Lotus Elise Classic Heritage Edition

Apart from Ferrari and Williams, there is actually only one brand that can look back on a wealth of racing and, above all, Formula 1 history: Lotus. Even though the British brand hasn’t been racing in the premier league of motorsports for a few years now, fans still remember grandiose racing battles with drivers like Jim Clark, Emerson Fittipaldi, Elio de Angelis, Nigel Mansell or Ayrton Senna. Even the great and recently sadly deceased Sir Stirling Moss sat in Lotus sports cars such as the Type 18 on several occasions. Now four of the most famous color combinations from the company’s racing days are being revived in the Classic Heritage Edition based on the Lotus Elise Sport 220.

With a red paintwork including details in gold and white, the British remind of the Type 49B with which Graham Hill stirred up the Formula 1 World Championship in 1968. Black and gold was Lotus’s house paint scheme for a number of years, for example also on Emerson Fittipaldi’s Type 72D in 1972, with which he won five races. In blue, red and silver, Nigel Mansell, Elio de Angelis and Mario Andretti, among others, competed in Type 81 in 1980. Dark blue and white honours the Type 18 used 60 years ago with which Sir Stirling Moss won the Monaco Grand Prix. This was the first Formula 1 victory of Lotus.

The Lotus design team also designed the interior of the four variants of the Classic Heritage Edition to match the respective exterior paintwork. Standard equipment includes a DAB radio with four speakers, air conditioning, cruise control, black carpets with floor mats, ultra-light forged rims and two-piece brake discs. Each vehicle receives a numbered metal badge with the serial number of the 100 cars. The number of vehicles in each of the four versions depends on customer orders. In the UK, the Classic Heritage Edition of the Lotus Elise costs £ 46,250, making the special edition £ 6,350 more expensive than a standard Elise Sport 220, but offering optional extras worth £ 11,735. Optional extras are also available, for example a fibreglass hardtop, a lightweight lithium-ion battery and a titanium exhaust system.

Images: Lotus Cars