The folks over at Autocar have confirmed that Lotus is collaborating with Abarth on their new mid-engined sports car project, which will be based upon the same extruded aluminium chassis of the third-generation Lotus Elise that’s due to drop sometime in 2010.

Weighing just 900kg and boasting some 179kW from its turbocharged direct-injection inline four, the Abarth roadster should be just the thing to put Fiat’s recently revived performance division back on the sports car map, and will sit at the top of the marque’s food chain above the Abarth Grande Punto and 500 SS.

With composite bodywork and it’s own unique styling, the as-yet-unnamed Abarth won’t just be a rebadged Elise. The engine is also uniquely Italian, and is reportedly a development of the Fiat Group’s “Multi-air” eco-friendly engine.

The Abarth roadster will enter the European market in 2011, approximately one year after the new Elise sees its debut. Aesthetics are still an unknown, however you can expect it to somewhat resemble the SS Concept shown above.

[Autocar]