Lotus Elise 220 Cup:: most extreme road-going Elise yours from $119,990

Sitting between the $84,990 supercharged Elise S Club Racer and the track-only Elise S Cup R, the Lotus Elise 220 Cup becomes the most extreme road-going Lotus Elise money can buy.

First seen in Elise S Cup guise almost twelve months ago, the Elise 220 Cup tips the scales at 943kg – 19kg up on the race-only S Cup R – and claims to lap Lotus’ Hethel test track three seconds faster than a standard Elise S.

Again teaming a Toyota-sourced 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine with an Eaton supercharger and a close-ratio six-speed manual transmission, the 162kW 220 Cup claims a 225km/h top speed and combined cycle fuel economy of 7.5 litres per 100km.

Helped in part by an aggressive front splitter, rear diffuser and rear wing, Lotus says the Elise 220 Cup’s aerodynamics package is also able to produce up to 125kg of downforce at the car’s maximum velocity.

Topping off the race-car image are black alloy wheels and intake vents, and a black engine cover and fixed hardtop roof. An electronic differential lock (EDL) is also standard, along with a ‘Sport’ mode for the car’s Dynamic Performance Management stability control system (allowing for more slip angle in high performance driving situations).

Claimed by Lotus Australia chief operating officer Glen Sealey as offering “pure and distilled” driving, the local head stresses that with the 220 Cup, Lotus engineers took a racing car and made it road-legal, rather than taking a road car and making it like a racing car.

Although the built-to-order Lotus Elise 220 Cup starts $45,000 dearer than the entry-level 1.6-litre model, being the most expensive Elise on sale puts it $13,000 shy of the supercharged V6-powered Exige S. A tough call?

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