Lotus Exige Cup 380
If you want the ultimate road and track Exige - for now at least - then the Cup 380 is the car for you!
We're joking, don't worry. More Lotuses sounds like more good news, particularly given how richly talented the most recent models have been. Indeed it only sounds like bad news if you're a buyer, content that you have the best variant only to find it superseded a few months later. See the Exige Sport 350, for example.
Wonder what it'll do at the 'ring?
To that end the aero has been heavily overhauled for this Exige, with power untouched from the Sport 380. Entirely new body parts - see the front louvres, the cut-outs between the rear wheels and the aero blades either side of the diffuser - have contributed to a 43 per cent improvement in top speed downforce, now 200kg.
Carbon is used extensively, as you might have expected, with the front splitter, rear wing, side skirts, side scoops, roof and boot lid made of it. With the optional titanium exhaust fitted as well, Lotus claims a dry weight of 1,057kg for the Cup 380.
Less weight of course means improved performance, and this Exige doesn't disappoint. 0-60mph takes 3.4 seconds (62mph takes another couple of tenths), while the Hethel lap time is 1min 26sec - half a second faster than the Sport 380, and three seconds in front of a Sport 350. Contributing to this in conjunction with the aero upgrades are wider Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres, now 285 section at the back (215s remain on the front).
As is the Cup tradition, the car's dynamic set up is finely tweakable by the driver. Standard equipment includes two-way adjustable Nitron dampers, adjustable Eibach anti-roll bars front and rear plus a new six-mode traction control in addition to the four ESP modes. The system varies the target wheel slip from one to 12 per cent according to the positioning of the dial, with the sixth position fully off. The dial is located beneath the indicator stalk, but don't worry - there's a display in the dials so you're not checking around the steering column for the TC setting.
Function before form, right?
Just 60 Exige Cup 380s will be made, offered in five colours: Essex Blue, then white, silver, grey and black. Red highlights are standard on all cars and there are some new badges and... you want to know the price, don't you? It's £83,000. A fair chunk for an Exige, but then very good value given the performance. And if you're thinking what a good comparison it might be with a new manual GT3, you're not alone...
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You have to hand it to Lotus always coming up with tweaks here and there
You have to hand it to Lotus always coming up with tweaks here and there
I think the 380 Sport has good swathes of alacantra and the sills have been lowered a touch, but difficult structurally to make them thinner I think.
For the same money I'd go for a 400/410 Evora as this would suit me better, but I like some of the touches they've made which perfectly suit a 'cup' model - surprised they couldn't hustle it quicker given the aero and wider tyres, but it looks quicker just standing still!
I'm sure if you wanted everything covered in leather or alcantara Lotus will do this for you, they have taken a leaf out of Morgan's book and will now let you customise just about everything on the car from the factory.
£83k seems fair value and it's good to see Lotus pushing their prices up and moving away from the mistakes of the previous decade.
Re the interior, it is very functional but there is no doubt that the dash design is looking a little bit 'turn of the century hatchback' and is probably due bringing more up to date if they want to keep pushing prices forward.
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