The essence of the new Lotus Exige is that of a racing car. Even compared with the Elise, this bewinged coupe is a hard-core driving experience-and we mean that in a good way.What's curious is that from the same set of basic components-190-hp, 1.8-liter, four-cylinder Toyota engine; click-clack-shifting six-speed manual gearbox; extruded aluminum chassis; plastic body-Lotus has created a pair of cars sufficiently different in character that the coupe version can be regarded as a genuinely separate model. A quicker, more extreme, yet separate model.In many ways, Lotus's recently announced decision to bring the Exige to the States is a brave one.
As a convertible, the Elise can count on the residual glow of the golden years of British roadsters, with the added edge of being fantastic to drive. The Exige has only the latter. So, while Lotus moves 2000-plus Elises per year in America, it expects to sell only 200 to 300 Exiges.Those 200 to 300 enthusiasts will be getting an out-and-out driver's car. Where the Elise evokes delicacy, intimacy, and fluid motion, the Exige is a much more physical machine. It's not brutish or raw or clumsy but more alert and instantly responsive, more aggressive in its steering and ride.Being a true mid-engine sportscoupé, the high tech engine is located behind the cockpit and in front of the driven rear wheels. Power comes from the state-of-the-art 2ZZ-GE 1.8 litre 4 cylinder 16-valve VVTL-i (Variable Valve Timing and Lift-Intelligent) engine linked to the C64 six-speed gearbox. The engine and gearbox combination, sourced from Toyota, was chosen as the ideal engine for the Exige and perfect for the Lotus brand philosophies.The lightweight engine, with a compact metal matrix composite alloy cylinder block has been subject to a rigorous testing and development programme which, as part of Lotus' key federal Elise programme, has involved over half a million miles of testing in a wide range of extreme climate conditions from the Arctic Circle to the Arizona and Nevada deserts and at altitude in Colorado. This is in addition to Toyota's world renowned development and testing programme that had already been applied to the engine prior to the installation in the Exige.To
enable this class leading engine to carry the Lotus driving DNA, a brand new, custom engineered Lotus T4 engine management system ( EMS) has been developed. The software for the EMS was designed and developed by Lotus specifically for the Exige. This bespoke management system and the extensive calibration and validation work ensures that the Exige has unique performance characteristics perfectly suited to the fast road and track environments.The engine management system enables the VVTL-i system to select the optimum camshaft profile, lift and timing across the full range of engine operating conditions. This interaction between the Lotus T4 EMS and the VVTL-i system gives the Exige its optimum linear torque characteristics, peaking at 181 Nm at 6800 rpm with the peak power of 141 kW at 7800 rpm.The very high revving engine is governed to a maximum engine speed of 8500 rpm on up changes (8000 rpm at steady state). The change from the low speed cam to the high speed cam is controlled by the Lotus engine management system to achieve a smooth transition, which will not upset the balance of the car. This change occurs at around 6200 rpm, but can vary by a few hundred rpm depending on engine operating conditions. The return switching from the high speed to low speed cam occurs at 5800 rpm to extend the operating range of the engine on the high speed cam. This helps the enthusiastic driver stay on
the high output cam between gear changes.In order to protect the engine during the warm up phase, the maximum engine speed is limited to 6000 rpm and is restricted to the lower speed cam when the engine coolant temperature is below 70 ˚C.A tell-tale red LED located in the centre of the instrument binnacle illuminates to indicate to the driver the optimum point to change gears.The lightweight C64 six-speed gearbox (with an aluminium casing) is fitted with an all-new Lotus designed and developed shift operating mechanism. With the closest ratios and gearset afforded by the transmission, the gearbox offers a fast, precise and light gearshift, ensuring drivers have total control and flexibility to apply the power exactly as and when required.Specification:
Country of origin : Great Britain
Displacement : 1.796 liter / 109.6 cu in
Bore / Stroke : 82.0 mm (3.2 in) / 85.0 mm (3.3 in)
Compression ratio : 11.5:1
Weight : 935 kilo / 2061.3 lbs
Length / Width / Height : 3797 mm / 1727 mm / 1163 mm
Power : 218 bhp / 163 KW @ 7800 rpm
Torque : 215 Nm / 159 ft lbs @ 5500 rpm
BHP/Liter : 121 bhp / liter
Power to weight ratio : 0.23 bhp / kg
Top Speed : 238 km/h / 148 mph
0-60 mph Acceleration : 4.1 s
0-100 mph Acceleration : 9.9 s
