Lotus premiered today the new 3-Eleven at the 2015 Goodwood Festival of Speed. The Lotus 3-Eleven is going to be offered in two versions, a track-only model and a road-legal one. Both of them are powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine developed by Toyota, which delivers 450 bhp at 7,000 rpm and 450 Nm of torque at 3,500 rpm. Apparently, this is an evolution of the engine found in the Lotus Evora 400. The road-going version of the Lotus 3-Eleven is equipped with a six-speed manual transmission with a racing clutch, while the race-spec model comes with an Xtrac 6-speed sequential gearbox. Both versions feature a Torsen limited-slip differential. Both versions of the Lotus 3-Eleven are built on a aluminum monocoque hub chassis with a roll cage. The track-only model features additional safety bars in order to comply with the FIA regulations.
The body of the 3-Eleven is made of a newly developed composite material. Lotus did not disclose any details regarding this new material, except the fact that it is 40% lighter than fiberglass. This is the first time this new material is used in a production vehicle. Lotus says that the 3-Eleven's body is able to generate as much as 215 kg of downforce at 150 mph. Thanks to the lightweight materials used for its construction, the Lotus 3-Eleven weighs just 900 kg. This enables it to accelerate from zero to 60 mph in less than 3 seconds and to reach a top speed of 180 mph. The race version tops at 174 mph.
The 3-Eleven features the typical Spartan Lotus interior. It includes one sport bucket seat, a single TFT screen, a quick-release steering wheel and a 4-point harness. What else would you need? Optionally, you can equip your Lotus 3-Eleven with a tonneau panel to cover the passenger side.
Both versions of the Lotus 3-Eleven come with an independent suspension, with double wishbones, Ohlins dampers and an adjustable roll-bar. The car comes with 18-inch front and 19-inch rear wheels and Michelin Cup tires. To stop the 3-Eleven you will use AP Racing brakes with 4-piston calipers.
Lotus plans to build just 311 units of the 3-Eleven, which is going to enter production in February next year. The Lotus 3-Eleven's price list starts at £82,000 GBP for the road-legal model. The race version is going to cost you at least £115,200 GBP.
