Lotus Sport reveal 270hp 2-Eleven GT4 Supersport racer: KTM Xbow has new competition!

[EJ25RUN]

Autoblog....

In 2007, Lotus released the 2-Eleven track car for customers who wanted an affordable club racer for their weekend fun time. Now the gang at Lotus Sport, the motorsports and tuning arm of the English sports car maker, has created an even more ferocious 2-Eleven, dubbed the GT4 Supersport. As the name implies, this one is designed to conform to the SRO GT4 Supersport technical rules. The modified body work is accompanied by more power, a sequential gearbox and full roll cage. The GT4 gets an extra 15 horsepower taking it to 270 with 181 lb-ft of torque. Power is put down to the ground through a new 6-speed sequential gearbox with a fore-aft shift lever. Lotus has also tied the gear position and shift indicator into the engine management system to manage torque output during shifts. Racers can upshift without lifting their foot while the engine automatically blips the throttle for downshifts. Lotus is only planning to build 10 cars initially for delivery in March 2009. This professional race car will run £78,255, although Lotus says some of the changes can be applied to existing cars for those looking to improve performance.

2009 eligable GT4 Competitors.

Vehicles
GT4 class cars are mostly what can be referred to as track day cars, which are factory-built race cars available to the public. However, custom-built cars based on production models can also be built by teams. All cars are test driven by the FIA and then modified so that they all have near identical performance levels. Once a car has been approved by the FIA, it cannot be modified by the teams, eliminating continual development costs for constructors. All cars run on regulated Pirelli tires to further equalize performance.

The following cars are currently approved for GT4:

Aston Martin V8 Vantage N24
BMW Z4 Coupe
Chevrolet Corvette C6
Ford Mustang FR500C
Lotus Sport Exige
Maserati Trofeo Light
Nissan 350Z
Opel GT
Porsche Cayman
In 2008, a Sports Light category was introduced for smaller, lighter cars:

Donkervoort D8GT
Gillet Vertigo
KTM X-Bow
Lotus 2-Eleven

[Echonova]

I want to make love to it.

Could ya'll give us a minute alone?

[Thighs]

hold on while i find windex and clean the skeet off my monitor...

[Elbow]

I want one.

[dazn]

very kul.

man, the stuff I could tell you about lotuses and elises........
but i cant.......
but not for long. march...12 hour....

[DrivenMind]

Lotus always does it right.

[Oz10]

Although I am a huge KTM fan, the oxbow didn't deliver how it could have, especially in aerodynamics.

This car looks better and I'm sure it performs better in comparison. I'm looking forward to seeing videos of it in action.

[VooDooXII]

While I think these things are awesome...honestly Lotus, how many versions of the same car can you release?

[Atlblkz06]

Very nice - I like how they call it affordable.

An affordable car with a sequential transmission? RIGHT!

[EJ25RUN]

I just want to remind everyone how this idea works. Don't start thinking "is that the best they can do." Because it is not. Lotus built this car with the FIA GT4 regulations in mind and were forced to build a car that would make for competitive racing. That means not blow away the competition.

While I think these things are awesome...honestly Lotus, how many versions of the same car can you release?

I belive this model more than any other is proof of how versitile the design is. I't would be a stretch to call it luxery but a standard Elise vs this full blown track version is a huge difference when you consoder how closely related they actually are.

I rather like the idea of a topless car from Lotus since they don't make the 7 anymore and the Donkervoort D8GT, a car Lotus will have to race, is one of the new age Lotus 7 evolution. Just 55 years worth of evolution.

[Mike Lowrey]

Love it. Want one.


Now, if they make a race version of the Evora.....