Lotus Exige 1.8S

[azura]

Lotus Exige 1.8S

A lot of very quick kit has come out our way from Hethel, but this, according to the boys behind it, is the fastest-accelerating production car Lotus has ever built.

Despite launching the new Exige S on the Silverstone national circuit, this is actually Lotus's road-going answer to its more extreme 240bhp Cup track car.

That means that for £33,395, a staggering £12,000 less than the Cup, you still get a supercharged version of the Toyota-sourced 1.8-litre engine from both Elise and standard Exige, but this time with 220bhp.

This modest drop off in power is accompanied by one rather than two-way adjustable dampers and the absence of a fire extinguisher, roll cage or kill switches.

So why launch the Exige S on a track at all? Because, like every other car from that stable, the S is still as at home there as on the road. A point Lotus is clearly keen to stress.

The handling is sensational, with confidence-inspiring grip and a traction control system that gently lends a hand when your talent runs out. You can turn the helper off, too, if you want to explore the charms of the Lotus chassis undiluted.

With it being a Lotus, none of this should come as a surprise, of course. A decent percentage of Lotus owners find themselves on a track at some point - and many of them get so addicted they fork out thousands with Lotus Engineering to wring more power from their motor. And that's pretty much how the Exige S came about.

You could already spec a standard car up to beyond the S spec, so now Lotus will offer the extra power off-the-shelf.

However, this Exige's slightly lower state of tune means power delivery is smoother, making it a more tempting day-today proposition. Performance is still awesome too - 60mph comes up in just 4.1 seconds and 100mph in a fraction under 10 seconds.

And it's not just the engine that's more usable. Drive through the circuit gates and out onto the public road and the Exige makes a decent job of the rougher tarmac.

The adjustable suspension means you can dial out some of the stiffness you'd want on the track in favour of a more compliant on-road ride.

The result is quite remarkable - you would still have to be a pretty committed enthusiast to drive one of these every day, but a few miles on a twisty A-road will have you thinking very hard about it.

Paul Regan

[KoKo]

nice info