Lotus has made a name for itself over the last decade or so for making really small, really light, really fast cars. They’ve given us the Elise Sport 250, the Exige Sport 350 and the Evora Sport 410, all cars with the same principle: lighter and with more power.
Well, they’re at it again. Say hello to the new Exige Sport 380, wherein the Lotus techies have brought down the weight of the already bare-boned supercar-killer to just 1100kg. Considering its powered by a 3.5-litre turbocharged Toyota V6, which gets an additional 30bhp and 7lb-ft, coming to a total output of 375bhp of power and 302lb-ft of torque. In a car that light, those kinda numbers are more than enough to get a good launch as you’d floor the accelerator, achieving a 0-96kph time of 3.5 seconds and a claimed top speed of 286kph.
Looking further into how Lotus managed to shave a further 25kgs from its previous lightest model of the Exige Sport 350, they’ve clearly been busy tinkering with newer materials and focussing on improved aerodynamics. According to reports, the Exige 380’s diet includes a new rear wing and diffuser, new access panel, lighter wheel alloys, lighter breaks, slimmer seats, a lithium ion battery and few more nips and tucks. To make sure that this stays grounded and makes the most of the power available, it will also get wider Michelin Pilot Cup tyres.
According to reports, Lotus plans to maintain their path on making lighter, more powerful cars that can not only challenge the big boys on the track but also be used for a few daily tasks too, and we have no complaints with that.
All images taken from manufacturer’s website: http://www.lotuscars.com/exige-sport-380
The Auto Loons 