British automakers are front and center at this
year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed and Lotus used the event to introduce two
“Celebration” models. The first is the Exige Type 49 which commemorates the 50th
anniversary of Graham Hill winning the F1 Drivers and Constructors Championship
with the Lotus Type 49. In an effort to pay tribute to the racer, the car has a
red and gold exterior with contrasting silver mirror caps.
The Exige Type 79, on the other hand, honors the
40th anniversary of Mario Andretti winning the F1 World Championship and
delivering the Constructors Championship to Lotus. It also draws inspiration
from the race car as it has a black exterior with gold accents.
Both models are based on the Exige Cup 430 and
feature a supercharged 3.5-liter V6 engine that develops 430 hp and 440 Nm of torque. The engine is connected to a six-speed
manual transmission which enables the cars to accelerate from 0-96
km/h in 3.2 seconds before hitting a top speed of 290 km/h.
The cars
have carbon composite body panels, three-way adjustable dampers and adjustable
anti-roll bars. Other highlights include AP Racing brake calipers and
ultra-lightweight forged aluminum wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2
tires.
Inside, there are carbon racing seats with Alcantara
upholstery and contrast stitching which echoes the exterior paint job.
Designers also installed carbon fiber trim and anodized aluminum accents. Last
but not least, the Exiges have an open-gate manual shifter and a classic wooden
gear knob.
The cars were created by Lotus Exclusive which is
the company’s personalization service. It appears Lotus won’t offer production
versions of the cars, but customers could create something similar.
