Introducing the Lotus 3-Eleven

Heralding a new generation of Lotus high performance sports cars, today saw the unveiling of the company’s quickest and most expensive series production car ever, the 3-Eleven, at the 2015 Goodwood Festival of Speed.

311 Goodwood launch

Designed as an uncompromised manifestation of the Lotus spirit, the new car is focused on providing an undiluted driving experience, and underlines the company’s ability to deliver legendary handling and blistering speed.

Working on the concept of less is more, and keeping close to Lotus’ track roots, the dramatic new vehicle features an all-new lightweight body, with an open cockpit design and a revised V6 supercharged engine developing 450 hp.

Two variations of the Lotus 3-Eleven will be available: Road and Race; both delivering an impressive combination of high 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 0-60 mph in less than 3.0 seconds before reaching a maximum speed of 174 mph (280 km/h) for the Race version and 180 mph (290 km/h) for the Road version

Jean-Marc Gales Goodwood 311

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, “This new car is a giant slayer, capable of embarrassing far more expensive rivals. 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 just 311 vehicles in total.

Prices start at £82,000 for the Road version (including VAT and on the road costs) and £96,000 excluding VAT for the Race version (£115,200 including VAT).

Performance
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 motorsport.

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 the vehicle’s handling characteristics.

Powertrain
The new Lotus 3-Eleven is powered by 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 450hp (456 PS / 336 kW) at 7000 rpm and torque has increased to 450 Nm / 332 lbs ft with maximum torque available from 3500 rpm through to 6500 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
Designed to cope with the 3-Eleven’s potential, lightweight forged Aluminium wheels are fitted as standard on the 3-Eleven, with either Michelin Pilot Super Sport or Michelin Cup 2 tyres depending on if it’s in Road or Race configuration.

Lotus 311 wheel

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 calipers 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
Manufactured from very light weight composite materials, optimizing 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, and an example of Lotus’ focus on utilising pioneering new technology and lightweight materials in its vehicles. The choice of material technology has allowed extreme vehicle performance targets to be met, and help realise the 3-Eleven’s dynamic styling.

Lotus 311 front

Undeniably a track car, the 3-Eleven’s aggressive stance leaves no doubt of its intentions. The dramatically sculpted body perfectly balances the technical efficiency of a track car with the surface refinement of a road-going supercar. 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 much 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 motorsport safety standards.

Lotus 311 rear

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 minimize back pressure and enhance engine performance.

Interior Design
Fitted with the standard aeroscreen and the optional passenger seat, a passenger can be easily accommodated in the two seater. However, these can be removed and the optional tonneau panel fitted – to envelope the driver and improve overall aerodynamics.

Lotus 311 Interior

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.

Manufacturing

Hand built in Hethel, England
The Lotus 3-Eleven will be hand made by the highly skilled craftsmen and women at the Lotus Headquarters in Hethel, alongside the rest of the Lotus sports car range, supported by Lotus Motorsport technicians. All 3-Elevens will then be finished in Lotus Motorsport’s dedicated workshops prior to delivery.

For more information on the Lotus 3-eleven please visit: http://www.lotuscars.com/3eleven/

GGLC Autox Saturday July 11th is open for registration

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 2015 Golden Gate Lotus Club Autocross season!

The 5th event of the season is now open for registration for GGLC members at MotorsportReg

Registration is limited to club members for the first week. Non-members will be able to register next week. The entry fee is $65 for GGLC members and $75 for non-members. First time autox’ers (first time at a GGLC event) are eligible for a $10 discount, so invite your friends along too.

This season we have 8 classes that you can participate in. Please read over the details on the club autocross page.

For Lotus Elise/Exige/Evora drivers, please choose your class that you want to participate in and also use the classification tool to calculate your index points. For non-Lotus cars, please use the appropriate SCCA class.

Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about this year’s events or any other autox topic.

You can like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GoldenGateLotusClub and check out our event videos (you might see yourself) at http://www.youtube.com/goldengatelotusclub

Expansion and co-location for Lotus in the USA

The introduction of the Lotus Evora 400, as a 2017 North American Model Year, marks the start of a fresh period in Lotus’ presence in this vital market. The previous model Evora already received positive acclaim from media, customers and dealers alike and reaffirmed Lotus as the maker of some of the finest, purest, most lightweight and most efficient sports cars sold today.

Jean-Marc Gales, Chief Executive Officer, Group Lotus plc, explains: “The Lotus Evora 400 combines high performance with the legendary Lotus benchmark handling. It is lighter, more efficient and dynamically better than ever. It is the perfect high performance machine for those discerning buyers seeking a hand built British-built sports car that possesses a purer driving experience, greater agility and a more involving drive.”

To coincide with the introduction of the Lotus Evora 400 into the North American market, the company has expanded its dealer network to 47 outlets, with the introduction of four new dealers in both West Covina and Thermal (in California), Scottsdale (Arizona) and Calgary (Alberta), with exciting growth planned for the near future.

In addition, and in the most significant change in Lotus’ presence in the USA for many years, Lotus Cars USA. Inc, (LCU), based currently in Lawrenceville, Georgia, will co-locate to Lotus Engineering. Inc, (LEI) in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the heart of the US motor industry. This will ensure that both divisions can grow their individual operations, while benefiting from improved efficiency through sharing a number of business functions. This co-location is expected to be completed by the end of July 2015.

Jean-Marc Gales continued: “North America, as the largest sports car market in the world, is important for Lotus, both for model sales and for our engineering consultancy business. By having both of our USA organisations located in Michigan, we shall be within the heartland of the USA automotive sector, where the headquarters of some of the most important, influential and significant automotive manufacturers and suppliers are based. This will reaffirm our presence in the North American market, by providing improved customer service, better technical and consultancy support, while ensuring that we have access to a skills base not found anywhere else in the territory. All of this fits with Lotus developing speedily in North America in years to come.”

The Lotus Evora 400, unveiled at the Geneva Show in March 2015, has already generated excitement worldwide. With 400 hp, an acceleration to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds and a maximum speed of 186mph, the Lotus Evora 400 is six seconds quicker around the company’s Hethel test track than the previous Evora S.

Crows Landing Autocross Registration is open (20-Jun-15)

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 2015 Golden Gate Lotus Club Autocross season!

The 4th event of the season is now open for registration for GGLC members via MotorsportReg

Please note that this event will be held at Crows Landing, not our usual Marina airport site.

Registration is limited to club members for the first week. Non-members will be able to register next week. The entry fee is $65 for GGLC members and $75 for non-members. First time autox’ers (first time at a GGLC event) are eligible for a $10 discount, so invite your friends along too.

This season we have 8 classes that you can participate in. Please read over the details on the club autocross page.

For Lotus Elise/Exige/Evora drivers, please choose your class that you want to participate in and also use the classification tool to calculate your index points. For non-Lotus cars, please use the appropriate SCCA class.

Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about this year’s events or any other autox topic.

You can like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GoldenGateLotusClub and check out our event videos (you might see yourself) at http://www.youtube.com/goldengatelotusclub

Thunderhill West July 6

After a hugely successful 5 mile track outing, your friends at the GGLC have rented the new 2-mile course at Thunderhill West for Monday July 6. Come celebrate our nation’s birthday with speed and style on the twisty course. We will run our usual format with Beginners and Novices grouped in the same session, and Intermediate and Advanced drivers in their own sessions. Beginner drivers (zero days experience) will have a coach assigned to them. Intermediate drivers should have a minimum 10 track days experience or equivalent.

Price for this event is $165 for members and $185 for non-members and includes lunch provided by the Thunderhill Grill. You can get an additional $10 off if you run a GGLC Trackdays sticker on your car promise to leave it there until your next GGLC event. Stickers will be available at the event. Membership can be purchased at the time of registration for $25. Cancellations by June 22 will receive full money back. Cancellations after June 22 will receive a raincheck only if this event breaks-even financially. Go to gglotus.motorsportreg.com to sign up.