ICONIC British sports car maker Lotus is launching a newcomer to its Elise line-up in April which will be one of the lightest in the range.

Named the Elise Sprint, the new edition of the Elise has removed 41kg from the previous model, to reach a benchmark dry weight of just 798kg.

It also features the Elise range's new look and new interior options, and all of the Sprint's lightweight components can be specified on the standard Elise Sport and the Elise Sport 220 variants.

The latest Elise also receives a wide range of cabin enhancements including the lightweight open-gate gear select mechanism first introduced on the Lotus Exige Sport 350.

The Sprint is available in both the 1.6-litre naturally aspirated and 1.8-litre supercharged versions offering 134bhp or 217bhp and with the weight loss emissions are low, with 149g/km CO2 for the 1.6 and 173g/km CO2for the 1.8 engine.

The Sprint offers quicker acceleration with 0-60 mph in 5.9 seconds for the 1.6 model and 4.1 seconds for the Sprint 220.

Speaking of the new car Jean-Marc Gales, Group Lotus chief executive, said: "Once again, the Elise continues to redefine what is possible in terms of adding lightness to a sports car.

"Whilst other manufacturers try to keep pace with Lotus' weight reduction achievements, we've raised the bar beyond their reach. An agile, lightweight sports car does not weigh just over a tonne. It should weigh substantially less and, it is a fantastic achievement from Lotus in ensuring that the fully type approved new Elise now dips below the 800 kg barrier."

Prices for the Elise Sprint are £37,300 and £44,300 for the Sprint 220.