The Lotus Exige is getting a little long-in-tooth
but that hasn’t stopped the company from introducing the new Exige Sport 410.
Billed as the “ultimate road car,” the Exige Sport 410 draws inspiration from
the Exige Cup 430 and will be available as either a coupe or roadster. Both
models are decidedly aggressive as they have a sporty front bumper with large
air intakes. The cars have also been equipped with a number of carbon fiber
components including a front splitter, side scoops and rear wing.
The designers installed an aluminum diffuser,
a center-mounted exhaust and ultra-lightweight forged alloy wheels that measure
17-inches up front and 18-inches out back. The wheels are equipped with
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires and are backed up by an AP Racing braking
system that has four-piston forged calipers and two-piece J-hook brake discs.
The interior is sparsely equipped but drivers will
find an Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel and carbon fiber sport seats with
leather and Alcantara upholstery. Several options will be available including
air conditioning, leather seats and a two-speaker audio system with Bluetooth
and iPod connectivity.
Motivation is provided by a supercharged 3.5-liter
V6 engine that has been tuned to produce 410 hp and 420 Nm of torque. It is connected to a six-speed manual transmission which
enables the coupe to accelerate from 0-60 mph in 3.3 seconds before hitting a
top speed of 290 km/h.
Lotus says the model weighs as little as 1,054
kg dry and this makes the Exige Sport 410 the lightest V6-powered
Exige ever created.
Since the model was designed with performance in mind,
the car borrows a number of components from the Exige Cup 430. This includes
the oil cooler, clutch and suspension. Speaking of the latter, the Exige Sport
410 has three-way adjustable Nitron dampers and adjustable Eibach anti-roll
bars.
An assortment of performance options will be
available including a titanium exhaust system which is 10 kg lighter
than the standard unit. Customers can also order a roll cage, an electrical
cutoff switch, and four-point harnesses. U.K. pricing starts at £ 85,600 while Germans will
need to shell out € 111,800.
