2021 Lotus Elise Sport 240 Final Edition
Explore the 2021 Lotus Elise Sport 240 Final Edition: programme history, design, verified rarity scope, specifications and credited photography.
The Lotus Elise Sport 240 Final Edition is one of the closing factory specifications for the Elise. It combines the familiar compact roadster with final-year equipment and a clearly named identity.
History and verified programme identity
The Sport 240 Final Edition belongs to the 2021 programme that ended Elise production. It is not an ordinary Sport 220 silently renamed through an aftermarket upgrade. The factory description connects the 240 specification with final-year changes, and the end-of-production release identifies a Sport 240 FE as the last Elise built. That historical milestone does not make every photographed FE the last chassis. The red example supplied here has its own source identity. The profile retains the approximate later-family production reference without relabelling it as the exact Sport 240 allocation, and leaves a completed variant census unassigned.
Engineering and design
The mid-mounted supercharged four-cylinder and six-speed transmission context keep Sport 240 within the later Elise engineering line. Lotus highlights a TFT digital instrument display among the final-year equipment. Such a feature has a different documentary role from the exterior’s familiar Elise proportions: it helps establish the factory package, but a photo taken outside does not inspect it. Preserve the original specification alongside options and subsequent changes. The Cup 250 FE has a different performance and aerodynamic presentation, so its name and references should not be copied into Sport 240 simply because both were offered in the final year. Model-specific factory parts documentation is useful when an original component has been superseded. Record the replacement and its date rather than assuming every current part was fitted when the programme began. This keeps an archive comparison tied to original identity while allowing a surviving or exhibited car to have its own maintenance and configuration history.
The physical car in the supplied photograph
Calreyn88 photographed this red, creator-identified 2021 Elise Sport 240 Final Edition outdoors. It is a real FE example; the photo does not identify it as the factory’s final Elise chassis.
Identifying the original configuration
Final-year cars attract milestone language, but a reliable archive should distinguish programme identity from individual build position. An original FE model description, specification and plate connect the car to the closing run. A factory completion record can then establish sequence if available. The source photo documents one real appearance with visible exterior condition and a precise creator title. It is not a substitute for an original instrument or trim specification. Keep the wider Elise count separate from the subset, and document any revised seats, wheels or suspension as later changes. This preserves a useful identity even when an owner personalises the car.
Collecting and chassis evidence
A useful Elise Sport 240 Final Edition history starts with the original model identity and dated factory specification. Record the chassis number, delivery market, original engine and transmission, and any numbered edition plate separately. Preserve changes in a chronological record: replaced panels, altered suspension, remapped engines and revised aerodynamic parts can affect the present configuration without creating a second original factory vehicle. Early invoices and photographs help distinguish an original edition from a later cosmetic recreation. A specialist inspection should connect those records to the car, especially its structure, mounting points and model-specific parts. A low programme volume makes careful documentation more useful; it does not establish the condition or completeness of an individual example.
Related Lotus designs and meaningful comparisons
Cup 250 Final Edition shows the more aerodynamically pronounced closing Elise. The 20th Anniversary edition provides an earlier commemorative reference tied to the original model reveal.
Reading the sources
The programme sources and the photograph answer different questions. Manufacturer and custodial records establish the original model, Type, category and published production scope. The creator’s file establishes the pictured subject, setting and image permission. An individual chassis history can then add ownership, competition entries and dated repairs without changing the scope of the original programme. Build references are not survivor counts, and a later specification does not automatically become an additional newly manufactured vehicle. Where primary evidence does not establish a complete fabrication census, that field remains unassigned.
Specifications and rarity evidence
| Programme reference year | 2021 |
|---|---|
| Model / Type | Elise Sport 240 Final Edition — Elise Series 3 / Sport 240 Final Edition |
| Body / competition role | Mid-engined road sports car |
| Final-year programme | 2021 |
| Named variant | Sport 240 Final Edition |
| Engine branch | Supercharged four-cylinder |
| Factory equipment example | TFT digital dashboard |
| Individual last-car identity | Not assigned to photo |
| Published build / register reference | Family estimate approx. 4,000 |
| Independently audited completed tally | Not assigned |
| Count scope | Named 2021 Final Edition. Approximate later Elise family reference retained separately from exact variant output. Factory last-Elise milestone belongs to Sport 240 FE but does not identify the supplied photographed example as the final chassis. |
| Original inventory status | LOT-178 — Verified |
Frequently asked questions
Is the photographed red Sport 240 the last Elise built?
No such identity is assigned. The factory’s last-Elise milestone concerns a separately documented car, while this is a creator-identified FE illustration.
How is Elise Sport 240 Final Edition classified?
This is a named original Lotus road-car programme. Its qualified source references fall below the 7,500 screening threshold. Completed production, announced allocations and survivor counts remain distinct, with any unresolved differences explained in the article.
Which technical details are established for the programme?
The primary record supports final-year programme: 2021; named variant: Sport 240 Final Edition; engine branch: Supercharged four-cylinder. These are programme or explicitly attributed photo references. A particular surviving car’s engine, chassis repairs and competition preparation require its own dated documentation.
Does the photographed appearance establish factory originality?
The caption records a real creator-identified Elise Sport 240 Final Edition subject and its documented setting. It establishes the illustration’s scope, while original components, restoration work and individual race provenance require chassis-specific evidence. A competition number, current paint or museum display is not used as an originality certificate.
What rarity or archive scope is verified?
Named 2021 Final Edition. Approximate later Elise family reference retained separately from exact variant output. Factory last-Elise milestone belongs to Sport 240 FE but does not identify the supplied photographed example as the final chassis.
Who photographed the supplied image?
Calreyn88 via Wikimedia Commons, under CC BY 4.0. The original file and licence are linked with the image. Retain the creator, source and licence when uploading, exporting or reusing it; local retouching and synthetic enlargement have not been performed.
Related Lotus profiles
Sources and photo credits
Photograph: Calreyn88 via Wikimedia Commons original source, CC BY 4.0. Source-provided thumbnail supplied without local cropping, retouching or synthetic enlargement.
Built in limited numbers
Named 2021 Final Edition. Approximate later Elise family reference retained separately from exact variant output. Factory last-Elise milestone belongs to Sport 240 FE but does not identify the supplied photographed example as the final chassis.
Gallery
Specifications
Factory specifications may vary by model year, market and configuration.
Identity & production
- Official model
- Elise Sport 240 Final Edition
