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THE EXIGE S GETS EVEN RACIER We are turning up the temperature at this weekend’s Lotus Festival at Brands Hatch with the official launch of a new track-focused model: The Exige V6 Cup. There are two variants: a Track Day version priced at £62,995 and a full-on Competition-spec car starting at £74,995 (Prices include VAT @ 20%). Performance hits 274km/h, 0-100 in 3.8 seconds, and 346hp kicked out from the 3.5 litre supercharged V6 behind the drivers’ seat. The Exige V6 Cup weighs in at 1080kg, and comes with Lotus Dynamic Performance Management, so you can switch the engine and traction settings between Touring, Sport and Race; Pirelli P-Zero Trofeo tyres; aerodynamically optimized front splitter, rear diffuser and wing; multi-adjustable suspension; and race-ready kit such as a heavy-duty roll cage, 4 or 6-point harnesses, isolator switches, FIA-approved fire extinguisher, tow eyes, removable steering wheel and HANS-compliant race seats. In addition to hitting circuits in various track days events, the Exige V6 Cup is intended for new and current Lotus Cup series including Lotus Cup UK, Lotus Cup Europe, Lotus Cup Eastern Europe, Lotus Cup Italy, Lotus Cup Japan, and the Lotus Ladies Cup (Hungary). There will be a version for the USA which will be on display at Brands Hatch this weekend.
Big question remains over where the weight loss is coming from. Ok airbags and sound deadening are worth a few kgs but surely that's undone by the cage and extinguisher? Stereo and speakers are presumably deleted as per Cup 260? But 1176kg standard and 1080kg cup weights are both without aircon.
All this stuff is available for the standard car: 'and comes with Lotus Dynamic Performance Management, so you can switch the engine and traction settings between Touring, Sport and Race; Pirelli P-Zero Trofeo tyres; aerodynamically optimized front splitter, rear diffuser and wing'.
Personally thrilled by the removable steering wheel option!
Either way if the new weight figure is realised, it's great that the car can now be ordered at it's original target weight of 1080kg, which also does wonders for the power/weight ratio.
Much looking forward to seeing it tomorrow.
Big question remains over where the weight loss is coming from. Ok airbags and sound deadening are worth a few kgs but surely that's undone by the cage and extinguisher? Stereo and speakers are presumably deleted as per Cup 260? But 1176kg standard and 1080kg cup weights are both without aircon.
All this stuff is available for the standard car: 'and comes with Lotus Dynamic Performance Management, so you can switch the engine and traction settings between Touring, Sport and Race; Pirelli P-Zero Trofeo tyres; aerodynamically optimized front splitter, rear diffuser and wing'.
Personally thrilled by the removable steering wheel option!
Either way if the new weight figure is realised, it's great that the car can now be ordered at it's original target weight of 1080kg, which also does wonders for the power/weight ratio.
Much looking forward to seeing it tomorrow.
'polycarbonate rear bulkhead window' is an option.
As is 70 litre tank.
Clearly the standard wheels are pretty light because that's the first thing I'd have expected them to change for the cup version.
http://Evorainfo.net/FileStore/PDFs/Brochures/Lotu...
As is 70 litre tank.
Clearly the standard wheels are pretty light because that's the first thing I'd have expected them to change for the cup version.
http://Evorainfo.net/FileStore/PDFs/Brochures/Lotu...
Had a very interesting chat with someone very helpful and knowledgeable at Lotus Motorsport.
Apparently a good chunk of the weight loss is the removal of all the sound deadening. Seats are lighter, airbags deleted along with stereo and speakers.
He was kind enough to let me sit in the green Exige cup and while I have no problem with entry procedure for exiges (all racing cars are hard to get in and out of, it adds to the sense of occasion) the cage adds a whole new level of difficulty to getting in and out. Fortunately the 'trackday' cup cars can be ordered without the full cage. It would have been a deal breaker for me for road use. You still get the harness bar and a-frame cage behind the seats.
It's very stripped out inside but the details are very nice, similar to the Cup 260 in that regard. The seats in particular are pretty much dream spec and lashings of alcantara abound. The wheel felt very good but the beauty of the removable non-airbag route is that you could fit pretty much anything you wanted. Black or red suede momo for me.
Trackday car still has open diff but full race version is going to have a mechanical LSD. Given the electronics effectively do the job of a diff I don't think it matters too much in this instance.
Now here's where it gets really exciting....
The list of options goes well beyond what's on the pdf previously posted.
Trackday car comes with Nitron adjustable dampers but Ohlins are available at extra cost. Polycarbonate rear window is available (might be a nice way to offset the weight of the essential, imo, aircon.
But get this: full race sequential box with paddleshift is available. Normally it's £25,000 (seriously pukka kit!) but if you order one from new you get the money for your manual back and it can be done for around £14k. Lots of money of course but for what you get I for one would be quite tempted. Apparently Lotus are encouraging owners to go this route because this box can easily take the future planned power increases...
On that subject more power is also available if you ask really nicely... and it's comfortably north of 400bhp...! Ok you're looking at £80k for an Exige in this sort of spec now but you're also talking about a road legal track weapon of astonishing proportions and don't forget the 4.0 GT3 RS was only a few pence change from £140k! £80k is still bargain basement for the new 911, new GT3 must be north of £120k basic. And what was the 211 GT4? Darn close to £80k.
The downside to the power upgrade is you lose the warranty. But the Cup cars have a reduced warranty anyway as they are intended for track use (6 months from memory). And after all the beauty of using Toyota oily bits is you don't need one anyway!
For anyone who thinks this is sheer madness the standard car is looking like a bargain for what is probably the better road car. Either way its great work from Lotus. They really mean business with this new Exige. It's actually several leagues above the four pot Exige, fabulous sportscar that it is. The V6 may still be small inside and out but it's a proper supercar.
Apparently a good chunk of the weight loss is the removal of all the sound deadening. Seats are lighter, airbags deleted along with stereo and speakers.
He was kind enough to let me sit in the green Exige cup and while I have no problem with entry procedure for exiges (all racing cars are hard to get in and out of, it adds to the sense of occasion) the cage adds a whole new level of difficulty to getting in and out. Fortunately the 'trackday' cup cars can be ordered without the full cage. It would have been a deal breaker for me for road use. You still get the harness bar and a-frame cage behind the seats.
It's very stripped out inside but the details are very nice, similar to the Cup 260 in that regard. The seats in particular are pretty much dream spec and lashings of alcantara abound. The wheel felt very good but the beauty of the removable non-airbag route is that you could fit pretty much anything you wanted. Black or red suede momo for me.
Trackday car still has open diff but full race version is going to have a mechanical LSD. Given the electronics effectively do the job of a diff I don't think it matters too much in this instance.
Now here's where it gets really exciting....
The list of options goes well beyond what's on the pdf previously posted.
Trackday car comes with Nitron adjustable dampers but Ohlins are available at extra cost. Polycarbonate rear window is available (might be a nice way to offset the weight of the essential, imo, aircon.
But get this: full race sequential box with paddleshift is available. Normally it's £25,000 (seriously pukka kit!) but if you order one from new you get the money for your manual back and it can be done for around £14k. Lots of money of course but for what you get I for one would be quite tempted. Apparently Lotus are encouraging owners to go this route because this box can easily take the future planned power increases...
On that subject more power is also available if you ask really nicely... and it's comfortably north of 400bhp...! Ok you're looking at £80k for an Exige in this sort of spec now but you're also talking about a road legal track weapon of astonishing proportions and don't forget the 4.0 GT3 RS was only a few pence change from £140k! £80k is still bargain basement for the new 911, new GT3 must be north of £120k basic. And what was the 211 GT4? Darn close to £80k.
The downside to the power upgrade is you lose the warranty. But the Cup cars have a reduced warranty anyway as they are intended for track use (6 months from memory). And after all the beauty of using Toyota oily bits is you don't need one anyway!
For anyone who thinks this is sheer madness the standard car is looking like a bargain for what is probably the better road car. Either way its great work from Lotus. They really mean business with this new Exige. It's actually several leagues above the four pot Exige, fabulous sportscar that it is. The V6 may still be small inside and out but it's a proper supercar.
Scuffers said:
here we go again 
OK, when Lotus homologate it for GT3 (NOT soft-target GT4) and go head to head with the 911, then you might be able to make such sweeping statments.
the only broken record round here is you Scuffers.OK, when Lotus homologate it for GT3 (NOT soft-target GT4) and go head to head with the 911, then you might be able to make such sweeping statments.
I for one would love to see Lotus taken on GT3 but you'd probably moan that they're wasting their money on another expensive vanity project!
Besides that your comment is ridiculous. The £140k porsche being referred to is the road going GT3, against which I have every confidence that a 440bhp, 1080kg xtrac sequential equipped Exige with race brakes and all the rest will compare very favourably.
Since when did the 911 that competes in GT3 (as in the race series, not the faux racer 911 marketing wheeze) cost £140k?
Talk about missing the point!
Edited by The Pits on Tuesday 21st August 08:47
No Scuffers the Exige V6 Cup is much like the outgoing Cup 260. The version we have all been discussing is the 'trackday' version. Completely road legal. Simply a lighter version of the road car with some mods to tip the compromise a little more towards the track, such as adjustable dampers, harness bar, hans compliant seats (again all as per Cup 260) and so on. All of this has already been said above.
There is a planned proper race car version but there are few details on that yet. All we know at the moment is that it's likely to have a mechanical LSD, full cage {and presumably uprated brakes, suspension optimised for slicks?) and cost quite a bit more than the £60k price of the 'trackday' version.
There is a planned proper race car version but there are few details on that yet. All we know at the moment is that it's likely to have a mechanical LSD, full cage {and presumably uprated brakes, suspension optimised for slicks?) and cost quite a bit more than the £60k price of the 'trackday' version.
Coming round to the roadster myself, might actually be better looking and the roof is rarely on my Elise.
Used to think top speed limiter was a minus, after having been banned from France recently I'm starting to think it's a plus!
I'm sure it's a limitation of the S2 roof which does balloon like a goodun at 140mph I can confirm! No way it's staying on much past 150.
However, surely sans roof the car could hit 170? I guess there's just no way of convincing people not to try it.
On the flip side I was told that the coupe is not stable at high speed with the roof panel out and Lotus are going to have to issue disclaimers for that, knowing that everyone is going to try it.
Might be best just to enjoy hair raising acceleration all the way to 145mph and call it a day there.
Used to think top speed limiter was a minus, after having been banned from France recently I'm starting to think it's a plus!
I'm sure it's a limitation of the S2 roof which does balloon like a goodun at 140mph I can confirm! No way it's staying on much past 150.
However, surely sans roof the car could hit 170? I guess there's just no way of convincing people not to try it.
On the flip side I was told that the coupe is not stable at high speed with the roof panel out and Lotus are going to have to issue disclaimers for that, knowing that everyone is going to try it.
Might be best just to enjoy hair raising acceleration all the way to 145mph and call it a day there.
More than a hint of 246 Dino about it too.
Mid-mounted V6, naturally agile and responsive and you have to say, sounds the part too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMIzIHBrWF0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQUY0cVV4O0&fea...
well, kind of ish...
Mid-mounted V6, naturally agile and responsive and you have to say, sounds the part too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMIzIHBrWF0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQUY0cVV4O0&fea...
well, kind of ish...
bobo said:
would be great to get your opinion actually.
agree with everything apart from this bit.apart from his relentless and dreary negativity towards everything Lotus does, it's not in his commercial interests to praise the car so we already have a good idea of what his opinion is going to be. He's already been slagging the car off before driving it so for me that renders his opinion entirely pointless.
Haven't mentioned the 911 in nearly a week!
What's laughable is the pedestal you put the GT3 RS on, a car which I believe you have yet to drive and about which you make assumptions based on hugely more expensive 911 GT race car.
What makes you think a 4.0RS could dismiss with a 440bhp, 1080kg, xtrac sequential paddleshift equipped Exige with adjustable dampers and uprated brakes? Such a car would be over £80k but still barely more than half what the GT3 cost. It has less than 60 more bhp and at least 300kg extra weight. Wakey wakey scuffers, time to wake up!
What's laughable is the pedestal you put the GT3 RS on, a car which I believe you have yet to drive and about which you make assumptions based on hugely more expensive 911 GT race car.
What makes you think a 4.0RS could dismiss with a 440bhp, 1080kg, xtrac sequential paddleshift equipped Exige with adjustable dampers and uprated brakes? Such a car would be over £80k but still barely more than half what the GT3 cost. It has less than 60 more bhp and at least 300kg extra weight. Wakey wakey scuffers, time to wake up!
Must be 'Motorsport Black' I figure. Up really close it has a very fine gold fleck in it as a nod to the classic JPS livery.
It looks much 'blacker' than (much cheaper!) 'Starlight Black' which has a coarser silver fleck up close.
Having agonised over Motorsports Green for ages, it's between that and silver for me.
It looks much 'blacker' than (much cheaper!) 'Starlight Black' which has a coarser silver fleck up close.
Having agonised over Motorsports Green for ages, it's between that and silver for me.
found this on the lotus forums:
Also, Lotus Motorsport chap said LSD was likely for the 'race' version.
Trackday:
T45 steel roll hoop including A frame and harness bar ( full cage is optional )
Hans compliant driver race seat with 4 point seat harness
2 way adjustable suspension ( tuned for road and track )
Race pack ( from standard Sroad car )
Uprated brake discs
Passenger seat with 4 point harness
FIA approved fire extinguisher kit
FIA approved internal/external isolator switches
Baffled engine sump
Front and rear towing eyes
Removable steering wheel kit
Motorsport chassis plate
All other options shown on order form
Race:
Full FIA roll cage
FIA FT3 70 litre fuel tank
Hans compliant race seat with 6 point harnesses
Race specification 2 way adjustable suspension ( tuned for slick tyres )
Race pack ( from standard S road car )
Uprated brake discs ( brake pad option to follow )
FIA approved internal/external isolator switches
FIA approved fire extinguisher kit
Baffled engine sump
Front and rear towing eyes
Removable steering wheel kit
Motorsport spec rear wing
Motorsport chassis plate
Polycarbonate rear bulkhead window
Oil cooler kit
Light weight parts to save a further 40 kilo’s ( TBC )
All other options shown on order form
Also, Lotus Motorsport chap said LSD was likely for the 'race' version.
Trackday:
T45 steel roll hoop including A frame and harness bar ( full cage is optional )
Hans compliant driver race seat with 4 point seat harness
2 way adjustable suspension ( tuned for road and track )
Race pack ( from standard Sroad car )
Uprated brake discs
Passenger seat with 4 point harness
FIA approved fire extinguisher kit
FIA approved internal/external isolator switches
Baffled engine sump
Front and rear towing eyes
Removable steering wheel kit
Motorsport chassis plate
All other options shown on order form
Race:
Full FIA roll cage
FIA FT3 70 litre fuel tank
Hans compliant race seat with 6 point harnesses
Race specification 2 way adjustable suspension ( tuned for slick tyres )
Race pack ( from standard S road car )
Uprated brake discs ( brake pad option to follow )
FIA approved internal/external isolator switches
FIA approved fire extinguisher kit
Baffled engine sump
Front and rear towing eyes
Removable steering wheel kit
Motorsport spec rear wing
Motorsport chassis plate
Polycarbonate rear bulkhead window
Oil cooler kit
Light weight parts to save a further 40 kilo’s ( TBC )
All other options shown on order form
I can't confirm which black that is on the V6 Cup but having seen both starlight and motorsport black up close the fleck is much finer grade in motorsport black. If you parked the two next to each other the starlight car would look like a very dark grey. Motorsport Black is a very pure metallic black, something they've only been able to do in recent years.
I have a 2010 V12 Vantage in Storm Black (red fleck) and the paint is incredible, best paint finish I've ever seen on a car with a really deep shine which does subtle but interesting things in direct sunlight. A friend has a 2007 metallic black Gallardo and it looks flat and charcoal grey parked next to it.
I have a 2010 V12 Vantage in Storm Black (red fleck) and the paint is incredible, best paint finish I've ever seen on a car with a really deep shine which does subtle but interesting things in direct sunlight. A friend has a 2007 metallic black Gallardo and it looks flat and charcoal grey parked next to it.
Struggling to make a decision on colour at the moment. I was all set for MS Green but in the flesh it has a pearlescent blue haze on the edges, only visible in direct sunlight but enough for me to have second thoughts at the £1800 extra cost. The darker racing green would be nice so is a front runner along with Nightfall blue (which I already have on my elise) as all previous Loti have been blue (bar Lotus Carlton) so it's become a bit of a tradition for me. Of the lighter colours I think I'd go for Silver. 260Cup looked amazing in silver I thought.
I would be slightly scared taking delivery of a black one, in a good way. So might overlook the fact that I've already got a black car.
I would be slightly scared taking delivery of a black one, in a good way. So might overlook the fact that I've already got a black car.
Easy now Scuffo they haven't even done a special edition V6 Exige yet!
By all accounts the Exige V6 is a significant step on from the previous car so that rather goes against the idea that they are wasting time and money on paint and not improving the cars.
In other words, the frustration is in your head.
By all accounts the Exige V6 is a significant step on from the previous car so that rather goes against the idea that they are wasting time and money on paint and not improving the cars.
In other words, the frustration is in your head.
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