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After an absence from the market place for 2 years, Lotus is reintroducing the Lotus Exige – a car that at the time revolutionised the hardcore sports coupé market despite being on sale for just over 18 months.
The first generation Exige was introduced to the world in early 2000 as a racecar for the road. Born out of the successful Lotus Sport Elise racecar, which was campaigned throughout Europe with such success in 2000 and 2001, the Exige was hand built in low numbers for a few markets around the world.
The second generation Exige, unveiled as a world debut at the Geneva Motorshow in 2004, takes the same racecar-for-the-road philosophy and applies it to the driver of today.
With phenomenal performance and handling, powered by an advanced 1.8 litre VVTL-i (Variable Valve Timing with Lift – intelligent) engine producing a maximum power output of 141 kW and 181 Nm of torque, the Exige sprints to 100 km/h in 5.2 seconds and 160 km/h in 13.2 seconds before reaching a top speed of 237 km/h.
Key to this phenomenal performance and handling is the total aerodynamic package (which gives 41.2 kg of downforce at 160 km/h - 19.3 kg: front and 21.9 kg: rear) and light weight, the latter made possible through innovative engineering and clever design; indeed the Exige weighs in at 875 kg - unladen with no options - giving a power to weight ratio of 161 kW/t and 4.56 kg/PS.
Vehicle Description |
Technical Specification |
Engine: |
Mid-mounted, transverse, 1796 cm3, 2ZZ-GE engine, Metal Matrix Composite (MMC) & aluminium lightweight and compact construction, 4 cylinders in line, water cooled, naturally aspirated with double overhead camshafts exploiting a Variable Valve Timing & Lift with intelligence (VVTL-i) system, hydraulic tappets, 4 valves per cylinder, multi-point sequential fuel injection and electronic ignition. |
Engine management |
Lotus T4 engine control unit |
Max Power (NOTE metric horsepower: PS - Germany, ch - France, CV - Italy) |
141 kW ( 189 hp, 192 PS ) @ 7800 min-1 |
Max Torque |
181 Nm ( 133 lbft, 18.5 kgm ) @ 6800 min-1 |
Power to weight ratio |
164 kW/t ( 220 hp/t, 223 PS/t ) |
Specific power output |
78.5 kW/l ( 105 hp/l, 107 PS/l ) |
Emissions control |
Three-way catalytic converter. |
Transmission |
C64 Gearbox, aluminium lightweight construction, 6-speed, close ratio, constant mesh helical gears and open differential. |
Suspension |
Fully independent suspension utilising unequal length wishbones, Bilstein mono-tube gas damper, Eibach coaxial coil spring at each corner and front anti-roll bar. |
Chassis |
Lotus designed lightweight structure of epoxy bonded |
Steering |
Solidly mounted mechanical rack and pinion steering box with 2.8 turns lock-to-lock. |
Brakes |
Servo-assisted, track tuned 4-channel Antilock Braking System (ABS) with Lotus/AP-Racing twin-piston fixed aluminium alloy front brake calipers, Brembo single-piston sliding rear calipers and 282 mm diameter, 26 mm thick front and rear cast-iron ventilated & cross-drilled discs. |
Performance Figures |
|
0-60 mile/h |
4.9 s |
0-100 km/h |
5.2 s |
0-100 mile/h ( ˜ 0-160 km/h ) |
13.0 s |
Maximum speed |
241 km/h ( 150 mile/h ) |
Fuel consumption - urban |
12.1 l/100 km ( 23.3 mile/gal (UK) ) |
Fuel consumption - extraurban |
6.8 l/100 km ( 41.5 mile/gal (UK) ) |
Fuel consumption - combined |
8.8 l/100 km ( 32.1 mile/gal (UK) ) |
C02 emissions |
208 g/km |
Weight distribution |
38% Front - 62% Rear |
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