Preview : LOTUS EXIGE S

A small lightweight sports car weighing just 935 kg, powered by a 162 kW high revving supercharged engine and giving a zero to 100 km/h time of just 4.3 seconds. It comes straight off the production line and isn’t an "aftermarket special".Is this the quickest ever real-world production car? It is certainly the quickest Lotus production car - so far!The Lotus Exige S is the latest addition to the Exige range and is a real sports car that redefines the term "Extreme Performance". With 90 kW per litre, it is one of most powerful production cars in the world for its engine size but most importantly it has full type approval for all the markets in which it will be sold. The Lotus Exige S is not a limited edition, nor is it an aftermarket special – it is manufactured from start to finish in the world leading and award winning Lotus Manufacturing facility at Hethel, Norfolk.Because the basic car is so immensely strong but lightweight (935 kg), giving a power to weight ratio of 173 kW per tonne, performance is phenomenal, with 100 km/h being reached from a standing start in 4.3 seconds and 160 km/h being reached in 9.98 seconds (estimate) before topping out at 238 km/h. In spite of this phenomenal performance the fuel economy is impressive with an official combined figure of 9.1 litres / 100 km - extra urban is an impressive 7.2 litres / 100 km. Lotus believes that there is no car on sale anywhere in the world that has such good performance combined with such good fuel economy! Not that many customers will be buying this car principally for its fuel economy!
Being a Lotus, straight-line performance is not the most important factor, but every day driving on normal roads, or around a circuit is. There are very few cars on sale today that can match the speed, agility and safety of the Exige S in both day to day and track or circuit driving. However the Exige S is not just a track day warrior. It is a sports car that would be at home on the back roads, freeways and autobahns, as well as on city streets. With an extremely "torquey" engine and the classic Lotus suspension set-up of soft compliant springs and firm controllable dampers, the driving experience is an uncanny combination of telepathic-like handling with a taught and comfortable ride. There is really no car that handles quite like a Lotus.Clive Dopson, Managing Director of Lotus Cars says, "The Exige S represents the ultimate "extreme" production Lotus, with performance that trumps other supercars costing twice or even three times as much. That it does so with the fuel economy of a family hatchback, stands as a testament to the Lotus concept of performance through light weight. It’s an unbeatable package and an unbeatable drive.


Billed as the quickest ever Lotus, the Exige S's price tag of only £33,995 means that it's unlikely to hang around in showrooms. If you want to go as quickly as you can for as little money as possible, it's a package that's hard to beat. But what else does it offer?
Despite its visual similarity to the popular Elise, the Exige uses a super-charged version of its stablemate's Toyota-sourced 1.8-litre engine, which develops 218bhp... and improbable thrust. And where the Elise thrives on revs, the supercharger provides plenty of low-down torque, making it a blistering performer.
Direct steering and ultra-stiff suspension provide pin-sharp handling, and body roll is virtually absent. However, the firm set-up produces a crashy ride over uneven tarmac. The permanent top doesn't offer much in the way of noise insulation, but it looks the part, while the rear diffuser produces genuine downforce at high speed.
Admittedly, there's not much of a view out the back, and all you can see through the rear view mirror is the top of the engine. However, the cabin does boast the improved seats of the Elise, making it a reasonably comfortable place to spend time, although it's worth specifying air-conditioning, as it can get hot inside, even on cool days.
Due to the lack of storage, cramped interior and firm ride, few Exiges will be used as daily transport. But when they find the right road, buyers won't care.