Lotus Clark Type 25 Elise SC for Europe

Is this the best looking Lotus Elise ever, or am I just a nostalgia buff with a penchant for British Racing Green? Unfortunately, this particular Elise, the Clark Type 25 Elise SC, won’t be making its way to the colonies – it’s a Europe only limited edition.

Built in limited numbers as a tribute to Jim Clark, the legendary racing driver who won the F1 World Championship for Lotus in 1963 and 1965, the Clark Type 25 is built by Lotus in association with Classic Team Lotus.

Initially limited to a run of just 25 cars (25 was the Type number of Jim’s 1963 Lotus F1 car and his number of F1 wins) and available only in the UK, Lotus has responded to demand on the continent, and confirmed a further 25 cars will be produced for European consumption. As with the UK cars, a donation from each sale is being made to the Jim Clark memorial fund.

The release of this limited edition coincides with the 40^th anniversary of Jim’s death at the Hockenheim racing circuit in 1968.

Mike Kimberley, CEO of Group Lotus Plc comments, “It is fitting that the latest version of our award winning Elise, the Clark Type 25 Elise SC, should celebrate the life of Jim Clark. Each owner of the Clark Type 25 Elise SC will be joining an unrivalled heritage that recognises motorsport’s greatest partnership, that of Lotus and Jim Clark.”

The Clark Type 25 Elise SC takes a number of styling cues from the Type 25 Formula 1 car that Jim Clark raced to win the World Championship in 1963. Featuring a removable hard top as standard, it is finished in British Racing Green with a yellow stripe. The Lotus Sport wheels are finished in an historic black and silver design.

The interior is inspired by the Team Lotus Formula 1 cars of the era, with black leather sports seats, trimmed with a dash of red leather. A retro wooden gear knob adds to the 60’s feel.

Power is care of the Elise’s 1.8 litre non-intercooled, supercharged engine, which combined with the Elise’s light weight provides spirited performance. The sprint from 0 - 100 km/h takes just 4.6 seconds, on the way to a top speed of 238 km/h. Combined-cycle fuel consumption is 8.5 L/100 km, while CO2 emissions are a lowly 202 g/km.

The Elise SC is also equipped with traction control, ABS and sequential shift lights, however Lotus point out that the driver aids are included to improve the driving experience, and have been calibrated to intervene only when really necessary.

Pricing for some mainland European Markets:

• Germany  € 53.375
• France  € 53.650
• Italy  € 54.300
• Belgium  € 54.175
• Holland  € 72.210
• Switzerland  CHF 78.950

Specifications:

• Elise SC
• Sports Pack
• Hard Top
• Unique Leather Interior
• Unique exterior in British Racing Green, with Painted Yellow Stripe.
• Unique Lotus Sport Forged Wheels 6 J x 16 Front, 7½ J x 17 Rear with
• YokohamaAO48 tyres
• Build Plate numbered 1 – 25 for Europe

Optional Equipment: (Pricing as per standard MY08 Elise options)

• Limited Slip Differential
• Air Conditioning