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Lotus creates a special Elise Club Racer

Race ready: Just 10 Lotus Elise Club Racers are destined for Australia.

Retro colours and modern features combine in Lotus’ exclusive Elise Club Racer

5 February 2010

By TERRY MARTIN

LOTUS Cars Australia will release a special edition Elise Club Racer this month, which features new colour combinations and unique interior enhancements that boost its appeal but do not impinge on its famous ultra-lightweight performance.

With just 10 cars earmarked for Australia, Lotus has priced the exclusive roadster from $72,990 – just $3000 more than the Elise S upon which it is based – and advised that customers will be able to choose from four unique, retro exterior colour schemes the niche British sportscar firm used on the Elite and Elan in the 1960s: Elite Yellow, Carbon Grey, Sky Blue and Old English White.

The Club Racer is also recognisable from the road with its ‘CR’ badging and lightweight anthracite anodised six-spoke alloy wheels shod with Yokohama AD07 LTS tyres.

Inside, the exterior paintwork theme is carried over to the transmission tunnel and, combined with silver and black highlights, bisects the cockpit and “tie together the whole sporty theme unique to the Club Racer”.

The sports seats are clad with lightweight microfibre “comfort pads” that provide extra bolstering but keep the body-coloured seat shell partly exposed. The seat headrest also has a hand-embroidered Club Racer (CR) logo.

Other interior features include an anthracite anodised gearknob and handbrake sleeve, and unique anodised aluminium flooring in the footwells. The small 320mm diameter leather-clad steering wheel also has an on-centre marker.

As with the Elise S, the Club Racer tips the scales at just 860kg and uses the same 100kW/172Nm 1.8-litre mid-mounted inline-four engine that can propel the featherweight roadster from 0-100km/h in 6.1 seconds.

“Special editions of the award-winning Elise have always proved popular with our customers around the world, and I expect the Elise Club Racer to be no different,” said Lotus Cars director Luke Bennett.

“We have taken colour schemes from our past, used on the Elite and Elan in the 1960s, and cleverly brought them up to date with a modern feel to the interior.

“The whole design package is contemporary with a classic feel, which of course matches the peerless ride and handling of a Lotus and the convertible experience of the Elise perfectly.”