Lotus just unveiled an insanely quick new sports car-but don't expect to see it in the US
The Lotus Elise, a car well-known for its lightness and maneuverability, just got even lighter, and probably even more agile.
At 2,053 lbs, the new Elise Cup 250 is 46 lbs lighter than the already extremely low-weight Elise Cup 220.
Though it won't be sold in the US, 200 cars have been allotted for global distribution annually. Just not to America.
The Cup 250 continues to use Toyota's supercharged 4-cylinder motor, but with 26 more horsepower pushed out of it. With the added lightness and the extra power, the Elise Cup 250 does 0 to 60 miles per hour in 3.9 seconds. For a car with just 243 horsepower, that's pretty crazy.
There's also an optional Carbon Aero Pack which can drop an extra 22 lbs from the car's overall weight.
The Elise is offered with a 6-speed manual transmission, which is of course the most commonly preferred option with the enthusiasts and track-rats that will be scooping these up.
A completely race track-ready suspension setup is brought over from the Cup 220 model. A bunch of sharp looking aero bits are strategically placed around the car to cut through the air and create up an impressive 342 lbs of downforce at the 154 MPH top speed.
To help cut the weight down from the Cup 220, Lotus uses a lightweight lithium-ion battery, forged alloy wheels, and carbon fiber seats.
The Elise Cup 250 will go on sale in April of this year. Prices starting at £45,600 or about $65,000.