Description
This Motorsport Elise is first of just three prototypes built by Lotus Cars and is believed to be the only surviving example, with this example being THE 1999 Geneva Motor Show car. The Motorsport Elise primarily represented Lotus' entry back into motorsport and featured a flagship one make championship which supported the 2000 British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) and filled the gap between club racing and top level sports car racing, Starting in 2000 the series ran for 3 years at the leading UK and European circuits with the Lotus factory preparing a grid of just 20/ 25 cars and providing trackside support, service and preparation, race entry fees, testing costs, transportation and running costs, initial branding and a complimentary race suit for each competitor, Part of the attraction of the race package was that owner drivers only had to find 50% of the cost because of the big-named sponsors contributing however the cost was still £55, 000 without insurance ! The race series was named ‘Autobytel Lotus Sport Elise Championship’ and taking part were some well-known names including ex-Lotus F1 driver Martin Donnelly, whose car also ran as a media car for journalists to compete races in. Each car was had a unique aerodynamic Motorsport body, Tuned 200 bhp engine and a Quaife 5-speed gearbox. Launched to the public for the first time at the 1999 Geneva Motor Show with a huge positive response orders for cars poured in. Sunday 9 April 2000 was the first race in the Autobytel series and held at Brands Hatch. Alongside the Motorsport Elise project the production team were also developing the idea of a road-going version. The car was aimed at the track day community so kept the concept simple and lightweight, The overall design theme was race-focused, Lotus invited the media to the Brands Hatch race along with a finished road car for a world debut and to reveal its new name – ‘EXIGE’. After the 1999 Geneva Motor Show debut Lotus Cars completed a tour with this car to all of the UK Lotus main dealer showrooms and special events, It was then placed in storage by Lotus Cars and remained unused, In late 2002 the car was purchased from Lotus Cars and was in the hands of highly regarded Lotus Specialist NTC Cars and a well known Lotus enthusiast who re-commissioned the car with Scholar Engines developing the 190 bhp K-Series VHBD engine with Throttle bodies, Enlarged gas flowed exhaust etc, The car was duly road registered on the 1st January 2002 with the cherished registration number G19 OSE (Making this possibly the only road registered MotorSport Elise), G19 OSE was subsequently then displayed by special request from Lotus Cars in the Design Centre at Hethel. The car still retains its unique prototype rear clamshell with the Lotus Design Centre decals on the wings tips. Complete with provenance file. This Geneva MotorSport Elise has remained in a private collection and has now covered just 11, 000 miles from new, A unique opportunity to acquire a piece of Lotus Heritage.
