Sport 220, with £11,735 of added features it represents outstanding value for money.
Several optional extras are available for each car, including a fibreglass hardtop roof, lightweight lithium-ion battery and titanium lightweight exhaust.
