Friday 27th April 2012

Pic Of The Week: Lotus Exige S

We like the new Lotus Exige S rather a lot and it seems you do too - a worthy POTW then!

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The bigger picture still has some wobbles. But this week we've been able - at last - to put buyouts and PR stunts aside and concentrate on what we really love about Lotus. Things like the new Exige S.

Chris Harris wrote about it exclusively for PistonHeads and followed that up with a video, both of which should underline what a big fan he actually is. Cripes, he even mentioned it in the same breath as a GT3!

The weather was shocking when we visited Hethel last week - as you'll see from the onboard video with development boss Matt Becker in our story on the new test track. You can talk all you like about metaphorical dark clouds over the place but even in these conditions the Exige shone, the trick 'learning' traction control system really able to strut its stuff. It takes some confidence in the electronics for Becker, in the passenger seat of a 350hp Exige with yours truly at the wheel, to say "go on, foot to the floor ... now!" at the apex to the Hethel track's Andretti hairpin, huge puddles all over the place and rain pouring hard.

Truly, there's a man with faith in his own work!

The beauty of the Exige is that, even with trick electronics, it doesn't dumb the experience down one bit. And, as you'll be seeing next week, this isn't the only new Lotus we've been driving. Time to celebrate with a new Lotus themed desktop then!

Traditional (4:3)
Computer widescreen (16:10)
TV widescreen (19:9)
Portrait (smartphones)

 

[MagicalTrevor]

Thanks for the pic

[Hedgerley]

Oooohhh you tease! What 'other' new Lotus are you talking about?

[Gabber]

Hedgerley said:

Oooohhh you tease! What 'other' new Lotus are you talking about?

Lotus Elise S

[stephen300o]

Should have pinched a pic of that nice blue one off the EVO site.

[bobo]

this has to be a nicer shot

[MagicalTrevor]

bobo said:

this has to be a nicer shot

Nah, there's some letters stuck over the lens of the camera

[GTiFrank]

MagicalTrevor said:

bobo said:

this has to be a nicer shot

Nah, there's some letters stuck over the lens of the camera

Looks loads better in black rather than that British racing? green. Most ugly cars look better in black

[Tonyringtone]

Frank, try to come on this blog being '+'. Personally I am realy excited at the prospect of this new Exige having as big an impact as the launch elise did in 1996 which arguably saved lotus. From memory, there were mixed opinions with the original Elise, now the car has become very collectable and sought after.
I can't wait to get inside this Exige, I will look forward to adding it to my Lotus collection, we all know this car is going to set a new bench mark just like the original Elise before it. Perfect ingredients IMO for a best seller: Lotus are filling a gap in the market (again), it provides safe accessible performance & grunt, economy, great handling, exclusivity, high residuals, what more could you ask for!! ....but you may have to get in the queue for this one.

[soad]

MagicalTrevor said:

Thanks for the pic

Yup, looks good to me too.

Cheers for the Portait one.

[C1RVY]

That's lovely. Cheers.

[GTiFrank]

Tonyringtone said:

Frank, try to come on this blog being '+'. Personally I am realy excited at the prospect of this new Exige having as big an impact as the launch elise did in 1996 which arguably saved lotus. From memory, there were mixed opinions with the original Elise, now the car has become very collectable and sought after.
I can't wait to get inside this Exige, I will look forward to adding it to my Lotus collection, we all know this car is going to set a new bench mark just like the original Elise before it. Perfect ingredients IMO for a best seller: Lotus are filling a gap in the market (again), it provides safe accessible performance & grunt, economy, great handling, exclusivity, high residuals, what more could you ask for!! ....but you may have to get in the queue for this one.

I'm not having a go at the car Tony, just saying as others have that it looks better in black on the Karusel Pic. The car CH drove was a bit of a poor colour choice IMO is all.

[Caviar]

Suddenly the Roadster seems appealing, paddle shift for me, since I'm going to share it with the missus.

[tommy vercetti]

top picture

[bubaak]

thank you

[Addymk2]

I saw one of these beasties driving through Newbury last month, looked AMAZING in the flesh, I presume it was for a road test as it had a camera stuck on the roof?