[Allan Gibbs]

I see the S2 styling cues from the M250, but what were suppose to be the differences? Did the M250 just evolved into the S2 Elise? Was the M250 suppose to fill the slot between the Elise and the Esprit?

 

[LarryB]

My understanding is the M250 was to be slotted between the Elise and Esprit. Suspect Lotus plans to have something to offer between the Elise and new Esprit down the road.

 

[Robert Puertas]

M250 was supposed to be Lotus' Boxster beater.
When the folks from Proton found out that it hadn't been designed as a world car (read US legal) they flipped and canned the project.

Seems like it would make more sense at this point to build a V-6 Exige to slot between the Elise and new Esprit...

 

[shinoo]

Yes, it was positioned between the two E's.

It was to be a Boxster competitor. I had anxiously awaited it but financial troubles at Lotus kept it from sitting in my garage....

But now the S3 is coming and we can all rejoice....

 

[Allan Gibbs]

I found more information on the M250:
http://www.pistonheads.com/lotus/m250/m250-go.htm

I may be wrong, but the Fed Elise is already a Boxster competitor. It may be on the spartan side, but if Lotus offerred enough options and a 6 cyclinder engine, the Fed Elise would fill that position, epeically at $38 to $40,000.

I wonder if the M250 will be resurrected as the next generation Esprit?

 

[pcpacker]

That car is beautiful!

 

[Craigy]

It wasn't just beautiful, it was very advanced. Lotus were toying with laminar flow aerodynamics (the back of the car was totally smooth) - no need for a big rear wing and it was very low drag.

The elise rear subframe was always deisgned to house something as big as a V6... lets hope they keep it together long enough to see a proper factory V6 car.

As for the new esprit... I'd not hold my breath if I were you. That would be an expensive car to develop!

Craigy

 

[Craigy]

Some pics proving that Lotus really know how to do styling in this sector:

http://www.elises.co.uk/models/m250/images.html

drop dead gorgeous. Shame they never built it - they could have taken the whole poseur market from Boxters..

Craigy

 

[Thomasio]

NSX meets Elise styling. (In a good way.)

Thomas

 

[RacingDynamcs]

They will have it for 2007

 

[ex-M3]

I agree with Thomasio with the NSX look in the rear.

When this car was being developed the Elise was more focused and further "down market" than it is today. The Elise S1 was out and there was no A/C, carpets, power windows etc. The M250 would have competed with the Boxster in that it (I am assuming) include all the creature comforts that a Boxster has like A/C, power windows etc. The Elise was introduced at about $30,000 US and the Esprit is at $90K so a car in between would seem logical.