Makes › Lotus › Elise GT1 (road car and racers) · Factory competition · 1997 Ultra Rare
Lotus
Elise GT1 (road car and racers)
Elise-styled V8 GT1 racer; one road car built for homologation.
Photo: Brian Snelson from Hockley, Essex, England · CC BY 2.0
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 8 Built
- Years
- 1997
- Engine
- Twin-turbocharged V8 (Lotus Type 918) · 3,500 cc / 3.5 LFactory: 3.5 L
- Power
- 410 kW / 558 PSFactory: 550 hp · converted
- Top speed
- 320 km/hFactory: 320 km/h
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Julian Thomson (body)
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- Not yet verified
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The Elise GT1 was Lotus's answer to the Porsche 911 GT1 in the 1997 FIA GT Championship, wearing Elise-inspired styling over a race chassis. A single road car was built for homologation, making it one of the rarest road-registered Lotuses.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
Photos
Exterior, interior and detail photos with their licences.
Lotus Elise GT1 (road car and racers) (Wikimedia Commons: Lotus Elise GT1)
Photo: Brian Snelson from Hockley, Essex, England · CC BY 2.0
Lotus Elise GT1 (road car and racers) (Wikimedia Commons: Lotus Elise GT1)
Photo: Alexandre Prevot from Nancy, France · CC BY-SA 2.0
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02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model productionchassis (source text mentions one road car plus six race cars) | 81 | Factory production | Independently researched |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
Lotus Racing launched the Elise GT1 in November 1996 with a Julian Thomson-designed carbon fibre body and the twin-turbo Type 918 V8 from the Esprit, rated around 550 bhp. Tighter restrictors on forced-induction engines for 1997, lobbied for by rivals, cost about 100 bhp and the cars were uncompetitive. A second team ran Corvette LT5 V8 engines and was later disqualified for breaching homologation rules. The cars were reworked as Bitter GT1s with Viper V10s for 1998, and one ran at the 2004 Sebring 12 Hours.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard Elise GT1 (road car and racers).
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine manufacturer | Chevrolet (General Motors)2 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Engine family | Chevrolet LT5 (race cars)2 Independently researched |
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | Twin-turbocharged V8 (Lotus Type 918)3 Independently researched |
| Cylinders | 82 Independently researched |
| Displacement | 3,500 cc / 3.5 LFactory: 3.5 L3 Independently researched |
| Bore | 83 mmFactory: 83 mm4 Independently researchedSupercars.net spec table (3506 cc, 350 bhp), which matches the turbocharged 3.5-litre V8 of the road car described by Goodwood; the race cars used a 6.0-litre LT5-based V8 per the same page text. |
| Stroke | 81 mmFactory: 81 mm4 Independently researchedAs above. |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Valvetrain | 4 valves per cylinder4 Independently researchedFrom an enthusiast source (level D) – not yet confirmed by the maker or a registry. |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Induction | Turbocharged (twin turbo per S1)2 Independently researched |
| Power | 410 kW / 558 PSFactory: 550 hp · converted3 Independently researchedSource states bhp. |
| Power at | 6,500 rpm4 Independently researchedAs above. |
| Torque | 400 NmFactory: 400 Nm4 Independently researchedAs above. |
| Redline | 7,200 rpm4 Independently researchedFrom an enthusiast source (level D) – not yet confirmed by the maker or a registry. |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | Six-speed Hewland sequential3 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Gears | 64 Independently researchedFrom an enthusiast source (level D) – not yet confirmed by the maker or a registry. |
| Driven wheels | Rear-wheel drive, mid-engined4 Independently researchedFrom an enthusiast source (level D) – not yet confirmed by the maker or a registry. |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Production-based aluminium chassis with custom carbon-fibre body4 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Not yet verified |
| Rear suspension | Not yet verified |
| Brakes | Vented discs front and rear4 Independently researchedFrom an enthusiast source (level D) – not yet confirmed by the maker or a registry. |
| Steering | Rack and pinion4 Independently researchedFrom an enthusiast source (level D) – not yet confirmed by the maker or a registry. |
| Body construction | Not yet verified |
| Wheelbase | 2,300 mmFactory: 2,300 mm4 Independently researchedOrder of dimensions in the table inferred (wheelbase, tracks, length, width, height). |
| Length | 4,491 mmFactory: 4,491 mm4 Independently researched |
| Width | 2,070 mmFactory: 2,070 mm4 Independently researchedFrom an enthusiast source (level D) – not yet confirmed by the maker or a registry. |
| Height | 1,100 mmFactory: 1,100 mm4 Independently researchedFrom an enthusiast source (level D) – not yet confirmed by the maker or a registry. |
| Front track | 1,480 mmFactory: 1,480 mm4 Independently researchedFrom an enthusiast source (level D) – not yet confirmed by the maker or a registry. |
| Rear track | 1,500 mmFactory: 1,500 mm4 Independently researchedFrom an enthusiast source (level D) – not yet confirmed by the maker or a registry. |
| Kerb weight | 1,050 kgFactory: 1,050 kg4 Independently researched |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | 320 km/hFactory: 320 km/h4 Independently researchedApproximate, unsourced figure on the page. |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| 0–60 mph | 3.8 s4 Independently researchedFrom an enthusiast source (level D) – not yet confirmed by the maker or a registry. |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
Being verified against factory or registry sources before it is published. Have a source? Contribute it.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
Lotus Elise GT1 | Ultimatecarpage.com Level C
- 8 chassis (source text mentions one road car plus six race cars)
-
2
Lotus Elise GT1 - Four things you might not know Level C Ethan Jupp · Goodwood · 2017-04-06
- Lotus helped develop the C4 Corvette ZR1
- Lotus helped develop the C4 Corvette ZR1, which made use of the new 5.7-litre
- the 3.5-litre turbocharged V8 of the Esprit
-
3
1997 Lotus Elise GT1 - Images, Specifications and Information Level C Wouter Melissen · Ultimatecarpage.com · 2025-03-17
- Type 918 V8 engine from the Esprit
- The 3.5-litre unit
- produced around 550 bhp (original restrictors)
- A six-speed Hewland sequential gearbox
-
4
Lotus Elise GT1 Level D Supercars.net
- 83.0 mm / 81.0 mm
- 4 Valves / Cyl
- 350 bhp @ 6500 rpm
- 399.97 nm / 295 ft lbs @ 4250 rpm
- 7200
- 6-Speed Manual
- Mid Engine / RWD
- production aluminum chassis with custom carbon fiber body
- Vented Discs
- Rack & Pinion
- 2300 mm / 90.6 in
- 4491 mm / 176.8 in
- 2070 mm / 81.5 in
- 1100 mm / 43.3 in
- 1480 mm / 58.3 in
- 1500 mm / 59.1 in
- 1050 kg / 2315 lbs
- ~320.0 kph / 198.8 mph
- ~3.8 seconds
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