New entry-level Lotus 2-Eleven

Expert Rating:

What is it?

The 2-Eleven is the hardcore track cousin of the Elise. It's so focussed on being the lightest, sharpest Lotus you can buy that it does without a windscreen or doors. Even the passenger seat is an option, leaving it off the sales invoice saving you around 9kg in weight. Originally only offered with the 251bhp supercharged version of Toyota's 1.8-litre engine, this new entry-level model does without forced induction and hence has less power at 189bhp. That's still enough to accelerate this 720kg featherweight to 62mph in 4.5 seconds and keep up with cars costing ten times as much.

Is it any good?

As an antidote to the sanitised, safety-netted numb-feel of all but a handful of cars on the market the 2-Eleven is like nothing else. It makes even its Elise cousin feel a touch leaden in its responses. The steering is among the best you'll ever experience, with perfect weighting, sensational accuracy and the sort of telepathic response that every sports car should offer. Power from the 1.8-litre engine is more than adequate to pin you into the lightweight, hip-hugging sports seat with real conviction. There's a notable step up in that force when the rev-counter's needle passes 5,000rpm and the cam profile changes - the 2-Eleven pulling harder for longer when others would be running out of puff.

As with the steering, the feedback from the chassis is remarkable. For a pseudo road-racer the 2-Eleven is actually rather softly set up, the body movement allowing you to feel the forces loading up on the car. This allows you to reach for its high limits with real ease. Breach them and the 2-Eleven is surprisingly friendly and controllable; this is not a car that'll deliver up to a point and then bite you hard. There's a real beauty to the starkness of its design inside and out too, the 2-Eleven about as pure a driving experience as you could possibly ask for.

Should I call the bank manager?

Unless you've got the sort of bank balance that enables you to drop £32,440 on a toy then it's inevitable that you'll need to have a word with your bank manager. The naturally aspirated 2-Eleven might be cheaper than its supercharged relation, but it's still not exactly money down the back of the couch inexpensive. If you're only ever going to use it on track you can save £3,495 of the list price for all those bits and pieces that make it road legal, but losing the ability to drive it to and from tracks makes it half the car it should be - it's as much fun on the road as it is on track. As you pay off your loan and grow with your 2-Eleven you can add to it as much as you like; Lotus will even retro-fit a supercharger. We wouldn't bother though, as it's a sweet enough package without it.

Summary

The 2-Eleven might be a seriously focussed track refugee but it's a remarkably usable performance car on the road. Sure, there are huge compromises, but less than those of a fast motorbike. Nothing for the money will be able to keep up with it on road or track. A beautifully poised, precise and feelsome car that rewards on so many levels there's few better cars out there that deliver so much from so little.

Kyle Fortune