Lotus Elise and Exige Final Edition: the ultimate farewell

A new chapter is about to begin at Lotus, and that means another one must come to a close. The handover happens this year, with the end of production already confirmed for the Elise, Exige and Evora, alongside the arrival of the Evija and the yet-to-be-named Type 131. Before the curtain falls, however, there is still time for a farewell special: the Final Edition for both the Elise and the Exige - with the Evora’s send-off to be announced later.

These are the brand’s longest-running models. Despite countless updates and variants over the years, they remain, at their core, the same cars (still built around the same aluminium structure) first introduced 25 years ago in the case of the Elise, and 21 years ago for the Exige.

Across their respective Final Edition versions, Lotus adds unique styling touches, extra equipment and… power increases.

Lotus Final Edition models mark the farewell to Elise, Exige and Evora

The Final Edition treatment is intended as a last celebration for Lotus’s long-standing lightweight sports cars, pairing commemorative details with meaningful mechanical and equipment upgrades.

Lotus Elise Final Edition

Starting with the smaller Elise, two versions bring a quarter-century run of one of the most influential sports cars ever made to an end: Elise Sport 240 Final Edition and Elise Cup 250 Final Edition.

Both share Toyota’s 2ZZ engine - a 1.8-litre supercharged inline four that has powered the Elise throughout this century. For the first time, each also gains a digital TFT instrument display.

They also receive a new flat-bottom steering wheel trimmed in leather and Alcantara, a small “Final Edition” plaque, and distinctive new interior trims and stitching for the seats and cabin. To round things off, there are exclusive paint options that nod to the model’s history, including Azure Blue (the same colour as the 1996 car), black inspired by the brand’s competition division, and the classic British Racing Green.

Elise Sport 240 Final Edition: more power and less mass

The Lotus Elise Sport 240 Final Edition is based on the Sport 220 but gains 23 cv, taking output to 243 cv (and 244 Nm of torque). Thanks to its low 922 kg (DIN) kerb mass, it reaches 100 km/h in just 4.5s.

Helping to keep the weight down are exclusive 10-spoke forged wheels, which are 0.5 kg lighter than the Sport 220’s. If you choose the carbon fibre panels, the lithium-ion battery (replacing the standard unit), and the polycarbonate rear screen, the 922 kg figure drops to 898 kg.

The Lotus Elise Cup 250 Final Edition, the Elise aimed at “track-days”, does not gain extra power; instead, it focuses on added downforce. Its new aerodynamic package - front splitter, rear wing, rear diffuser and side extensions - enables it to generate 66 kg of downforce at 160 km/h and 155 kg at its 248 km/h top speed.

It also comes with new 10-inch M Sport forged wheels, and as standard includes Bilstein sports dampers, adjustable anti-roll bars, a lithium-ion battery and a polycarbonate rear screen. If you select the same carbon fibre parts as on the Elise Sport 240 Final Edition, the final mass is set at 931 kg (DIN).

Lotus Exige Final Edition

For the more extreme and more powerful Exige, the Final Edition line-up expands into three distinct versions: Exige Sport 390, Exige Sport 420 and Exige Cup 430.

All remain loyal to the supercharged 3.5 V6, also sourced from Toyota. They also share the same equipment upgrades introduced on the Elise: the new TFT digital instrument cluster, the new steering wheel, seats with revised trims, and the “Final Edition” plaque. The exclusive colours likewise reference the model’s past, with Metallic White and Metallic Orange.

The Lotus Exige Sport 390 Final Edition replaces the Sport 350. Power rises to 402 cv (and 420 Nm of torque), an increase of 47 cv over before. With just 1138 kg (DIN) on the scales, it hits 100 km/h in 3.7s and reaches 277 km/h flat out. It can also produce a maximum of 115 kg of downforce at its top speed.

The Lotus Exige Sport 420 Final Edition adds 10 cv over the Sport 410, for a total of 426 cv (and 427 Nm of torque). It is the fastest Exige, capable of 290 km/h and a 0–100 km/h time of only 3.4s. It is also marginally lighter than the Sport 390, at 1110 kg (DIN).

It is fitted with Eibach adjustable anti-roll bars and Nitron three-way adjustable dampers. The braking system is also uprated, using AP Racing components with forged four-piston calipers and two-piece J-hook discs.

Exige Cup 430 Final Edition: 171 kg of downforce and race-grade carbon fibre

Finally, the Lotus Exige Cup 430 Final Edition is the circuit-focused version. It retains the same power and torque as the Cup 430 already known (436 cv and 440 Nm), but it stands out for its aerodynamic package: 171 kg of downforce, and it can generate as much downforce at 160 km/h as the Exige Sport 390 produces at 277 km/h (its top speed). It weighs 1110 kg (DIN), needs 3.3s to reach 100 km/h, and its top speed is 280 km/h.

Competition-specification carbon fibre is used for the front splitter, front access panel, roof, diffuser surround, widened air-intake recesses, rear wing and the rear tailgate. The steering features revised geometry, and the chassis incorporates the same adjustable hardware as the Exige Sport 420, along with the same braking system. Track driving is further enhanced by a unique soundtrack, courtesy of the titanium exhaust system.

When production finally ends, combined sales of the Elise, Exige and Evora will total around 55,000 units. That may not sound like much, but it represents more than half of Lotus’s total road-car sales since the company was founded in 1948.