Celebrate 50 years of living in Norfolk with a Lotus Elise

Lotus likes a special edition, and the latest is here: the Elise 250, erm, Special Edition. Well, Lotus is usually at its best when it keeps things simple. Even names.

This Elise commemorates the 50 years that Lotus has called the market town of Hethel, Norfolk its home. Now, it’s not as evocative a headquarters as Bugatti’s Molsheim or Ferrari’s Maranello, but Hethel has earned its place in sports car history. In fact, the Elise was entirely conceived, designed and built in the East Anglian outpost. So an ultimate version is a fitting anniversary present.

Effectively, it’s an Elise 250 Cup, but cloaked in more carbon, available in only four colours (red, white yellow or this rather fetching blue) with more of its detailing picked out in silver.

Power comes from the familiar supercharged 1.8-litre motor, developing 243bhp and 184lb ft, which is enough to push the 899kg Special Edition to 62mph in 4.3 seconds and 154mph flat out. You get an electronic locking rear diff thrown in, along with not-very-Lotus goodies like cruise control, soundproofing and carpets. 

Only 50 Elise Special Editions will be made. You might imagine that for such exclusivity and acceleration that you’d need a Porsche 911 Carrera to match, you’d be asked to pay a hefty sum – and you’d be absolutely correct. 

It’s £47,900, which pitches it into battle against all sort of German and Italian competition. But hey, none of them can claim to be from the home of Britain’s oldest living hawthorn tree, can they?

Thought not.