• 21st Century :
• Cars :
• Lotus M250

Lotus M250

The M250, a two-seater, mid-engined, high performance supercar possesses world leading aerodynamic downforce combined with unrivalled chassis stiffness to give a unique driving experience. Project M250 achieves sensational performance by following the same philosophy that Lotus applies to all it's vehicles: keep it lightweight.

The M250 is rear wheel driven and is powered by a mid-mounted Lotus-tuned 3.0 litre V6 engine with an expected power output of 186kW (250bhp). By keeping the vehicle light,(less than 1000 kg) the M250 has an excellent power-to-weight ratio.

The M250 also boasts excellent aerodynamic properties. By using the knowledge learned from designing competition cars, Lotus engineers and designers have created a shape with an extremely well balanced aerodynamic package. Downforce and high speed stability were given priority over a very low drag coefficient in the design of the M250, and manage the airflow underneath the car to conjure up even greater downforce resulting in a Cz of 0.15.

Electronically limited to 250 km/h (155mph), the M250 flexes its muscles at the lower, and more often used, end of the performance spectrum, standstill to 100km/h (0-62mph) will be achieved in less than 5.0 seconds, while its sub-11.0 seconds 0-160 km/h (0-100 mph) time takes it firmly into supercar territory.

Project M250, though by no means a tame creature, will still be more of an everyday car than the Elise. It will have 'creature comforts' such as air-conditioning, central locking and electric windows. However there will be a notable absence of unnecessary electronically controlled stability aids or traction control devices by producing a responsive and well-behaved chassis in the first place, Lotus has rendered these gadjets superfluous.

Year:	2000	Status:	Currently in production
Engine:	3.0 V6	Power:	250 bhp
0-60:	under 5 secs	Top speed:	155 mph (limited)

Related Links

The Lotus website
http://lotuscars.co.uk