Street-registered Lotus 2-Eleven on the market

By now, you’ve most likely seen the brand new Lotus Emira particular version inspired by Jim Clark. A really good factor it’s, too, with inexperienced paint and a crimson seat, nevertheless it isn’t onerous when introduced with a gentle Lotus limited-run sports activities automobile to surprise what a spicier one may be like. Simply think about a GT4 tribute Emira, with a racy bodykit, loud exhaust, mild wheels, and bucket seats. It appears like an open purpose for a Lotus sports activities automobile that drives in addition to it does – doubly so with the 718 GT4 now not in manufacturing. 

Hopefully, that’s a narrative for one more day. For now, it’s time to recollect the 2-Eleven, essentially the most excessive Lotus restricted version of the previous 20 years. Maybe of this century. That is what occurs if you take the concept of a stripped-out particular version and actually, actually run with it. Way back to 2005, there was a Lotus Circuit Automobile idea; by 2007, the 2-Eleven was an actual factor on the Geneva present, and it didn’t look very a lot completely different: as little Elise structure as might be received away with, ample supercharged energy, and unashamed monitor focus. 

Formally, the 2-Eleven picked up, many many years later, the place the unique Eleven had left off, one other little Lotus celebrated for enormous achievements with little or no weight. It additionally regarded like one thing of a non secular successor to the 340R, a correct little cage fighter of an Elise. The press critiques had been predictably rave for the brand new £40k Lotus, and seemingly sufficient went proper with the venture because it was adopted up just a few years later by the V6-engined 3-Eleven. 

The most cost effective means right into a 2-Eleven was to purchase the usual Observe Pack, full with one seat, no entrance lights, a hearth extinguisher, and a really critical aerokit. It isn’t clear how lots of the 356 examples of 2-Eleven Lotus made had been devoted circuit automobiles, but this one – construct quantity 071, from 2008 – isn’t one. Those that wished to may pay one other £1,100 again then for a UK SVA package, which homologated the 2-Eleven for street use with much less aggressive aero, a catalytic converter, and simply 4 factors for the harnesses relatively than six. Plus a passenger seat, for these mad sufficient to come back with you. 

Lavish, it was not. The SVA improve actually solely fitted the very naked minimal of components to qualify for quantity plates. It could have added just a few kilos to the 670kg claimed for the monitor automobile, however a 2-Eleven like that is nonetheless going to be unforgettably exhilarating to drive. Maybe even higher than it as soon as would have been, too, due to the fitment of three-way adjustable Ohlins dampers. 

This one has coated simply 4,000 miles in 18 years, which should make it one of many lowest mileage examples on the market. If ever there was a automobile for only one extra lap or reserving a while off for a mid-week monitor day, the 2-Eleven is it. However utilization has been sparing and seemingly thoughtful: there aren’t the blemishes you may anticipate from one thing so unashamedly targeted on onerous driving. The PPF, together with up the place driver and passenger clamber in, has been doing its work there.    

For £45k, it’s onerous to think about a lot else that’s going to thrill to the extent of a 2-Eleven. Perhaps carrying a helmet for each single drive may get tiresome, nevertheless it actually feels just like the highs of the driving expertise are going to massively outweigh any pitfalls. In any case, that is the last word evolution of the automobile voted by PHers as the most effective sports activities automobile since 1998 – it’s going to be superior. And never prone to be value any much less within the close to future, both. As a result of, as you might have observed, this isn’t the form of sports activities automobile Lotus makes proper now.