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Lotus 3-Eleven
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Lotus 3-Eleven debuts
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28th June, 2015
- Quickest production Lotus road car ever
- All-new lightweight composite body
This week-end saw the unveiling of the company’s quickest and most expensive series production car ever, the 3-Eleven,
at England's Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Working on the concept of less is more, the new vehicle features an all-new lightweight body, with an open cockpit
design and a revised V6 supercharged engine developing 336 kW.
Two variations of the Lotus 3-Eleven will be available: Road and Race; both delivering a combination of performance,
agility and precision. Based on the Road version, the Race includes a more aggressive aero kit, a sequential gearbox and
an FIA approved driver’s seat with a six-point harness.
With a dry weight of below 900 kg (Race version), the 3-Eleven offers an enviable power to weight ratio, in excess of
500 hp per tonne, and is capable of sprinting from 0-100 km/h in less than 3.0 seconds before reaching a maximum speed of
280 km/h for the Race version and 290 km/h for the Road version.
Speaking at Goodwood, Jean-Marc Gales, Chief Executive Officer for Group Lotus plc, stated, "We always say that to
make a sports car better, you make it faster and lighter. The new Lotus 3-Eleven carries that philosophy to a new level,
and is perfectly in keeping with our brand values.”
Jean-Marc Gales continued, “It condenses our engineering know-how into one, hard-core package, and is so focused
that it won’t suit everyone. This is a perfect demonstration of the faster and lighter concept, something which will be
crucial to all Lotus cars in the future.”
The new Lotus 3-Eleven will enter production in February 2016 and deliveries will commence in April 2016. Production
will be limited to 311 vehicles in total.
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The Lotus 3-Eleven in more detail:
Performance
- Quickest Lotus production car ever, lapping the Hethel track in 1 min 22 secs
- Aerodynamic downforce of up to 215 kg at 240 km/h - Race version
The 3-Eleven utilises a bespoke chassis based on the proven Lotus design of extruded and bonded aluminium sections.
The Road roll-cage incorporates twin side bars for side impact protection, whilst the Race cage has additional bars to
meet international requirements for motor sport.
The Lotus 3-Eleven’s suspension features lightweight, double-wishbones front and rear, adjustable front anti-roll bar
and Eibach springs with Öhlins adjustable dampers. This allows owners to fine tune 3-Eleven’s handling characteristics.
Powertrain
- Supercharged and charge-cooled 3.5-litre V6 engine
- Limited Slip Differential as standard
The new Lotus 3-Eleven has a revised version of the 3.5-litre V6 engine (first shown in the Evora 400), which includes
a supercharger with integrated water-to-air charge cooler. Maximum power output has increased to 336kW/450hp at 7,000 rpm
and torque has increased to 450 Nm with maximum torque available from 3,500 rpm through to 6,500 rpm.
A close-ratio six-speed manual gearbox with a Torsen-type limited slip differential, featuring a performance clutch
assembly and oil cooler, come as standard on the Road version. The Race model has a 6-speed sequential transmission with
a semi-dry sump, oil cooler, limited slip differential and paddle shift.
Brakes and Tyres
- Lightweight forged aluminium wheels as standard
- AP Racing four-pot callipers
- Bosch ABS tuned by Lotus
Designed to cope with the 3-Eleven’s potential, lightweight forged aluminium wheels are fitted as standard on the
3-Eleven.
At the front 225/40 ZR18 tyres are standard, and to help transfer the 3-Eleven’s considerable power and torque to the
road, the rear tyres has been specified as 275/35 ZR19.
In order to deliver the stopping power required for such a quick car, AP Racing four-piston callipers are complemented
by two-part grooved and vented brake discs (332 mm front and rear). Upgraded brake pads are fitted to the Race version.
Exterior Design
- Lightweight body panels, using new resin infusion composite technology
- Dramatic silhouette underlines car’s performance-focused nature
Manufactured from very light weight composite materials, optimising vehicle weight, aerodynamic and structural
requirements, the 3-Eleven’s composite body is 40% lighter than the GRP equivalent.
This new process is a first for a production car. The choice of material technology has allowed extreme vehicle
performance targets to be met, and help realise the 3-Eleven’s dynamic styling.
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Undeniably a track car, the 3-Eleven’s stance leaves no doubt of its intentions. The sculpted body perfectly balances
the technical efficiency of a track car with the surface refinement of a road-going car. Form follows function, with a
minimised cross sectional area that keeps drag to a minimum while optimising cooling.
As an extreme design evolution of Lotus predecessors, the Lotus 3-Eleven’s new front clam shell incorporates larger
openings to deliver the necessary cooling for the powertrain and transmission. This helps give the vehicle a more
aggressive stance.
Two front splitter configurations are available, depending on whether the vehicle is configured for road or race use,
and the front arches are wide enough to cover the car’s wide track and the new 225/40 ZR18 tyres.
Dramatic side scallops provide a clean exit from the front wheels arches, and the car’s profile is dominated by an
aerodynamically significant roll bar cover. The car is without a windscreen and doors, with the roll bar fully enclosing
the rear cage. As well as generating downforce, the roll bar forms a vital part of the car’s homologation to
international motor sport safety standards.
The rear clamshell emphasises the aggressive stance of the car, with different fixed spoilers available, depending on
whether the vehicle is specified for road or race use.
The new rear diffuser and under-tray, which has been developed to ensure minimum drag, complements an exhaust system
designed specifically to minimise back pressure and enhance engine performance.
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Interior Design
- Focussed race interior
- New race spec colour TFT instrument cluster can be switched between road and track modes
Fitted with the standard aeroscreen and the optional passenger seat, a passenger can be accommodated in the two
seater. However, these can be removed and the optional tonneau panel fitted - to envelope the driver and improve overall
aerodynamics.
The new instrument cluster has been designed around a colour TFT screen, and can be switched between road and track
modes, providing relevant information direct to the driver.
A quick release steering wheel and Lotus sports seats with four-point harnesses are fitted as standard, while the Race
variant has the option of a data logger system, FIA approved driver’s race seat, and six-point harness - as well as a
fire extinguisher & battery kill switch.
Hand built in Hethel, England
The Lotus 3-Eleven will be hand made by workers at the Lotus Headquarters in Hethel, alongside other Lotus sports
cars. All 3-Elevens will then be finished in Lotus Motorsport’s dedicated workshops prior to delivery.
NOTE:
Specifications are subject to change without notice.
E&OE.
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