Lotus reveals even lighter Elise Sprint

Lotus has resurrected its famous 'Sprint' name for a lighter version of its existing Elise roadster.

Said to weigh in a significant 41kg lighter than the standard car, the new Elise Sprint is claimed to have a kerb mass of just 798kg (dry).

The weight-saving comes from greater use of carbon-fibre and a redesigned front clamshell.

There's also a lighter polycarbonate rear screen, plus a lithium-ion battery and new forged alloy wheels.

The visible carbon-fibre parts include a pair of near-competition-ready seats, roll hoops and engine cover.

At the same time as adding lighter parts, the Elise's aero has also been tweaked.

Underneath, this has seen rubber elements added ahead of the front wheel arches that, combined with a modified rear diffuser, are said to reduce drag and increase high-speed stability.

Inside, the Elise gets the more hard-core Exige' s open-gate manual gear selector that said to save as much as 1kg.

As well as saving weight, the Elise's instrument panel has been revised and now claimed to be easier to read. A new infotainment system is also now an option.

Optional carbon-fibre sill covers save a further 0.8kg.

Still to be confirmed for Australia, the Sprint will in Europe be available with the option of either the naturally aspirated 99kW/160Nm 1.6-litre or the supercharged 1.8-litre that produces 160kW/250Nm.

The faster of the two Elise Sprints car now hit 60mph (97km/h) in just 4.1 seconds.

On sale this April in the UK, the new Elsise Sprint is expected on sale here towards the end of 2017.