Fastest Street-Legal Lotus Sports Car Unveiled

The final iteration of the Lotus 3-Eleven 430 has retaken the title as the automaker’s quickest street-legal sports car.

The new 3-Eleven 430 is the fastest Lotus road car to lap the Hethel circuit, 0.8 seconds quicker than the second-place Exige Cup 430 and two seconds quicker than the previous 3-Eleven, delivering a benchmark time of 1 minute, 24 seconds.

Upgraded for the 3-Eleven, the supercharged and charge-cooled 3.5L V-6 produces 430 hp and 325 lb.-ft. (440 Nm) of torque, propelling the sports car from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 3.1 seconds.

It has a top speed of 180 mph (290 km/h), up from 174 mph (280 km/h) achieved by the previous version of the Lotus 3-Eleven.

The 3-Eleven 430 has a lightweight carbon-composite body and a bespoke extruded and bonded aluminum chassis. Sculpted, partly exposed carbon-fiber side panels and carbon-fiber interior panels all contribute to the car’s light weight.

Lotus CEO Jean-Marc Gales says as the company enters its 70th year, the new 3-Eleven 430 celebrates a legacy of pure performance.

“When we first unveiled the Lotus 3-Eleven, it heralded a new generation of truly focused, world-class sports cars,” he says in a statement. “It altered perceptions of what was possible at this price category, and today the new 3-Eleven 430 moves the benchmark to remain the ultimate weapon in focused road driving and track work.”

Gales says as production winds down this final evolution of the 3-Eleven raises the bar beyond the reach of aspiring rivals.

“Packing more power than before, thanks to the development of Lotus’ signature supercharged V-6 engine, it’s a suitable send-off for such a respected and highly capable sports car,” he says.

The final limited edition will see only 20 units built, and they are priced at £102,000 ($142,600).