If you think the Louts Elise is a lightweight, diver-focused package, then you should see what the Exige Sport 350 has to offer, or better yet, the 350 Special Edition.
Based on the most extreme Exige ever made, the Special Edition celebrates the British car maker’s 50th anniversary, completing the trilogy of Lotus 50th celebration editions. It offers numerous lightweight, performance-enhancing features over the Sport 350 as well as unique visual improvements.
What’s more impressive is that Lotus managed to shave even more weight off the standard model – which is already lighter than the Exige S, as well as the Elise. Packing a supercharged 345 hp, V6 3.5 liter engine, and weighing in at only 1,099 kg/2425 lbs (or 26 kg/57 lbs less than the Exige Sport 350), the new Special Edition accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.9 seconds, and it keeps on accelerating all the way to its 274 km/h (170 mph) top speed. It’s also capable of lapping the famous Hethel track in 1 minute 29.8 seconds,
“The Lotus Exige is the quickest point-to-point sports car on the road; nothing can match its levels of accessible performance and grip. It’s lightweight, responsive and exceedingly fast, with the purity expected of a Lotus. It is a real beast that needs taming but it won’t bite back”, said Jean-Marc Gales, CEO of Group Lotus plc.
Lotus fitted the special edition with lightweight carbon fibre sports seats, lightweight forged alloy wheels, lightweight engine mounts, a lightweight centre console featuring an exposed gear shift mechanism, lighter HVAC pipework, and a Lithium-ion battery as standard to keep kerb weight at a minimum.
Only 50 units of the Lotus Exige 350 Special Edition will be manufactured, with an MSRP of €81,900 ($91,459), and Lotus say it will be available on a “first-come, first served” scheme.
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