2008 Lotus Elise Sc - Liquid Blue (rare Color & Low Miles!) on 2040-cars

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NHTSA investigating Lotus Elise for oil leaks

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has received 17 complaints about an errant oil line in the Lotus Elise, and thus, has opened an investigation. The issue concerns the line on the front right cooler, which, having got loose, sprays oil either on the wheel or inside the engine bay.
This investigation pertains to around 4,400 of the little track-day wonders sold in the 2005 and 2006 model years. There have been no injuries, but one car did leave the road and catch on fire. A NHTSA investigation doesn't mean a full recall has been issued, just that your friends in the fed are looking into the matter.

Lotus Elise Cup 260 celebrates the automaker's 70th anniversary

Lotus rides the special edition train nearly as often as Jeep. When you only sell a few models, you need to make the most of what you have. Today, Lotus announced a new very-limited-edition variant, the Elise Cup 260. Just 30 examples will be built and, based on pricing, it doesn't look like it will be coming to America. Hey, the cars are likely all spoken for already. The Elise Cup 260 builds on the Cup 250 and takes influence from the Lotus Evora GT430 and Exige Cup 380. Lotus says this car is even lighter than the already pint-sized Cup 250. Downforce is the name of the game with the Cup 260. The car makes 397 pounds of downforce at 151 mph (44 percent better than the Cup 250), helping the car maneuver around a circuit with copious amounts of traction. The key components here are louvered front fenders, a carbon fiber front splitter and a carbon fiber rear wing that wouldn't look out of place on an FIA-spec GT car. All of the lightweight performance options from the Cup 250 are standard equipment on the Cup 260. The sill covers, roll hoop cover, front access panel and engine cover are all made of carbon fiber. It also uses a polycarbonate backlight glass to save more weight. The Cup 260 has two-piece rotors and two-way adjustable Nitron dampers at all four corners. Strangely, the Elise uses AP Racing calipers up front and a set of Brembo clamps out back. The Elise Cup 260 is powered by a supercharged 1.8-liter inline four making 250 horsepower and 188 pound feet of torque. In the right hands, the Lotus will hit 60 mph in just 3.8 seconds. Top speed is listed as 151 mph. Lotus' Hethel track is the true benchmark of any car to wear the green and yellow badge. On it, the Cup 260 is 2.5 seconds faster than the Cup 250. The exterior has been done up in gold and features a couple of wreaths meant to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Lotus' first car. The car comes standard with Alcantara upholstery, but if it were our money we'd spring for either the yellow or red Tartan trim pack. As befitting any Lotus, weight savings was first and foremost. Things like air conditioning, carpeting and sound deadening material are all optional extras. Pricing has only been announced for Europe, but the UK base price converts to roughly $77,800. Not cheap, but few if any cars provide the pure, unadulterated driving experience of a Lotus. Related Video:

Lotus C-01 motorcycle rumored to get 200-hp V-twin engine

Back in June, Lotus announced it was getting into the motorcycle business. Or, we should say, Kodewa and the Holzer Group are getting into the motorcycle business, and have acquired the rights to use the Lotus name. One way or another, we're now receiving word on some of the specs we can expect from the prototype dubbed C-01.
The Lotus motorcycle is being designed by Daniel Simon, the automotive futurist who has penned, among other things, the light-cycles for Tron: Legacy and the livery on the LMP2 racer Kodewa also fields under the Lotus name. So you know it's going to look pretty awesome, but what will make it go?
According to Visor Down, the C-01 is being tested with a V-twin engine sourced from an undisclosed supplier that produces 170 horsepower in stock trim but has been tuned to produce nearly 200 hp in Lotus trim. A pair of prototypes - one with carbon-fiber bodywork and one without - have already undergone several thousand kilometers of testing, and are said to be handling "very well."