Cup 250 is now the fastest Lotus Elise money can buy

Weighing in at 931 kg, and capable of 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds, the Elise Cup 250 is now the fastest Lotus Elise ever. Note that its predecessor, the Elise Cup 220 weighed 21 kg more, but had 26 hp less!

The Lotus Elise Cup 250 is available for the first time as a roadster as standard with a hard top available as an option. It is designed to delight the sports car fan in you.

It comes with a lithium-ion battery (reduces 10 kg weight), carbon fibre seats (slashes 6 kg weight), and ultra-lightweight forged alloy wheels (saves 1.5 kg). One can cut the car’s weight still further by using the Carbon Aero Pack, which cuts 10 kg, reducing it to just 921 kg. This aero pack replaces the standard front splitter, rear wing, rear diffuser and side floor-extensions.

The ignition system is recalibrated. The front tyres are made wider to give sharper and more-responsive steering.

This car took 1 minute and 34 seconds to lap around the Hethel test track, which is a whopping 4 seconds lesser than what was taken by the Cup 220. This makes it the fastest Elise money can buy!

The aerodynamically optimised body kit provides 66 kg of downforce at 100 mph and 155 kg at maximum velocity of 154 mph.

The car is powered by a higher-output version of the supercharged, 1.8-litre 4-cylinder engine. The Elise Cup 250 boasts 243 hp (246 PS) at 7200 rpm and 250 Nm of torque between 3500 rpm and 5500 rpm.

As standard, the Elise Cup 250 comes with red or black interiors, with an optional leather pack. An integrated in-car entertainment system can also be specified, including iPod connectivity and Bluetooth functionality along with full carpets and enhanced sound insulation.

A total of ten paint choices are available, out of which two are no-cost options, seven are metallic and one is the signature Grey option. The Lotus Elise Cup 250 goes on sale in April this year in all major markets (North America excluded).