RE: Lotus Exige Automatic spec confirmed

RE: Lotus Exige Automatic spec confirmed

Thursday 29th January 2015

Lotus Exige Automatic spec confirmed

240-millisecond shifts and lower CO2 for £2,000 auto option



The launch of the Lotus Exige Automatic isn't far off now, with first drives commencing next week (PH is at the front of the queue, fear not). Ahead of those Lotus has confirmed all the important numbers for the automatic.

What's it like? To be confirmed soon!
What's it like? To be confirmed soon!
It had already stated a 3.9-second sprint to 62mph (one tenth faster than a manual) and an identical lap time around Hethel. You can now add to that a drop in CO2 from 235g/km to 222g/km plus an improvement in economy from 28 to 29.4mpg. Small gains then, but something at least. Weight is quoted at 1,182kg (unladen), which compares favourably with the 1,176kg of the manual. Top speed drops fractionally from 170mph to 162 for the coupe and remains at 145mph for the Roadster

Lotus claims a 240-millisecond shift time on pulling one of the forged aluminium paddles. There's the mandatory throttle blip on downshifts as well, but only in Sport mode. In both automatic and manual modes a "very rapid driving experience" is promised.

Lotus expects around a third of Exige S customers will opt for the £2,000 automatic option. By way of a quick comparo, a PDK Cayman GTS would cost £57,748 with the Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe a £2,351 option. An Exige S coupe automatic is £58,610 and orders are being taken now. Drive story soon!

Author
Discussion

LukeR94

Original Poster:

2,218 posts

140 months

Thursday 29th January 2015
quotequote all
The proof is in the pudding, we will see how it drives.

Ultimatly that is the most important thing.

kambites

67,460 posts

220 months

Thursday 29th January 2015
quotequote all
Hmm, not convinced by a slush-box in an Exige but we shall see.

thatdude

2,654 posts

126 months

Thursday 29th January 2015
quotequote all
Is it a ZF unit, or is it lotus's own design?

soad

32,825 posts

175 months

Thursday 29th January 2015
quotequote all
Takes away driver's involvement. boxedin

kambites

67,460 posts

220 months

Thursday 29th January 2015
quotequote all
thatdude said:
Is it a ZF unit, or is it lotus's own design?
I assume it's the same Toyota unit used in the Evora (which probably isn't made by Toyota at all).

Impasse

15,099 posts

240 months

Thursday 29th January 2015
quotequote all
LukeR94 said:
The proof is in the pudding, we will see how it drives.

Ultimatly that is the most important thing.
Unfortunately not or there would be an Evora on every street corner and an Exige in every garage. It's important to magazine writers and internet forum contributors, but the people who buy sports cars look for other attributes.

gashead1105

558 posts

152 months

Thursday 29th January 2015
quotequote all
My one is a manual. Roll on April!

rhinochopig

17,932 posts

197 months

Thursday 29th January 2015
quotequote all
240ms is ages - that's quarter of a second or about 5 times slower than the best DC boxes.

RobM77

35,349 posts

233 months

Thursday 29th January 2015
quotequote all
I fear it'll reduce driver involvement, but it's surely good news for those with limited use of their left leg, or even completely disabled drivers. The automatic option may broaden the appeal to able bodied drivers too, although I would think the type of buyer who wants an Exige over a Cayman or similar would demand a manual box.

The Exige V6 is almost certainly the best full usable road car I've ever driven (I prefer my 2-Eleven, but it's not exactly an everyday road car!), so I'm confident it'll still be very good in automatic form, even if it isn't as good to drive as the manual (which is inevitable I think).

kambites

67,460 posts

220 months

Thursday 29th January 2015
quotequote all
rhinochopig said:
240ms is ages - that's quarter of a second or about 5 times slower than the best DC boxes.
Indeed. a quarter of a second is easily perceptible.

Matt Bird

1,450 posts

204 months

PH Reportery Lad

Thursday 29th January 2015
quotequote all
kambites said:
thatdude said:
Is it a ZF unit, or is it lotus's own design?
I assume it's the same Toyota unit used in the Evora (which probably isn't made by Toyota at all).
Lotus says it's a significant redevelopment of the 'box used in the Evora, yes.

kambites

67,460 posts

220 months

Thursday 29th January 2015
quotequote all
Matt Bird said:
Lotus says it's a significant redevelopment of the 'box used in the Evora, yes.
I'm guessing "significant redevelopment of" means some software differences and different ratios.

Frimley111R

15,533 posts

233 months

Thursday 29th January 2015
quotequote all
RobM77 said:
I fear it'll reduce driver involvement, but it's surely good news for those with limited use of their left leg, or even completely disabled drivers. The automatic option may broaden the appeal to able bodied drivers too, although I would think the type of buyer who wants an Exige over a Cayman or similar would demand a manual box.

The Exige V6 is almost certainly the best full usable road car I've ever driven (I prefer my 2-Eleven, but it's not exactly an everyday road car!), so I'm confident it'll still be very good in automatic form, even if it isn't as good to drive as the manual (which is inevitable I think).
Its great! I have it on my Evora and when' pressing on you get 'flat shifts' (ok they might not be the fastest but they are still damn fast) and blips on the downchange for that 'driving god' feeling! I find it helps to that I keep both hands on the wheel, where I really need them.

Why the hell its called 'automatic' and not IPS like the Evora is a question only some idiot at Lotus can answer!! i could understand it the other way around but....

RobM77

35,349 posts

233 months

Thursday 29th January 2015
quotequote all
kambites said:
rhinochopig said:
240ms is ages - that's quarter of a second or about 5 times slower than the best DC boxes.
Indeed. a quarter of a second is easily perceptible.
I thought I was always told to shut up about the DBW 0.5-1.0 second throttle delay on here because it was 'barely noticeable' hehe

Trif

746 posts

172 months

Thursday 29th January 2015
quotequote all
RobM77 said:
it's surely good news for those with limited use of their left leg, or even completely disabled drivers.
Would they be able to get in or out of the car without full use of both legs?

Wills2

22,662 posts

174 months

Thursday 29th January 2015
quotequote all
SMGII changed gear in 80ms over 10 years ago, not sure I'd be crowing about that time if I were Lotus.


alock

4,224 posts

210 months

Thursday 29th January 2015
quotequote all
RobM77 said:
kambites said:
rhinochopig said:
240ms is ages - that's quarter of a second or about 5 times slower than the best DC boxes.
Indeed. a quarter of a second is easily perceptible.
I thought I was always told to shut up about the DBW 0.5-1.0 second throttle delay on here because it was 'barely noticeable' hehe
Are people comparing like with like though?

Article said:
Lotus claims a 240-millisecond shift time on pulling one of the forged aluminium paddles.
Is this from when you start to pull the lever? Are the other times (i.e. 80ms for BMW) just the actual gear change process even though it might occur several hundred milliseconds after starting to pull the paddle?

GranCab

2,902 posts

145 months

Thursday 29th January 2015
quotequote all
Will sales of these hit double figures in the UK ? I doubt it.

Jeez Lotus what next - cup holders and electric windows ? Oh - sorry - you've already done that ...

kambites

67,460 posts

220 months

Thursday 29th January 2015
quotequote all
alock said:
RobM77 said:
kambites said:
rhinochopig said:
240ms is ages - that's quarter of a second or about 5 times slower than the best DC boxes.
Indeed. a quarter of a second is easily perceptible.
I thought I was always told to shut up about the DBW 0.5-1.0 second throttle delay on here because it was 'barely noticeable' hehe
Are people comparing like with like though?

Article said:
Lotus claims a 240-millisecond shift time on pulling one of the forged aluminium paddles.
Is this from when you start to pull the lever? Are the other times (i.e. 80ms for BMW) just the actual gear change process even though it might occur several hundred milliseconds after starting to pull the paddle?
I don't know but I couldn't live with either in a car like the Exige.

kambites

67,460 posts

220 months

Thursday 29th January 2015
quotequote all
GranCab said:
Will sales of these hit double figures in the UK ? I doubt it.
If Lotus are right about it taking roughly a third of sales (which I'm not convinced of) that'd be about a hundred cars a year in the UK, I think. I'd guess it's aimed more at the eastern markets, though.

Edited by kambites on Thursday 29th January 15:40