Lotus Elise and Exige say goodbye with a quintet of Final Edition models

The Lotus Elise and Lotus Exige will end production this year, but not before Lotus roll out five new Final Edition models to say goodbye.

It’s only a couple of weeks since we learnt that the Lotus Exige, Elise and Evora are to go out of production this year to be replaced by a new range of Lotus Sports cars.

Now, having spent years delivering endless variants of their ancient and limited range, Lotus is carrying on the same path to say goodbye to its venerable range, first of all with Final Edition models of the Elise and Exige (the Final Edition Evora models will doubtless turn up before long).

The Final Edition models start at £45,500 for the Lotus Elise Sport 240 which gets boosted to 240bhp (there’s a surprise), enough for 62mph in 4.1 seconds and comes with new digital instruments, flat-bottomed steering wheel and the option of lightweight bits and bobs.

The Elise Cup 250 Final Edition gets the same power but weighs less and gets more aero, 17″ front and 17″ rears with Yokohama tyres and tweaked Bilstein dampers and adjustable roll-bars.

The Lotus Exige Final Edition runs to three models with 3.5 litre supercharged V6, starting with the Exige Sport 390 Final Edition at £64,000 which gets forged alloys, new areo package and 397bhp good for 62mph in 3.7 seconds.

Next up is the Exige Sport 420 Final Edition (from £79,900) with 420bhp – good for 180mph and 62mph in 3.3 seconds – adjustable dampers, upgraded roll-bars, lightweight forged alloys, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres and AP Racing brakes.

Finally, and topping the Final Edition tree, is the Exige the Cup 430 (costing from a chunky £100,600), with 430bhp, carbon fibre panels, lots of aerodynamic upgrades, high-flow titanium exhaust, cleverer traction control and revised steering.