The final version of the mid-engine hardtop Lotus sportscar is the Exige Race 380, a devoted track-only car that weighs lower than 1000kg and will cost more than $100,000, but for that owners will get an automobile that satisfies FIA guidelines and that has set a new record near Lotus’s own Hethel test circuit.
Now that Lotus’s financial resources are well and really back on track it will begin making a flagship Esprit and checking the feasibility of a crossover or SUV.
Nevertheless, it hasn’t forgotten its hardcore fans and the reason why the automaker has managed to weather the storms of monetary unpredictability– it makes some of the greatest track-focused automobiles that any quantity of money can buy.
And the brand-new Lotus Exige Race 380, announced on Thursday, continues in this custom.
Developed exclusively for racing, it begins life as the presently relentless yet road-legal Exige Sport 380 and rejects regulatory aspects like headlamps and air bags that hold back performance.
“The Lotus Exige Sport 380 is a real giant slayer on the road,” stated Group Lotus CEO Jean-Marc Gales. “It gave us the perfect platform from which to develop the brand-new Exige Race 380.”
It keeps the 3.5-liter supercharged V6 and now it’s mated to a six-speed Xtrac consecutive transmission complete with carbon fiber steering column-mounted paddle shifts. There’s a restricted slip differential, the gearbox obtains its own oil cooler and the exhausts are lightweight titanium.
Developed for groups and for individuals to race in sanctioned competitions, the car fulfills FIA requirements for its class so there’s a roll cage, racing seats having six-point harnesses, a fire extinguisher system and motorsport towing eyes for those moments when the automobile ultimately runs out of grip and leaves the track.
However, because of the adjustable dampers and roll bars all round plus external aerodynamic enhancements that increase downforce to 240kg, it’s going to take some really heavy-handed piloting for the vehicle to come unstuck.
As for performance, due to the fact that the car tips the scales at simply 998kg, it will go from 0-60mph in 3.2 seconds however, more importantly, laps the Lotus Hethel test track in one minute, 23.5 seconds, which makes it the fastest Exige ever.
“By setting its weight below 1000kg, its power to weight is unmatched in its class. When lapping Hethel, it’s a sensational 1.5 seconds quicker than the previous Exige Cup R– a huge performance gain,” stated Gales.
Available to order now, the Lotus Exige Race 380 will cost ₤ 99,500 ($120,683) excluding taxes, and deliveries are set to start in May in time for the 2017-18 race season.
