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    Jan 12, 2005 6:50:39 PM

    Justin
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    Justin
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    Exige coming to America, 400hp factory race Exige

    Was able to confirm that Lotus is wrapping up crash certification to bring the S2 Exige to America. We'll get the same motor as in the Elise rated at 190hp and there is an extremely strong rumor of a 250-260hp version to follow to give sports car enthuisiasts the power some find missing from the platform. Not sure, but the standard engine version should arrive in the second half of this year.

    Lotus Sport, the motorsports division at Lotus, has also just created a 400hp Exige to compete in a race series in Asia. Seems pretty wild!

    Highlights:
    - 859 kg.
    - 400 hp Swindon Racing Engine based on GM 3 liter V6
    - Hewland sequential six speed
    - 470 hp/tonne

    The rest is fairly standard for a race car, but it's fun to see a race version with more than double the hp of any road version.

    Link to PDF: http://www.grouplotus.com/mediactr/pr_download.php?pid=190

    Jan 12, 2005 6:51:06 PM

    Justin
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    Justin
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    Reply to: Justin

    Re: Exige coming to America, 400hp race Exige from the facto

    2

    Jan 12, 2005 7:41:11 PM

    Grant
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    Grant
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    Reply to: Justin

    Re: Exige coming to America, 400hp race Exige from the facto

    Thanks, Justin! What do you think the price will be for the road versions?

    Jan 12, 2005 8:58:29 PM

    Yargk
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    Yargk
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    Reply to: Justin

    Re: Exige coming to America, 400hp race Exige from the factory,

    Quote:
    Justin said:

    The rest is fairly standard for a race car, but it's fun to see a race version with more than double the hp of any road version.




    Hopefully this means that we should have no doubts that Lotus can put out a very balanced 260 hp exige for the road. If they keep it under 2000 pounds, it would be crazy fast, like better than GT3 RS lap time fast.

    Jan 12, 2005 9:22:49 PM

    Justin
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    Justin
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    Reply to: Grant

    Re: Exige coming to America, 400hp race Exige from the facto

    Lotus has been having some troubles with the currency fluctuation and apparently hasn't hedged their money! The Elise's price has gone up a few thousand in the past few months, so that will probably make the Exige more expensive that it should have been.

    I can only make rough estimates because Lotus themselves does not know, but the suggestion is a $50k base price for the Exige, which is about a $7k premium. The Exige's suspension is equivalent to the Elise's sports package ($2500) and comes with a hardtop ($1500). So for the rest of your money you get a different aerodynamic package and some various other bits. It is not recommended, but there is a way to remove the Exige's hardtop. A version with the uprated engine would probably be in the $60k's. This may not be competitive, depending on how Z06 pricing turns out, but the driving experience there is entirely different.

    There are a variety of accessories to make the Exige race/track ready including a fire system, roll cage, race buckets, 6-point harness, shocks with external reservoirs, etc.

    Not sure it will take out a GT3 RS, but an uprated version would be pretty exciting. Lotus engineers are talented, but ultimately they lack the financial backing to fully develop some products or to get some products to market. Not sure they could ever make a roadgoing version of this 400hp beast with a reasonable price tag unless they mass produced it (1000 units?). Downfalls of a passionate, but small manufacturer.

    - J

    Jan 12, 2005 11:41:18 PM

    JimFlat6
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    Reply to: Justin

    Re: Exige coming to America, 400hp race Exige from the facto

    I like Lotuses,but I think that the Exige looks silly. It will look even sillier in US traffic. Lotus is bringing it under a Federal crash exemption waiver,as they did with the Elise, that allows them to import 1100 cars that do not meet some very simple crash regs.

    There is a new, re engineered and re styled Elise due for the US that meets Federal crash regs next year.

    There is also a new Lotus Super Coupe that was planned to be in the 997 price range until the dollar sunk. The new coupe will be the replacement for the V8 Esprit. It uses a Ricambi sequential transaxle and may have a all alloy 500hp V8 Toyota-Lexus V8. Its anyones guess when we will see that one.

    Jan 13, 2005 3:41:57 AM

    Yargk
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    Yargk
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    Reply to: Justin

    Re: Exige coming to America, 400hp race Exige from the facto

    Quote:
    Justin said:Not sure it will take out a GT3 RS, but an uprated version would be pretty exciting. Lotus engineers are talented, but ultimately they lack the financial backing to fully develop some products or to get some products to market. Not sure they could ever make a roadgoing version of this 400hp beast with a reasonable price tag unless they mass produced it (1000 units?). Downfalls of a passionate, but small manufacturer.

    - J


    From CAR magazine
    Lap time exige 51.68 seconds
    Lap time RS 50.01 seconds

    Adding 70 hp to the exige's 190 hp to get 260 hp would be like adding 140 hp to the GT3's 380 hp to get 520 hp. In other words 70 hp would be a HUGE difference for a car of that weight. I bet on the track that the numbers above correspond to, a 260 hp exige would do better than 49.

    Speed through hairpin turn
    RS 31 mph
    exige 32.4 mph

    I have nothing but praise for the RS and I trust Porsche more than Lotus to build a car that I can enjoy on the track and depend on each weekend, however with enough power, real downforce, and wonderful handling, the lightweight of a lotus starts becoming irresistible in my mind as the basis for a perfect and pure sports car.

    Jan 13, 2005 3:50:16 AM

    Justin
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    Justin
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    Reply to: Yargk

    Re: Exige coming to America, 400hp race Exige from the facto

    Yargk,
    Perhaps you are right then on tighter tracks! High speed, who knows. Do you know if the RS has sticky semi-slick tires like the Yokohama A048 or Michelin Pilot Sport Cup?

    Jim,
    The waiver is in regards to the bumper and headlamps. The bumper cannot survive a 5 mph parking lot crash (other cars have small parts easily replaceable, e.g. Porsche bumperettes), and thus must either be repaired or replaced as substantial cost. Otherwise, the car passes all the safety related tests, which may or may not be a good indicator of overall saftey.

    Esprit info from a Lotus executive:
    - being modelled after the Gallardo, will be able to fit a 6'5" person
    - Will not have the Lexus V8 due to the Yen/Pound exchange rate, but it will be a V8 and has already been selected.

    - J

    Jan 13, 2005 4:26:12 AM

    JimFlat6
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    Reply to: Justin

    Re: Exige coming to America, 400hp race Exige from the facto

    Then I hope it is a Chevy V8 from the Corvette (heresey!)
    No problems with that motor at all.

    Doesnt GM still own a piece of Lotus or am I in the stoneage?

    Jan 28, 2005 1:15:58 AM

    TopherV
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    Loc: Orange County, Southern California
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    Reply to: JimFlat6

    Re: Exige coming to America, 400hp race Exige from the facto

    Inside/Side

    Jan 28, 2005 1:56:30 AM

    Carrera_GTcrazy
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    Carrera_GTcrazy
    Loc: Montreal, Canada
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    Reply to: TopherV

    Re: Exige coming to America, 400hp race Exige from the facto

    WHat a beast!

    Jan 28, 2005 2:12:11 AM

    Moogle
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    Reply to: Carrera_GTcrazy

    Re: Exige coming to America, 400hp race Exige from the facto

    oh my gawd,

    that Last pic, is just the coolest ever.

    Jan 28, 2005 8:54:31 PM

    Arrixok
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    Arrixok
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    Reply to: TopherV

    Re: Exige coming to America, 400hp race Exige from the facto

    Reminds me of the lotus GT1. I love the interior

    Jan 29, 2005 2:52:57 AM

    Matt (Sydney)
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    Reply to: TopherV

    Re: Exige coming to America, 400hp race Exige from the facto

    where are the pedals?

    Jan 29, 2005 6:44:07 AM

    Grant
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    Reply to: Matt (Sydney)

    Re: Exige coming to America, 400hp race Exige from the facto

    Quote:
    Matt (Sydney) said:
    where are the pedals?

    \

    The yellow one is gas and the black one brake (no clutch pedal - it's sequential)
     
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