Lotus will launch another special edition Elise at the Frankfurt motor show, called the Lotus Club Racer. Under the skin it’s a basic Elise S, with the entry-level model’s Toyota-sourced 1.8-litre engine and five-speed manual gearbox, which makes it good for 0-60mph in 5.7 seconds and a top speed of 127mph.
The car will use colour schemes harking back to the company’s Elite and Elan models of the 1960s, which they say will make it “modern with a classic twist. The Club Racer will be available in yellow, grey, white, and the sky blue shade seen on last year’s Exige Club Racer, which was available in a limited run of 25 cars. Exterior colours are mirrored on the cabin’s metalwork, along with silver and black accents, and there are Club Racer logos on the transmission tunnel and embroidered on the seatbacks. The seats have lightweight microfibre cushioning and the steering wheel is finished in black leather with a silver centre marker.
Further special touches are added inside, with anthracite-coloured anodised aluminium flooring, gear knob and handbrake cover. The package is completed by anthracite six-spoke alloy wheels wrapped in bespoke rubber from Yokohama. The Club Racer will cost exactly the same as a standard Elise S at £26,662, and it will go on sale to coincide with the start of the Frankfurt show on 15 September.
