The Lotus 3-Eleven is something ripped straight out of the feverish ramblings of a track-day fanatic, with a featherweight curb weight of 1,984 pounds and a supercharged V-6 that slingshots the tiny Lotus around tracks at incredible speeds. Now, the weapons-grade Lotus has been spotted making its rounds on the Nürburgring, emitting a phenomenal racket as it attacks the Green Hell.

The Lotus 3-Eleven is a light as possible, with an aluminum chassis, composite body panels, and an open-air cockpit. The suspension is a fully-adjustable affair from Ohlins. A total of 450 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque come from a mid-mounted, supercharged 3.5-liter V-6 engine. Power for the "normal" 3-Eleven is sent to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual transmission and a limited-slip differential. Move up to the insane race-only version, and you get a six-speed sequential transmission with paddles, semi-dry oil sump, and an oil cooler.

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When Lotus was at its strongest in the U.S., us Yanks were able to wrangle the Lotus Elise, the Exige, and the Evora into our garages, and we were happy that we got these lightweight dream machines at all. While Europe sampled plenty of hardcore variants like the Evora GTE, the Lotus 340R, and the current-generation Exige, the U.S. had to make do with what we got. Even the sublime 2-Eleven, which is the predecessor to the 3-Eleven, was sold in limited numbers as a track-only special. If the Lotus 3-Eleven does make it to our shores, rest assured it will be for track-duty only.

Want to hear all of this in symphony? Check out the fastest Lotus yet in the video below.

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