The latest Lotus to roll out of Norfolk—and there have been a seemingly endless series of variations on Lotus regular-production themes appearing from the company’s manufacturing facility in Hethel—is the Elise Cup 260.

The special edition is at least the seventh variation on a Lotus Exige, Elise or Evora to appear in 2017. Its most direct design antecedent is the Exige Cup 380, which the company presented last spring. The Exige Cup 380 is a bit leaner, but the similarities are striking, especially from the front. And this Elise, like the Cup 250 presented by Lotus last year, parts company quite dramatically with the Sprint and Sport. But it’s just as readily a classic British roadster at heart: a bit of wedge, nearly pocket-sized, and very dexterous-looking.

The Elise Cup 260 features the same engine as the 250—a Toyota-made 1.8L 4-cylinder—but, this time around, the supercharged engine is tuned to 250 horsepower, a modest gain over the Cup 250’s 243.

Downforce is improved upon more notably, however. All the carbon fiber aero components borrowed from the Exige Cup 380 et al keep the weight down and the traction up. The upshot is a nearly 50% improvement in downforce at top speed over the Cup 250.

As for cabin features, a lot of Alcantara and a well-defined sports aesthetic is essentially the story. The familiar Lotus aluminum stick is there, though, promising thrilling fun on serpentine back roads. The Elise Cup 260 is, like any Lotus worth its salt, a full-blooded British roadster first and foremost.

The Lotus Elise Cup 260 will be produced in a limited run of 30, and priced a little south of $80K.