With its grand plan for a multitude of new models flushed down the same pipe as the man who originally conceived the idea at the 2010 Paris auto show, Lotus is back to its good ol’ reheating tricks.

If the car photographed by our spies testing on the Nürburgring looks familiar, that’s because it’s based on the 217HP track-only Elise S Cup R announced last year, but it does sport some interesting differences.

While it keeps the S Cup R’s aerodynamic kit, the matte-red colored tester was missing the external battery isolator switch and button for the fire extinguisher on the B-pillar, and also featured production lights instead of headlamp covers.

Could it be a street-legal version of the Elise S Cup R or is Lotus working on something different? With the Paris auto show approaching, we could learn the answer to that sooner than you think.
Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoops

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