Lotus Exige S Roadster
With time, vehicles in any line-up tend to become bigger and
more sophisticated, so they add weight and expense. Last time we drove a Lotus
Exige in 2004 it weighed 903kg, with 37:63 front: rear weight split. That
percentage hasn’t changed, but the latest generation hardtop now weighs 1176kg,
which is something about which company founder, Sir Colin Chapman, might have
had something to say.
However, he might equally have turned a blind eye over a 30
per cent weight blowout, for the dynamics of the new Exige are no less
impressive in what is a much more substantial offering. And one that’s also
vastly quicker. While there is a family resemblance to the car we drove a
decade ago, the new one is the proverbial kettle of fish different, retaining
only the name (it means ‘to drive out’ in Latin), the mid-mounted engine and
next to non-existent luggage space – good only for a dozen beer – and the
absent power steering pump. No room for that apparently. Good.
Lotus Exige S Roadster on road
Despite a succession of owners, the latest being DRB Hicom,
the company is upbeat about the future. Antipodean distributor, Ateco, hopes to
sell over 300 cars in Australasia this year, half Exiges. The Roadster version
of the latter is new, a sib to the Exige S Coupe. It looks clean and svelte,
without the aero kit of the hardtop. We drove both at ‘The Farm’, a private
road/track north of Sydney. The facility is a 5.1km ribbon of dual carriageway
built on a farm in the middle of nowhere.
This is the second-generation Exige, but the Roadster S is
the first lidless variant; the original was a hardtop. It’s also the fastest
roadster Lotus has ever built, rated at 233km/h. The mechanically similar
Coupe, with a splitter and rear wing, is good for 270km/h.
Cabin quality and finish a step up on Elise’s
I asked Mark Wills, son of father Dean who built the track,
which Lotus he’d have and without hesitation he said the Exige S Coupe. After a
few laps in each, I’d agree with that sentiment. It isn’t the most comfortable
Lotus we drove on the day – Evora would take that honour – and the Exige S
Roadster has more suspension compliance but the Coupe is the better road and
track package. With one rider: buy the Coupe and be prepared for some gentle
body compaction when easing yourself into the low slung chassis (overall height
of 1129mm). Still, it’s nothing like the Yoga contortion the Elise entry
manoeuvre mandates.
New Exige S is visibly bigger all round (4084mm long and
1802mm wide) which confers added stability at speed and in corners, with little
loss of agility. And if you’re at all concerned about the weight, don’t be.
