Lotus has announced a new Exige LF1 special edition. Based on
the Exige S
, exactly 81 LF1s will be built, commemorating the number of Lotus grand prix victories since the first at Monaco in 1960 and the last in Australia 2013.
One car for every Lotus victory ... thus far
What this says about the team’s hopes for the current Formula 1 season, well, we wouldn’t like to comment. But come on – you’ve got to admit this is a pretty sexy looking machine. Lotus has gone for the old favourite black and gold theme, with a little current F1 red thrown in for good measure. This extends to the unique black and gold Lotus badge on the nose, and the gold Lotus lettering on the rear. Not to mention the contrast-stitched interior, complete with Lotus F1 logo seat backs and individually numbered carbonfibre build plate.
The numbering system will also see each car associated with a particular Lotus F1 victory; good luck sorting that buyer bun fight out…
There are no upgrades to the 350hp 3.5-litre supercharged V6 – so you’ll have to make do with 0-62mph in 4.0 seconds and 170mph flat out. But the LF1 does get the Race Pack as standard (four-stage Dynamic Performance Management with launch control, exhaust bypass override switch and suspension set-up to cope with Pirelli P-Zero Trofeo tyres, also included on the LF1) and the two-piece high-performance brake upgrade, tucked in behind matt gold cast aluminium wheels.
Insert Maldonado gag here. Actually don't...
You also receive some lovely Lotus F1 tat (1:2 scale Grosjean replica helmet, Lotus F1 key fob and – wait for it – Lotus F1 USB stick), as well as what the firm is calling LF1 Membership. This includes a tour for two of the Lotus Cars and the Lotus F1 Team HQs, plus a membership card that saves owners up to 20 per cent on official Lotus merchandise. Seriously.
All this is yours for the princely sum of £62,900 – a mere £10,000 more than the standard car. Which actually isn’t a bad deal if you consider the extras. You’d also have to hope the LF1 will be worth more than a standard Exige S come resale time, but perhaps not if we go on the number of Macau Edition Elise models currently sitting unsold in the classifieds… (this Elise Sports Racer is a happier example of the limited edition effect).