Just like
any proper track-ready machine, the Exige S’ steering
is unassisted, be prepared for a full-on forearm workout at parking speeds. The
wheel lightens up considerably on the go at which point you will truly come to
appreciate its intricate feedback that tingles in your palms, constantly
communicating with you information between the tyres
and the road surface. On the streets, the Exige S is
on another level of its own, darting around traffic as if the other vehicles
were a herd of grazing elephants caught in some time lapse. You truly feel one
with the car.
Ride and
handling is top notch, as the Exige feels like it’s
glued onto the tarmac but never to the point where it gets overly jittery.
Surprisingly, the suspension is progressively compliant even for a race track
ready vehicle, soaking up bumps and other irregularities on normal streets
pretty well without trying to dislocate your neck.
A beefy rear diffuser
helps improve the Exige's aerodynamics
Of course,
the Exige S would be best tested on a good and proper
track where I could really push the excellently balanced chassis to its limits
but unfortunately, there isn’t one in Singapore and I’m left with quiet
stretches of B-roads located off the beaten path. Entering a corner at
physics-defying speeds and the Lotus would push the nose wide and shed off
excess speed, go in half-hearted sideways and the outside rear wheel will start
to spin up. It’s all good fun.
Rear spoiler has been
made smaller, and moved inboard, to meet impact regulations
Just like
the old Exige, the new cabin doesn’t hold any
surprises either. Its mostly bare metal with zero sound proofing – to keep the car’s
weight down. What you do get however, are all the niceties you ever need
to blast around like a professional at Sepang
International Circuit. Braking power was phenomenal, the three pedals on the
floor were well spaced whereby you didn’t need extra big feet to perform dual
pedal action. The manual gear lever gave off a satisfying mechanical click each
time you shifted up or down.
Besides the
electric windows, the Exige S also sees Lotus
introduce a traction control selector to the right of the steering. There are
four settings; Tour, Sport, Race and Off. 'Tour' would eliminate any tendency
to under steer through slow corners without the frustration involved when
traction control intervenes and cuts power. 'Sport' allows
you to play with the chassis much more but still with the added reassurance of
a safety net.
The cabin is super
low, which can make ingress and egress difficult, but overall it's very sporty
interior
The game
changer is in Race mode, in which the car is constantly calculating the maximum
available traction giving the driver a fine balance between grip and drift and
setting the driver up for most probably he’s fastest lap time yet. It’s one of
the least intrusive systems I’ve ever tried and would probably go unnoticed
most of the time. Last but not least, there’s 'Off', and as the name implies,
you are really on your own, without any electronic aid, it’s just you, the Exige S and the laws of physics.
Driving the
Exige S around renewed and restored my faith in good
and proper track cars that can be used just as well on the public roads. The
chassis is superbly balanced, packs mind-boggling performance and its probably the most fun you can have for under $300,000
(minus COE). If you need a weekend fun car to live-out your automotive
fantasies on and off the track, the Exige S is all
you ever need.
