Just 100 Lotus Elise Classic Heritage Edition tribute models will be made. Each, with its vibrant color palette, pays tribute to the rich racing history fo the marque.
The cars will wear unique paint jobs and offer an enhanced exterior and interior spec over the Elise Sport 220 on which they’re based. The first is black and gold. Another red, gold, and white. There’s a blue, red, and silver model, as well as a blue and white car. Customer demand will signal how many of each will be made.
The cars all have a long list of standard features that are usually options on the Elise Sport 220 including DAB digital radio with four speakers, air conditioning, cruise control, ultra-lightweight forged alloy wheels with racing livery finish, two-piece disc brakes, and black carpet with floor mats.
The Elise interior colour pack is also now integrated as standard. The cars each have colored appointments that match the exterior paint colors.
Ema Forster, Head of Product Marketing, Lotus, said: “Motorsport success has been at the heart of the Lotus philosophy for more than seven decades, and the Elise is our iconic roadster known around the world for its exceptional ‘For The Drivers’ performance. What better way to celebrate than by bringing these two pillars of our brand together, launching four new Classic Heritage cars which fans will instantly recognize?”
Pricing for all four models is £46,250 (€47,848), £6,350 more than a standard Elise Sport 220. Buyers can choose to add a fiberglass hardtop roof, lightweight lithium-ion battery, and titanium lightweight exhaust to the vehicle, upping the cost.
The models are all on sale now, available internationally.
Lotus Elise Classic Heritage Edition: Black and Gold
Photo courtesy of Lotus Cars
The black and gold model references the livery on the Lotus Type 72D, driven by Emerson Fittipaldi.
Fittipaldi’s era on Team Lotus began with tragedy when Jochen Rindt was killed while racing his car at Monza. Just under a month later, Fittipaldi got behind the wheel of a Lotus as the team returned to racing winning the 1970 United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen and cementing his place in F1 lore forever.
Fittipaldi’s greatest success as a Lotus driver came when he was in the 72D model during the 1972 season. He won five of the 11 races that year and claimed the F1 Drivers’ Championship.
Lotus Elise Classic Heritage Edition: Black and Gold
Photo courtesy of Lotus Cars
The black and gold model references the livery on the Lotus Type 72D, driven by Emerson Fittipaldi.
Fittipaldi’s era on Team Lotus began with tragedy when Jochen Rindt was killed while racing his car at Monza. Just under a month later, Fittipaldi got behind the wheel of a Lotus as the team returned to racing winning the 1970 United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen and cementing his place in F1 lore forever.
Fittipaldi’s greatest success as a Lotus driver came when he was in the 72D model during the 1972 season. He won five of the 11 races that year and claimed the F1 Drivers’ Championship.
Lotus Elise Classic Heritage Edition: Black and Gold
Photo courtesy of Lotus Cars
The black and gold model references the livery on the Lotus Type 72D, driven by Emerson Fittipaldi.
Fittipaldi’s era on Team Lotus began with tragedy when Jochen Rindt was killed while racing his car at Monza. Just under a month later, Fittipaldi got behind the wheel of a Lotus as the team returned to racing winning the 1970 United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen and cementing his place in F1 lore forever.
Fittipaldi’s greatest success as a Lotus driver came when he was in the 72D model during the 1972 season. He won five of the 11 races that year and claimed the F1 Drivers’ Championship.
Lotus Elise Classic Heritage Edition: Red, White, and Gold
Photo courtesy of Lotus Cars
Graham Hill is the type of racing legend that makes you look at Lewis Hamilton’s record and yawn. Though he didn’t get his driver’s license until he was 24 years old, he won the Formula 1 World Championship twice. He is the only driver to ever win the Triple Crown of Motorsport – 24 Hours of Le Mans, Indianapolis 500, and the Monaco Grand Prix. His son and grandson were racers.
Hill joined the Lotus team, first as a mechanic, then as a race. He made his debut at the 1958 Monaco Grand Prix. He had a successful career for the next decade, culminating in his second World Championship in 1968 while piloting the Type 49B for Lotus. Hill sealed the victory in a model that sported a red, white, and gold paint job and was powered by a Cosworth V8 engine. This model is a tribute to that one.
Lotus Elise Classic Heritage Edition: Red, White, and Gold
Photo courtesy of Lotus Cars
Graham Hill is the type of racing legend that makes you look at Lewis Hamilton’s record and yawn. Though he didn’t get his driver’s license until he was 24 years old, he won the Formula 1 World Championship twice. He is the only driver to ever win the Triple Crown of Motorsport – 24 Hours of Le Mans, Indianapolis 500, and the Monaco Grand Prix. His son and grandson were racers.
Hill joined the Lotus team, first as a mechanic, then as a race. He made his debut at the 1958 Monaco Grand Prix. He had a successful career for the next decade, culminating in his second World Championship in 1968 while piloting the Type 49B for Lotus. Hill sealed the victory in a model that sported a red, white, and gold paint job and was powered by a Cosworth V8 engine. This model is a tribute to that one.
Lotus Elise Classic Heritage Edition: Red, White, and Gold
Photo courtesy of Lotus Cars
Graham Hill is the type of racing legend that makes you look at Lewis Hamilton’s record and yawn. Though he didn’t get his driver’s license until he was 24 years old, he won the Formula 1 World Championship twice. He is the only driver to ever win the Triple Crown of Motorsport – 24 Hours of Le Mans, Indianapolis 500, and the Monaco Grand Prix. His son and grandson were racers.
Hill joined the Lotus team, first as a mechanic, then as a race. He made his debut at the 1958 Monaco Grand Prix. He had a successful career for the next decade, culminating in his second World Championship in 1968 while piloting the Type 49B for Lotus. Hill sealed the victory in a model that sported a red, white, and gold paint job and was powered by a Cosworth V8 engine. This model is a tribute to that one.
Lotus Elise Classic Heritage Edition: Blue, Red, and Silver
Photo courtesy of Lotus Cars
This model is based on the Lotus Type 81 race car driven by Nigel Mansell, Elio de Angelis and Mario Andretti. Though the race car itself didn’t achieve much success, the trio represents some of the best racers of all time.
Nigel Mansell is the second-most successful British Formula 1 driver of all time, having won 31 races, putting him seventh on the all-time F1 wins list.
Elio de Angelis was considered as the replacement for Niki Lauda by Enzo Ferrari in 1977 but the job went to Gilles Villeneuve. His turn to hop behind the wheel of an F1 car would be two years later. He started his tenure with Lotus in 198 0 and racked up a fair amount of Grand Prix wins, but died just six years later in a racing accident.
Mario Andretti is one of the most successful American racers of all time. He has won races in Formula 1, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship, and NASCAR series as well as midget cars and sprint cars.
Lotus Elise Classic Heritage Edition: Blue, Red, and Silver
Photo courtesy of Lotus Cars
This model is based on the Lotus Type 81 race car driven by Nigel Mansell, Elio de Angelis and Mario Andretti. Though the race car itself didn’t achieve much success, the trio represents some of the best racers of all time.
Nigel Mansell is the second-most successful British Formula 1 driver of all time, having won 31 races, putting him seventh on the all-time F1 wins list.
Elio de Angelis was considered as the replacement for Niki Lauda by Enzo Ferrari in 1977 but the job went to Gilles Villeneuve. His turn to hop behind the wheel of an F1 car would be two years later. He started his tenure with Lotus in 198 0 and racked up a fair amount of Grand Prix wins, but died just six years later in a racing accident.
Mario Andretti is one of the most successful American racers of all time. He has won races in Formula 1, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship, and NASCAR series as well as midget cars and sprint cars.
Lotus Elise Classic Heritage Edition: Blue, Red, and Silver
Photo courtesy of Lotus Cars
This model is based on the Lotus Type 81 race car driven by Nigel Mansell, Elio de Angelis and Mario Andretti. Though the race car itself didn’t achieve much success, the trio represents some of the best racers of all time.
Nigel Mansell is the second-most successful British Formula 1 driver of all time, having won 31 races, putting him seventh on the all-time F1 wins list.
Elio de Angelis was considered as the replacement for Niki Lauda by Enzo Ferrari in 1977 but the job went to Gilles Villeneuve. His turn to hop behind the wheel of an F1 car would be two years later. He started his tenure with Lotus in 198 0 and racked up a fair amount of Grand Prix wins, but died just six years later in a racing accident.
Mario Andretti is one of the most successful American racers of all time. He has won races in Formula 1, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship, and NASCAR series as well as midget cars and sprint cars.
Lotus Elise Classic Heritage Edition: Blue and White
Photo courtesy of Lotus Cars
The fourth new Elise, is a tribute to the Lotus Type 18 design from 1960. It was 60 years ago that late racer Stirling Moss piloted that model to the Formula 1 pole position at the Monaco Grad Prix, the first for a Lotus.
He also won the United States Grand Prix that year at Riverside International Raceway in Riverside, California.
Lotus Elise Classic Heritage Edition: Blue and White
Photo courtesy of Lotus Cars
Lotus Elise Classic Heritage Edition: Blue and White
Photo courtesy of Lotus Cars
