Lotus track days in the UK

By Chris Pollitt · updated 3 November 2026

Lotuses are small, light and built for exactly this, so they're a common sight on any UK track day. The VX220 and Opel Speedster were built by Lotus at Hethel alongside the Elise, so most of what applies to an Elise applies to them too.

Lotus on Track

Lotus on Track is a club run by Lotus owners. It isn't the official track day company of Lotus Cars. It has around 4,500 members and runs roughly 16 UK days a year, plus about the same again in Europe, at circuits like Silverstone, Donington, Snetterton, Cadwell, Brands Hatch and Croft. UK days are usually £299 to £375, and some are for members only. Membership is £30 for the first year.

It isn't just for Lotuses. The club takes most two-seater sports cars, including Caterhams, VX220s and Speedsters, Porsches, Alpine A110s and the Alfa 4C. Kit cars, EVs and hybrids, and most BMWs aren't accepted. Drivers have to be 21 to 75, wear a full-face helmet in an open car, and cover their arms and legs. Helmet cameras aren't allowed. A Lotus registered after 1995 doesn't need a cage.

Lotus Driving Academy, Hethel

Lotus runs its own driving courses at the Hethel test track in Norfolk, using its Emiras rather than your car. A half day costs £349, and the full-day introduction to sports cars costs £699 and includes a factory tour. Lotus pitches the full day at owners who want to learn to use their car on track.

Elise and Exige: what to watch

PistonHeads' Elise buying guide flags a few things worth knowing before a track day. On K-series cars, revving hard before the engine is warm speeds up head gasket failure, so do a proper warm-up lap and keep an eye on the coolant temperature. The Toyota engines have a reputation for being almost unbreakable. Rear toe links do fail on hard-driven cars, so get them checked. Discs on later S1s and all S2s don't last long, so check yours before you go.

Noise

Most standard Lotuses are fine at a 105dB circuit. Bedford's 87.5dB drive-by is the one that catches people out. Emira owners have reported standard manual V6 cars being flagged there, while the same cars had no trouble at Donington or Silverstone.

Prep

Lotus on Track's own advice is to bring extra oil and use a higher-temperature oil, bed in any new pads before the day, and check your tyre pressures hot. Bleed the brakes regularly too. SELOC's Elise track guide suggests every two to six hours of track time. Your road insurance won't cover you on track, so read our track day insurance guide.

Noise limits at the circuits that matter

These are the usual limits. Organisers sometimes run quieter or noisier days, so always check the day you book. There's more on how testing works in our noise limits guide.

Useful links

• Lotus on Track
• Lotus Driving Academy
• SELOC

Other cars: Porsche track days, BMW track days, Caterham track days, MX-5 track days, Kit car track days.