SAY HELLO TO THE LOTUS EXIGE SPORT 410 – CUE THE FIREWORKS!
The earlier Lotus Exige 350 is an absolutely amazing machine that really comes alive on a race circuit. The chassis design, suspension setup and weight distribution clearly shows Lotus's racing history. When the Exige 350 first launched it was hard to believe they could ever improve on the design, but we were wrong!
Lotus is bridging the slim gap between the 350 and the Cup 430 with the Lotus Exige Sport 410 which now has officially been launched, it's priced from £85,600 in the UK and is available to order now.
Based on the Exige 350, the Sport 410 delivers a predictable 410bhp from its supercharged 3.5-litre V6 and hits 0-100km/h in 3.3 seconds en route to a top speed of 290km/h. However, the roadster version is limited to 233km/h. You might be wondering what the performance difference is compared to the 430, you might be surprised that they are, to the last spec, exactly the same.
The car is designed to dial back the track-focused aggression of the Exige Cup 430, and deliver high performance on both the road and the track, and it surely excels at both.
The engine is twinned with a six-speed manual gearbox, while the chassis and suspension are taken from the Cup 430 and can be customised to the driver’s requirements.
Sharing design cues with the 350, the new model will feature a lightweight front panel, wider grille and carbon fibre throughout. This contributes to a dry weight of just 1,054kg, making this the lightest V6 Exige ever and yielding a power-to-weight ratio of 389bhp per tonne. To put it in perspective, this is the same weight as strapping on a V6 to a Hyundai i10.
On the interior, the Lotus features an Alcantara steering wheel along with full-leather, or alternatively a mix of Alcantara and leather. Options include a full titanium exhaust, which trims 10kg off the car’s already modest weight.
Jean-Marc Gales, CEO of Group Lotus, said: “We have taken the Exige Cup 430, the ultimate track-centric Exige, and developed it into the perfect road orientated sports car, ensuring that we stay ahead of rivals when it comes to cars that deliver a truly engaging analogue driving experience.”
So therefore if you're after a road legal track car that allows the driver to engage with the car, road and raw driving experience, look no further than the Exige 410.