Lotus Exige Tested 2008-01-01

Advertisement

Environment Rating Poor in absolute terms , but still better than almost anything else that can get to 60 mph in under 5 seconds. Like the Elise, recently announced changes will soon improve its overall rating. It's also built in Britain so there's no shipping CO2 to worry about. Overall Rating Recommended. Raw, aggressive and hugely rewarding. The most invigorating British sports car money can buy. But could you live with something this uncouth?

Summary

It's three-fifths of a Group C racing car. That's what proud owners used to say about the first Exige when it careered into showrooms in 2000. They were right. Exige One was raw and animalistic. Born of the racetrack (as the Sport Elise) and homologated for the road with all the hardcore bits left in. We loved it. But this Exige Two, which arrived in 2004, is a different beast. It still looks stunning, but tamer. There are no massively pumped up wheel arches, no enormous rear wing. What we do have are carpets, anti-lock brakes and - sacrilege! - an optional cupholder. The press pack even mentions the word 'comfort'. Twice.

This is what Lotus calls 'refinement'. It's about offering more mainstream products to rival the likes of Porsche. But fear not niche sports car purists, because we can happily report that this Exige is still one of the rawest, sharpest, most unashamedly aggressive sports cars on the market. It's a machine that will make you weep tears of joy on a track. The balance, the composure, the boundless grip, the speed, the raw shove of the supercharged engine. Wonderful.

Lotus says the Exige's aerodynamics and conservative rear spoiler offers a whopping 45kg of downforce at 100mph - a figure that rivals thoroughbred racing machines. The fastest Exige S dismisses 0-60mph in 4.1 seconds and reaches 100mph from standstill in 12.8 seconds. Top speed is 148mph. It's more powerful than the original but, because it's 80kg heavier, not much faster.

The difference here is that the series two Exige doesn't try to break your back when there's a ripple in the road. It's more pleasant to be in the cabin. And - because it's got a Toyota 1.8-litre engine instead of the old Rover K Series lump - it's less likely to leave you stranded on the hard shoulder of the M40 on your way home from Silverstone.

Don't get us wrong. It's still brutal and pretty uncouth in terms of refinement. Compare an Exige S with a Porsche Cayman S - which you could have for similar money - and you're looking at two very different propositions. Could you use the Exige everyday without it winding you up? No. But you'd have to pay five times more money to get stared at as much. And there are few sports cars this side of a Caterham that offer such pure driving thrills, with communicative steering and beautifully weighted controls. The Exige also has character and makes a cracking noise.

If you love trackdays and can justify a toy, we heartily recommend the Lotus Exige. But if you need an everyday sports car, then Lotus dealers will be happy to show you around the Evora. Cupholder or not, the Exige is still a nutcase.