Friday 7th March 2008

Lotus 2-Eleven 'Base'

Thinking of a new track weapon- this could be it?

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Geneva car shown with optional carbon body panels

You may know the feeling of trim envy? Back in the day you would be quite happy with your 1.6 GL, and then your neighbour would smugly arrive in their 1.8 GLS instantly making you wish that you too had the tilt/slide sunroof or velour trim. But as you move up from family cars 'trim envy' becomes less important. Nowadays you want your sports car to be as light as possible- and you couldn’t care less if it came with a centre armrest or not.

When you are in the market for a track car, you care even less about trim and equipment, and this latest version of the Lotus 2-Eleven makes the point perfectly.

We first saw the 2-Eleven at the 2007 Geneva Motor Show when it impressed the motoring press and came with a launch price of £39,995. At the 2008 Geneva Show Lotus unveiled the new entry level 2-Eleven that comes to you for a quite reasonable £27,995.

The new version weighs in at 720kg and is powered by a naturally aspirated 189 bhp engine giving a 0-60 time of 4.3 seconds and going on to achieve a top speed of 140mph. However, although this is an entry level car, Lotus has given the buyer an extensive options list to choose from meaning (theoretically) that no two cars will be the same.

You can upgrade the engine to a supercharged unit developing 252 bhp that lowers the 0-60 time to 3.8 seconds and increases top speed to 150 mph. You will also receive an uprated fuel pump, rear mounted intercooler, motorsport clutch and a new ECU for your £4,495.

Perhaps you'd like to add the SVA option meaning you can drive to the track day, rather than take a trailer for £3,495? Unfortunately this is not available with the £1,995 aero pack as the adjustable carbon fibre rear wing, aluminium wing end plates and extended front splitter are for track use only.

If the customer prefers more of a track focus, then treat yourself to a track day pack at £1,495 which comes with rear fog lights, side mirrors and towing eyes amongst other amusing options such as indicator stalks.

It is a pleasure to be able to tell you about new Lotus cars so regularly, well done again to the Hethel team for creating such a great car.

We'll take ours as it comes please, just as Norfolk intended.

[Snake the Sniper]

Oh goody, another Lotus variant......
PS, could've done with a quick whirl through the grammar checker too!

[Tony*T3]

Can you spec the cup holder? We need to know.

[Boggy]

Sorry WTF are you talking about? Everyone has been asking for a car that date's back to the original S1 of around 700kg's, Lotus produce it and give you a list of option's to basically build your own individual car and people try to knock it?

Sorry but that is madness, Lotus are now moving in the right direction and their future is hopefully assured

Boggy

[theturbs]

Boggy said:

Sorry WTF are you talking about? Everyone has been asking for a car that date's back to the original S1 of around 700kg's, Lotus produce it and give you a list of option's to basically build your own individual car and people try to knock it?

Sorry but that is madness, Lotus are now moving in the right direction and their future is hopefully assured

Boggy

This is the way forward. Very glad that Lotus have brought out this bad boy.

[Gooby]

Boggy said:

Sorry WTF are you talking about? Everyone has been asking for a car that date's back to the original S1 of around 700kg's, Lotus produce it and give you a list of option's to basically build your own individual car and people try to knock it?

Sorry but that is madness, Lotus are now moving in the right direction and their future is hopefully assured

Boggy

Ding - seems there are some who always have to winge, even if they are given what they ask for...

[Snake the Sniper]

You've missed my point, I think, or more likely I've done a bad job of explaining. I always thought the 2-11 was meant to be an all out track weapon. So why should there be a lesser version? Or just about any other version for that matter? Before Lotus would make a car, realise they'd actually done quite a good job, and then give it more power. Now they make quite a good car, and take all the nice bits back off it! Just all seems ar$e about face. And there has been a new Elise or Exige with more power, different aero, new cup holder or something just about every week this year!

[Gooby]

Snake the Sniper said:

You've missed my point, I think, or more likely I've done a bad job of explaining. I always thought the 2-11 was meant to be an all out track weapon. So why should there be a lesser version? Or just about any other version for that matter? Before Lotus would make a car, realise they'd actually done quite a good job, and then give it more power. Now they make quite a good car, and take all the nice bits back off it! Just all seems ar$e about face. And there has been a new Elise or Exige with more power, different aero, new cup holder or something just about every week this year!

With a hand made car there is far more room for customisation that with average cars. They are giving you the option to have as much or as little in the car as you desire. Seems to be giving the customer exactly what they want, if you want nothing then take nothing. If you want the full monty supercharged monster with full aero pack then "have it your way". Different people have different stules and requirement for thier track weapon. Personally I would want to drive it to the track, many track drivers will be happy to trailer it to site and never touch a public road.

[Andy T]

Snake the Sniper said:

I always thought the 2-11 was meant to be an all out track weapon. So why should there be a lesser version?

Because it's cheaper! More people will ba able to afford it! Which is a good thing!

[Snake the Sniper]

Andy T said:

Snake the Sniper said:

I always thought the 2-11 was meant to be an all out track weapon. So why should there be a lesser version?

Because it's cheaper! More people will be able to afford it! Which is a good thing!

But for that price you'd just go out and buy a Radical or similar, surely?! Ok, I appreciate there are people out there quite happy to spank best part of £30k on a shiny new track toy, but if you have that much money to spend on it you'd surely have the extra money and want the SC one. How many of these things do Lotus actually intend on selling? Or will there be a race series, as there is for the Elise and so on?

[kelk]

I think this is a great idea. How many manufacturers can specifically built a tailored car to your own requirements with a starting price of <£30k?

I'm not on about a standard options list as long as your arm like a BMW where mass production on those kind of scales enables the choice or price allows the time to be taken to bespoke a car.

This to me is an excellent way forward for the Hethel boys - they can keep the "Well its not as light as the S1" boys happy - just are they hard core enough to buy one now? And it will bring new people into the Lotus fold as the customer gets the car they want.

The customer is always right (on car selection) - the new Lotus motto

Good on them

[Boggy]

kelk said:

I think this is a great idea. How many manufacturers can specifically built a tailored car to your own requirements with a starting price of <£30k?

I'm not on about a standard options list as long as your arm like a BMW where mass production on those kind of scales enables the choice or price allows the time to be taken to bespoke a car.

This to me is an excellent way forward for the Hethel boys - they can keep the "Well its not as light as the S1" boys happy - just are they hard core enough to buy one now? And it will bring new people into the Lotus fold as the customer gets the car they want.

The customer is always right (on car selection) - the new Lotus motto

Good on them

Bang on!

Boggy

[LukeBird]

Hmmm insurance @ 20 and practicalities of commuting?
Good idea, bad idea, good idea, bad.....

[theRossatron]

kelk said:

This to me is an excellent way forward for the Hethel boys - they can keep the "Well its not as light as the S1" boys happy - just are they hard core enough to buy one now?

I 2nd that! Tiring of hearing the moans about the Elises being too heavy and too civilised but when presented with what they want, we hear moans about it having no doors, no roof, no heater....

Edited by theRossatron on Friday 7th March 12:06

[annodomini2]

Snake the Sniper said:

Andy T said:

Snake the Sniper said:

I always thought the 2-11 was meant to be an all out track weapon. So why should there be a lesser version?

Because it's cheaper! More people will be able to afford it! Which is a good thing!

But for that price you'd just go out and buy a Radical or similar, surely?! Ok, I appreciate there are people out there quite happy to spank best part of £30k on a shiny new track toy, but if you have that much money to spend on it you'd surely have the extra money and want the SC one. How many of these things do Lotus actually intend on selling? Or will there be a race series, as there is for the Elise and so on?

Exactly for half the price that you can have a kit car (Built btw (probably a 1/3rd if you build it yourself)), track and road ready, with 2/3rds the weight and the same power output.

[DE1boy]

IF THE 2 SAUCE POTS COME AS PIT CREW I MAY INDULGE MYSELF.

[oagent]

DE1boy said:

IF THE 2 SAUCE POTS COME AS PIT CREW I MAY INDULGE MYSELF.

for an extra £5999 + vat im sure Lotus could spec it with saucy pit crew and a cup holder.

[BertBert]

Garlick said:

However, although this is an entry level car, Lotus has given the buyer an extensive options list to choose from meaning (theoretically) that no two cars will be the same.

anallyretentiveBert said:

erm technically speaking, with a base model and a finite set of options there is a finite non-zero probability that two cars will be the same.

aliteratejournalistshouldve said:

However, although this is an entry level car, Lotus has given the buyer an extensive options list to choose from meaning that with few people buying the new car, (theoretically) it is unlikely that any two cars will be the same.

[flattotheboards]

You migth as well go for the most track orientated version that there is, as it will be next to useless on our roads.

[TotalControl]

I think its a good design and production structure that is likely to work well. There will be a demand for this.

[Bibs_LEF]

I'm picking one of these up in a couple of weeks, I'll be sure to tell you all about it