Forbidden Fruit: Lotus Elise S Club Racer
UK and continental Europe are getting yet another Lotus that will be denied to us here in North America. The Lotus Elise S Club Racer makes its debut at the Goodwood Festival Of Speed.
Powered by the supercharged 1.8-liter motor in the Elise S, the Club Racer is lighter and faster than the car it is based upon. It loses 44 pounds, improving its power-to-weight ratio. The Elise S Club Racer scoots to 60 miles per hour in just 4.2 seconds, and has a top speed of 145 mph.
The Elise S Club Racer promises a fun end engaging driving profile, but customers can take it a step further with some of Lotus’s track-specific options like the sport exhaust, and TRD air box.
More details about the Elise S Club Racer and the brand’s presence at the Goodwood Festival Of Speed (including a trailer featuring the Lotus Exige S in the upcoming RED 2 motion picture) are below in the official press release from Lotus.
09 July 2013
Movie Stars, Debutants, and F1® competitors – and that’s just the cars!
Festival fever is in the air as Lotus gears-up for this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed.
An epic year that celebrates the 20th anniversary of the now world-famous ‘FoS’ will see Lotus displaying an array of treats for the thousands of motoring enthusiasts, F1 fans and garden-party go-ers making their way to Goodwood this weekend.
Lotus has chosen the Festival of Speed as the perfect backdrop for the dynamic launch of the Exige S Roadster and will also be presenting the 2013 Lotus F1® Team’s black and gold E21, the brand new Elise S Club Racer and the very same Exige S that performed high octane stunts in this summer’s eagerly anticipated blockbuster movie ‘RED 2’. This collection of superstars sits alongside a full compliment of current Lotus models for a truly exotic turnout.
Beautiful, Bold, Black and Gold
This year, Lotus proudly displays a replica of the 2013 Lotus F1® Team car, but just to go that extra mile (it’s Lotus after all), Lotus F1® Team driver Romain Grosjean will be making an appearance too! Romain will be driving Lotus COO Aslam Farikullah ‘up the hill’ in the brand new Exige S Roadster in it’s maiden public voyage on Saturday to mark the official launch of the fastest soft-top Lotus ever! Romain will also be busy with further runs in the Roadster on both Saturday and Sunday and of course will be taking to the hill in the real E21! Between F1® and Supercar hill climbs, Romain will be making an exclusive appearance on the Lotus stand to take questions from fans and sign autographs at 3.30pm on Saturday and 4pm on Sunday.
When Less is Definitely More… If Less Weight and More Power is Your Thing!
Making its global debut at Goodwood is the brand new Elise S Club Racer. Following the hugely popular ‘Club Racer’ variant on Lotus’ entry level 1.6 litre Elise, the lighter-weight, enthusiast orientated package is now available on the supercharged 1.8 litre Elise S.
The Club Racer concept comprises funky colour schemes, the innovative application of materials and enhanced driving dynamics and performance, all of which make for a compelling purchase for Lotus purists and track day enthusiasts.
Achieving a maximum 20kg weight reduction over the standard Elise S, the Club Racer boasts an improved power to weight ratio delivering 240bhp per tonne, it accelerates to 60mph from standing in 4.2 seconds, and reaches a top speed on 145 mph – in short, it’s a little animal!
Those in the market for a Lotus will know that what matters most is how the Elise S Club Racer feels to drive; it goes without saying that the Club Racer is developed with Lotus’ legendary dynamic performance. The Elise range, now extending to its 4th variant delivers thrilling driving dynamics thanks to Lotus’ trademark agile and precise handling. Communication is key here; the Elise S Club Racer delivers plenty of feedback so that the driver has optimum control and can intuitively deploy nimble steering and acutely accurate braking.
Real enthusiasts can even manage to reduce the weight of the Elise S Club Racer a further 8kg by specifying track-use, dealer-fit options such as a TRD air box and filter element and a sports exhaust.
The stripped-out, race inspired Elise S Club Racer benefits from both a weight-reduction initiative and the extra power of a supercharger, it’s a compelling proposition for sportscar fans; it is quick, good-looking and most of all – fun to drive!
- · 6 paint colour options including 4 new colours to the Club Racer family all of which are exclusive to the Elise S Club Racer. Aspen White, Carbon Grey, Chrome Orange*, Toxic Green*, Daytona Blue* and Formula Red* (*exclusive to Elise S Club Racer.)
- · ‘Black Style’ pack as standard
- · Matt Black paint feature panels; Roll hoop cover, rear transom panel and mirror pods
- · Elise S Club Racer logos
- · Unique seat and interior details
Prices below are an illustration of pricing structures in selected markets only.
Elise S Club Racer
UK (incl VAT) £35,600
EU (Excl Taxes) €37,500
A Celebrity of Epic Proportions; The Small but Mighty Exige S Holds Its Own on the Big Screen.
Tipped at this summer’s smash-hit movie release ‘RED 2’, the sequel to ‘RED’ (Retired Extremely Dangerous), stars a host of brilliant performers; Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, John Malkovich, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Sir Anthony Hopkins and the Lotus Exige S. The action follows retired secret agents who reunite to expose an intriguing and deadly conspiracy from their past; avoiding double agents and assassins along the way! The hotly anticipated sequel features a massive A-List cast, stunning locations and a Laser Blue Exige S which undertakes high speed chases, dodges bullet storms and slides its way through London’s streets, markets and motorways.
As a special exhibit for the 2013 Goodwood FoS, one of three cars used for the movie will be on display on the Lotus stand dressed in its original stunt ‘costume’. Yes, the Exige S will don its special effect bullet holes and war-wounded body panels once again exclusively for the Goodwood audience.
The Exige S can be seen in ‘RED 2’ in cinemas internationally from 18th July (UK release 2nd August), but if you simply can’t wait to see Lotus Chief Engineer of Test and Development, Matthew Becker drive the Exige S in complex stunt sequences performing handbrake turns, high speed chases and some pretty full on braking then check out the trailer online: The scenes are high octane with a truly British feel, which echo the Lotus spirit and sit well remarkably well with the FoS philosophy too!
Don’t Miss…
Lotus will be showcasing the Evora S Sports Racer in the Supercar Paddock throughout the Goodwood Festival of Speed with The Exige S Roadster in the ‘First Glance’ exhibition. Both Lotus cars will run twice daily in the legendary ‘Goodwood Hillclimb’. Don’t miss this truly amazing spectacle!
Brimming with innovation, technology, performance and power, the Lotus Evora 414E technology demonstrator shows some of the headline technologies that Lotus Engineering, one of the world’ s leading automotive engineering consultancies has developed. The Evora 414E will be on display in the ‘FoS Tech’ exhibition.
Back on the Lotus stand, Lotus Originals will be open for business throughout the weekend with a selection of Lotus Originals luxury apparel, luggage, accessories, gifts and collectables as well as the Lotus F1® Team replica team wear in the iconic black and gold scheme.
Further Lotus Cars displays on the main stand include:
- · Evora S Sports Racer
- · Elise S Club Racer
- · Elise 1.6
- · Exige S Roadster
- · Exige S Coupe
- · Exige V6 Cup
- · Evora GT4
- · F1® Show car in 2013 ‘Kimi’ livery
Romain Grosjean will be on the Lotus stand for an open Q&A session and to sign autographs for fans on the following basis:
Saturday 15.30 hrs Hosted by F1® Commentator David Croft
Sunday 16.00 hrs Hosted by F1® Commentator Jonathan Legard