To be available to UK and Republic of Ireland buyers only, in a limited-edition run of just 25 cars, the British company has launched a supercharged Elise in the iconic livery of pre-sponsorship 1960s Team Lotus.

‘25’ was not only the type number of Lotus’s first fully stressed monocoque chassis, that debuted in 1962 and just failed to give Jim Clark a World Championship that year, it’s also the total number of Grand Prix wins for the Scotsman.

2008 marks the 40th anniversary of Clark’s death at a Formula 2 meeting in Germany and, fittingly, the Norfolk company launched the green and yellow tribute to its most famous driver at the Club Lotus Jim Clark Remembrance Weekend held in Scotland on 7/8 June.

In addition to the unique exterior colours, inside the car are special red/black leather seats and a wooden gearknob in the style of the 1960s Lotus road and racing cars.

Performance from the car will be strong, as it’s equipped with the supercharged 1.8-litre, variable cam four-cylinder that enables a 0-60mph of 4.3 seconds (0-100km/h in 4.6 seconds) and a top speed of 148mph (238km/h). Standard on the Elise is traction control, ABS and sequential shift-lights.

The Clark Type 25 Elise SC is currently only available in the UK and Republic of Ireland. It is on sale now, priced at £35,995 and includes £5,750-worth of options for £3,445. On-the-road costs are £950.

Text - Steve Wakefield
Photos - Lotus