Lotus
3-Eleven
The all-new Lotus 3-Eleven which was revealed at the 2015 Goodwood
Festival of Speed is the quickest production Lotus road car ever produced.
The car is offered in two different versions, Road and Race, and both
vehicles have been developed by Lotus' motorsport division. The 3-Eleven
features a lightweight composite body which is wrapped tightly around
the contours of the vehicle. The track potential of the 3-Eleven is
apparent from every angle, from the large rear spoiler and x-brace
roll-over protection, to the cut down windscreen and integrated racing
tow hook.
Two front splitter configurations are available, depending on whether
the car is configured for road or race use, and the front arches are
wide enough to cover the car's wide track and the new 225/40 ZR18
tires. The Lotus 3-Eleven's front clam shell incorporates larger openings
than on other models to deliver the necessary cooling airflow for
the enhanced powertrain and transmission.
The engine chosen to power the new Lotus 3-Eleven is a supercharged
3.5 litre V6 (the same basic engine used in the Evora 400). However
for the 3-Eleven Lotus' engineers have managed to coax 450 horsepower
out of the unit. In the Road model, the engine is mated to a close-ratio
six-speed manual gearbox which a torsen-type limited slip differential.
In the Race version of the car, a paddle-shift 6-speed sequential
transmission with a semi-dry sump and oil cooler is fitted as standard.
The extruded and bonded aluminium chassis of the Lotus 3-Eleven features
lightweight double-wishbone suspension both front and rear, while
the springs come from Eibach and the adjustable dampers are courtesty
of Ohlins.
With a dry weight of below 1984 lbs (900 kg) (Race version), the 3-Eleven
offers a power to weight ratio, in excess of 500 hp per tonne, and
is capable of sprinting from 0-60 mph in less than 3.0 seconds before
reaching a maximum speed of 174 mph (280 km/h) for the Race version,
and 180 mph (290 km/h) for the Road version.
All that performance doesn't come cheap though. In fact the 3-Eleven
is Lotus' most expensive series production road car yet. Only 311
examples will be built, and prices for the Road model start at £82,000
($129,000), while the Race model comes in at £115,200 ($181,000).
| Year (of specifications) |
2015 |
| Engine |
3.5 litre V6 supercharged |
| Transmission |
6-speed, RWD |
| Max speed |
- |
| 0-60 mph |
3.0 seconds |
| Horsepower |
450 horsepower |
| weight |
900 kgs (1,984 lbs) |
|
