Lotus Elise Cup 250, The Pocket Rocket

Lotus created the fastest Elise ever.

Throughout my automotive career, I have been privileged to drive many cars. The usual favorites include in Audi R8, a Ferrari 458, or a Porsche 911. While they are all devastating on open road, there is one car that does it for me, the Lotus Elise.

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Why is it the Lotus Elise? Unlike other luxury cars and supercars, Lotus vehicles provide the most tactile feel for a driver to date. The manual steering rack allows all feedback to reach the fingertips. The lightweight aluminum chassis allows every bit of road feel to enter the driver seat. The vibration from the manual transmission gives an indication of just how high the revs are, without needing to look at the tachometer. Even with a low horsepower rating, it’s known for being a giant killer with its’ sub-2,100 pound weight.

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Lotus took things to the next level and reduced the weight to an estimated 2,050 pounds, while adding another 26 horsepower. With a 261 horsepower-per-ton ratio, it has an estimated 0-60 time of 3.9 seconds with a top speed approaching 154 miles per hour.

"Jean-Marc Gales, CEO of Group Lotus plc, commented, “The Lotus Elise has long set the benchmark in its class, yet we’ve been able to hone its straight-line performance and handling. Yes, it is capable of amazing things on a track, but it also retains its road manners and is perfectly composed for day-to-day driving. No rival offers this level of performance and accessibility.”"

The latest Elise is available as a hardtop model or as a roadster. Purists that want to reduce weight even further can spec out the Carbon Aero Pack, which lowers the weight to an estimated 2,030 pounds altogether.

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Next: 2017 GMC Acadia Adds More Features At A Lower Cost

The lightweight package with more power just enhances its’ giant-killing performance.

My favorite car, just got better.

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