Lotus Exige


The Lotus Exige is a British two-door, two-seat sports car made by Lotus Cars since 2000. Originally a more-hardcore coupé version of the Lotus Elise roadster, since the Series 3 the Exige has been the larger-engined model of the family - using a V6 engine in place of the Elise's straight 4 with convertible versions of both available.

Series 1

The original Exige was launched in 2000 with a naturally aspirated 1.8 L Rover K Series Inline-four engine in VHPD tune. It is rated at at 7,800 rpm in standard form. There was also a "track spec" version with available. The car has a five-speed manual gearbox, and a claimed top speed of. 0-97 km/h was achieved in 4.7 seconds and 0–100 km/h in 4.9 seconds.
The first generation Exige used the round, less aggressive headlights of the first generation Elise, although the Elise was updated soon after the introduction of the Exige. The Series 1 was built until 2002. 604 examples in total were made and the car was not replaced until the Series 2 of 2004.

Series 2

Exige (2004–2006)

In 2004, the Series 2 Exige was introduced. It features a naturally aspirated 1.8 L 16-valve DOHC Toyota/Yamaha engine that is rated at with the Toyota engine designation of 2ZZ-GE. Compared to the Series 2 Elise, it has a front splitter, a fibreglass hardtop roof with roof scoop, a rear engine cover, and rear spoiler. The sole purpose of these aerodynamic additions to the base Elise is to create more downforce.
In February 2005, Lotus announced a limited production run of 50 Exiges, using the Toyota engine with a supercharger. This increased the power output to. These models were only available in yellow or black, representing the colours of Lotus Sport, and are badged 240R. They have a projected 0-97 km/h time of 3.9 seconds and 0-161 km/h of 9.9 seconds, with a top speed of.
The North American Exige was unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show in January 2006.
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Exige S

In February 2006, Lotus announced the Exige S model which used a supercharged Toyota 2ZZ-GE engine rated at. The S was also made available in North American markets as a 2007 model.
According to Lotus, the Exige S model, weighing, has the following specifications:
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Exige S 240 (2008–2011)

In 2008, the Exige S was replaced by the Exige S 240. Power output increased by 9% over the outgoing model to. The S 240 also received upgraded AP Racing brakes from the Exige Cup 240 and a larger roof scoop utilised by the Exige Cup 255. 0-97 km/h times improved to 4.0 seconds. The S 240 base manufacturer suggested retail price was $65,690.

Exige S 260 (2009–2011)

The Exige S 260 produced an additional 7% power output over the S 240 resulting in. Even with a full fuel tank, extensive use of weight-saving materials such as carbon fiber reduced the vehicle's gross weight to compared to in the S 240. It can accelerate from in 4.0 seconds. After 2009, both the S 240 and S 260 received distinctively new and enlarged rear spoilers mounted to the rear clam instead of the motor bay cover.

Exige 265E

The Exige 265E is a factory-built version of an Exige S optimised to run on E85 fuel, which is 85% ethanol. The higher octane of this biofuel allows for a higher compression ratio and/or more supercharger boost. In this model, which saw the ECU re-mapped as well as upgraded injectors and fuel pump to cope with the new fuel type, the brakes have also been upgraded to four-piston AP Racing calipers with increased diameter sport brake pads mated with drilled and vented discs at the front. Brembo single-piston sliding rear calipers with diameter discs are fitted at the rear. Lotus says it has no intention to build the 265E as a limited number standard production car, and that it is simply a biofuels demonstrator. According to Lotus, the Exige 265E model has the following specifications:
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Exige GT3 prototype (2007)

According to Lotus, the Exige GT3 model has the following specifications:
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Exige GT3 of Angelo Lazaris (2008–2011)

The Angelo Lazaris is a version of Exige GT3 for the 2008 GT Championship, based on the European race car that competed in the FIA GT3 category. It featured the 1.8-litre engine based on the Exige S road car rated at at 7,000 rpm and at 6,000 rpm, increased frontal area to accommodate the wider track, revising the front radiator inlet and outlet areas, reducing the cross-sectional areas of both, extending the nose forward by approximately 3 cm, bodywork extending 8 cm rearward, widening and losing almost 3 cm in height at the rear deck, body parts produced in lightweight ZPREG carbon fibre using an innovative mould-making process that features room temperature curing rather than an oven, elimination of roof scoop that fed cooling air to the engine's intercooler, change to a water-to-air intercooler.
The vehicle was unveiled in round three of the 2008 GT Championship.

Union Jack Lotus Exige S (2008)

The Union Jack is a version of Lotus Exige S with a flying British flag body, developed by Lotus Design.
The car was featured in Discovery Channel's How Do They Do It? series.

Exige Scura/Stealth (2009)

The Stealth is a limited production run version of the Lotus Exige S with supercharged and intercooled Inline-4 engine from Exige Cup 260 rated at at 8,000 rpm and of torque at 6,000 rpm, matte black body colour, Phantom Black triple stripes that run the length of the car, carbon-fibre front splitter, oil cooler inlet vanes, side airscoops and rear spoiler, seats and centre console made from carbon fibre, anodised handbrake and gear knob in anthracite colour, carbon-fibre components in high-gloss clear lacquer finish, Lotus Launch Control, Lotus Traction Control, variable-slip traction control, Öhlins 2-way adjustable dampers, Eibach Springs with variable-height spring platforms, matt black lightweight forged wheels with Yokohama 048 LTS tyres, ride height adjustment to reduce the ride height from to, lightweight flywheel, sports-type clutch plate, heavy-duty clutch cover, C64 six-speed gearbox and Accusump.
Orders for the 'Lotus Exige Scura' began from 21 October 2009 in Europe, South Korea, Australia, South Africa, Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, New Zealand, Indonesia and Malaysia. The vehicle was sold in Japan as 'Lotus Exige Stealth'.
The Exige Stealth was unveiled at the 2009 Tokyo International Motorshow.

Lotus Exige S RGB Special Edition (2010)

The RGB Special Edition is a version of the Lotus Exige S commemorating Roger Becker, the former Director of Vehicle Engineering for Lotus. It includes Toyota's supercharged 1.8 litre 2ZZ VVTL-i engine rated at, Lotus ultra lightweight forged alloy wheels, Performance pack, Sport pack, Touring pack, choice of four body colours, Roger Becker's signature on the rear of the car, a Roger Becker numbered plaque, monochrome Lotus badges, structural shear panel and air conditioning.
The vehicle went on sale in September 2010, and ended at the end of 2010 in Europe due to changes in legislation and the introduction of "Euro 5" Type Approval which does not apply to vehicles with 1.8-litre 2ZZ VVTL-i engines.
The RGB Special Edition was unveiled at the 2010 LA Auto Show.

Exige Matte Black Final Edition (2011)

The Final Edition is a limited version of the Lotus Exige for the North American market, commemorating the end of the Exige's production. It includes an engine rated at, matte black body colour, black Alacantara sport seats and a uniquely numbered plate for each car. Only 25 were made.
The Final Edition was unveiled in Pebble Beach Week 2011.

Production

Production of North American version of Exige ended in August 2011 after the expiration of "smart" airbags exemption, and due to Toyota stopping production of its 2ZZ-GE four-cylinder engine.

Exige S 260 Final Edition (2011)

To mark the end of an era of Lotus Exige production, Lotus created the Exige S 260 Final Edition, exclusively for North America. With power upgraded to 257 hp, and a high level of standard equipment, the Exige S 260 Final Edition was available in multiple colour choices from the full Lotus colour range. Only 30 examples of this Exige were built, all for the North American market.

Specifications

Exige S V6 (2012–2015), Exige S V6 Roadster (2013–2016)

At the Frankfurt 2011 autoshow, the 2012 version of the Exige S was announced. It features a supercharged 3.5 litre V6 engine rated at. In 2013, a roadster version was introduced with only minor changes to the design for the removable top. The engine and performance were virtually unchanged from the coupe.

Specifications

To accommodate the V6 engine, the new model is approximately longer and wider than the model with the inline-four engine, being long, wide and tall. The drag coefficient is 0.433.

Exige V6 Cup, Exige V6 CupR (2013–2016)

The Exige V6 Cup is a track oriented version of the Exige S while the Exige CupR is the track-only version of Exige V6 Cup. The Exige V6 Cup is offered for sale in the United States as a track only car. If purchased, US Lotus Dealers will only provide a bill of sale instead of a title.
The vehicles were unveiled at the 2013 Autosport International motor show.

Specifications

Exige V6 Cup
According to Lotus, the Exige Cup has the following specifications:
Exige V6 Cup R
The Lotus Exige V6 Cup R has the following specifications according to Lotus:
Limited to 50 examples, Lotus Exige 360 Cup was revealed on 14 August 2015. The car is powered by a 3.5-liter supercharged Toyota V6 delivering .

Specifications

The Exige 360 Cup has the following specifications as stated by Lotus
The Lotus Exige Sport 380 is a track focused and more powerful version of the Lotus Exige lineup. It was unveiled on 23 November 2016. Lotus' CEO, Jean-Marc Gales describes it as, "The Exige Sport 380 is so good, that it is no longer the best in class, it’s now in a class of its own", and it fulfills this statement by taking on some of the powerful and expensive super cars both on the track and the streets. The 3.5-litre, super-charged V6 engine is now uprated and produces and of torque with a 6500 rpm red line achieved by revised supercharger and ECU. It can accelerate from 0 to in 3.5 seconds and has a top speed of. The interior is also stripped out and features necessary driver aids. The Exige Sport 380 weighs, thanks to the extensive use of carbon fiber on the exterior as well as the interior, the application of polycarbonate windows instead of traditional glass windows and a newly designed rear transom panel which features two rear lights instead of four.

Lotus Exige Cup 380 (2016–present)

The Lotus Exige Cup 380 is a more hardcore variant of the Exige Sport 380. Performance of the car remains the same as the Sport 380 but it features more aero components and a larger rear wing to produce more downforce at high speeds. The Exige Cup 380 generates of downforce at its maximum speed of ; the top speed is reduced due to excess downforce and more drag. It features a more stripped out interior in order to save weight and other light weight carbon fiber components, Lotus states a lowest possible dry weight of only.

Lotus Exige Cup 430 (2017–present)

On 9 November 2017, Lotus unveiled the most powerful version of the Exige to date called the Exige Cup 430, producing and using the Evora GT430's powertrain, modified to fit in the smaller Exige. The car body can produce of downforce. The Cup 430 is lighter than the Sport 380 due to the use of carbon fibre in body panels and interior and a titanium exhaust. The gearbox allows quicker gearshifts than the previous model. The Cup 430 is not offered with an automatic gearbox. The Lotus Exige Cup 430 is capable of covering the Hethel circuit in 1 minute 24.8 seconds – the fastest production car to lap the circuit – 1.2 seconds faster than the road going Lotus 3-Eleven.

Specifications

The Exige Cup 430 has the following specifications according to Lotus:
Several Exiges are currently in use in the SCCA Pro Racing World Challenge. An Exige GT3 and some CUP Exige race in the Supercar Challenge. An Exige has participated in the GT300 class of the 2005 Super GT Series season.
Simply Sports Cars in Australia ran an Exige Cup R in endurance racing during 2014 and 2015 at the world renowned Bathurst 12 Hour, with class wins on both occasions.