Lotus Sprints to New Weight Savings

Group Lotus plc says it has shaved 90 lbs from its Elise sports car with the 1,760-lb (dry weight) Sprint variant that is due this spring.

About half of the weight savings comes from reductions in the lithium-ion battery pack (19 lbs), carbon race seats (13 lbs) and forged alloy wheels (11 lbs). The Sprint also benefits from the use of carbon fiber in the engine cover, roll-hoop cover and access panel and a polycarbonate rear window.

The overall Elise lineup gets a redesigned front-end panel with wider radiator apertures and a mesh grille that account for another 19 lbs of savings. Optional two-piece brake discs save nearly 9 lbs.

Two Toyota-derived four-cylinder engines—a naturally aspirated 1.6-liter unit and a supercharged 1.8-liter mill—will continued to be offered throughout the Elise lineup. A new exhaust system debuts with the larger engine.

The engines are mated with a 6-speed manual transmission with a new “open-gate” gear shifter. Lotus says the design provides a more direct shift feel and reduces weight by about 2 lbs.

The suspension features a double wishbone design front and rear with high-performance Bilstein gas dampers and Eibach coaxial coil springs. The brakes get AP Racing twin-piston front calipers and Brembo single-piston rear calipers.