Lotus 2-Eleven 2008 Review

Launched: Lotus 2-Eleven

The track-only Lotus 2-Eleven would probably not have ever happened in a different era, before social vigilantes, speed cameras, and higher traffic densities turned the pleasant act of motoring into a form of torture.

But today, when exceeding speed limits designed for the lowest common denominator can routinely put your driver's licence and bank account at risk, a swift toy for leisure or more serious racetrack use seems an appealing proposition.

Choices include buying a tough-as-teak Porsche, which may or may not double as an occasional road car, or a Lotus Exige S with tens of thousands thrown at it to make it go really fast.

Or you could just bite the bullet, write a cheque for $127,500, and you'd have your own purpose-built, track-day or tarmac-rally warrior.

The 2-Eleven is the fastest production Lotus ever, and follows Colin Chapman's simple minimalism credo that low weight equals performance. The lightweight (40kg) composite Elise/Exige aluminium chassis is a great starting point, and external panels are bolted on for easy removal and access to the naked mechanicals.

With adjustable rear wing, carbonfibre front splitter, adjustable ride height and dampers, and the absence of all but a token windscreen, the wedge-shaped Lotus looks the part.

Like the Exige S, the 2-Eleven is powered by a standard (and durable) Toyota Celica-sourced 1.8-litre twin-cam engine with supercharger boosted to seven psi, regulation radiator and thicker intercooler. An Accusump oil accumulator is also provided, giving an extra margin of protection against engine damage caused by big G loads and loss of oil pressure.

The result is 188kW at 8000rpm and 242Nm at 7000rpm. These numbers may not sound shattering in isolation, but there's plenty of urge from as low as 3000 revs, and with the machine tipping the scales at just 745kg, the 252kW/tonne power-to-weight number suggests very handy speed and agility. The engine can also take more boost - up around 9 or 10psi, which hikes the grunt to circa 215kW.

In any case, the 2-Eleven is 20 percent lighter than the Exige S, yet has 16 percent more power and 13 percent more torque.

And so it is that these paper impressions translate into a real-world jigger that brings big thrills and deep satisfaction to the enthusiast driver.

For starters, it is not difficult to drive quickly, such are the ease of clutch and (Toyota close-ratio six-speed) gearbox, and the rather superbly sorted chassis, standard semi-slick Yoko AO48Rs and helpful aerodynamics. This Lotus gets the Exige road suspension with some tweaks, including adjustable (Öhlins) dampers and front anti-roll bar. It neither has, nor needs, a limited-slip differential.

It seems fast; is fast, but feels so planted. So assuredly does it stick, with pleasant balance - better than the grippy Exige S, for instance - that even under severe provocation, it does nothing unseemly. One imagines that it would take someone uniquely incompetent to drift it into peril.

The unassisted steering never challenges muscles - you steer it like a surgeon, with unerring accuracy. Brutalise it, though, and it won't bite back, even with its traction control system turned off.

Lap times at Oran Park in the 1m 17s bracket are an indication of the 2-Eleven's searing pace. Yet they don't convey the fun element; nor the soundtrack. There's a lovely crackle and burble on lift-off and downshifts to accompany the ultra-distilled lesson in going, stopping and turning.

The linear power delivery disguises the 2-Eleven's lively tempo; only the buffeting is a reminder of the car's big numbers on Oran Park's main straight.

The non-servoed brakes, with AP Racing four-piston calipers on the front and Brembo calipers on the rear, let you run into corners before nailing the pedal at almost insanely short stopping distances. The package also includes silicone brake fluid, stainless-steel braided lines and Lotus-tuned anti-lock system, which is set up for competition, and activated only when the driver gets desperate.

Inside, it's even more Spartan and racy than the Elise/Exige. No carpets, no wipers, no storage, no doors. Just a wheel, a stumpy gear lever, key gauges and alloy pedals and footrest.

So pray for fine weather, plant your backside into those racing buckets from the Exige, hit the trendy starter button, and let the thrills begin.

PREFERRED PLAYGROUNDS
So where can you drive a 2-Eleven? Not on the road, for starters, though it does have headlights. It's road registrable in the UK, but here it has to be crash tested first. Lap dashes and track-hire days are its raison d'etre, and a permit can be obtained for tarmac rallies such as the Mt Buller Sprint.

There is no sign of it being eligible for any CAMS-supported race series until 2012, as the controlling body demands a minimum production of 500 to qualify. However, the rival AASA has given the 2-Eleven the green light to race in events such as the Pirelli Gran Turismo championship.