Lotus Exige S Roadster Exterior, the view through the
rear window
Most of the extra flab is in the motor and that’s contained
within the wheelbase. It’s astonishing that a car with a big V6 weighs no more
than a super mini. Instead of being powered by a 1.8-litre four, the latest
Exige S has a 3.5-litre supercharged V6 for motivation. The Toyota-built engine
only just fits but regular scheduled work can be done through access panels.
With a claimed kerb weight of 1176kg, and 10kg less for the
Roadster which needed no additional strengthening, its power: weight figure has
improved dramatically, down from 6.3 to 4.7kg/kW. Where the former Exige failed
to break 5sec on its way to 100km/h, the new one hits that mark in 3.96sec.
Naturally this engine generates a swag more grunt. Utilising an Aussie-made
Harrop supercharger, you’ve 258kW (346hp) at your disposal, allied with 400Nm
of torque. Because of its stupendous midrange grunt, you can almost ignore gear
changes – it would take the entire squiggly circuit in third gear – but that
wouldn’t be much fun, given how sweetly the six-speed manual trans shifts, and
how visceral the engine feels and sounds. A Toyota you say? Not like any Aurion
I’ve ever heard. In the end, we used second in the tight stuff, third in most
other corners and fourth for the straight bits.
Lotus Exige S Roadster Engine
Both cars are exceptional, lithe and totally at home. You quickly learn to
short shift instead of running the engine to the 7000rpm limiter. Once our
minder had us track familiar, we were encouraged to test the limits of adhesion
On track both cars are exceptional, lithe and totally at
home. You quickly learn to short shift instead of running the engine to the
7000rpm limiter. Once our minder had us track familiar, we were encouraged to
test the limits of adhesion, easy in a car that dials back ESP intervention by
around 20 per cent in Sport mode. Through the technical infield, the tail gains
a life of its own with a lift-off timed to a weight transition, or by hooking
into the throttle early on a corner exit. All without undue drama, and ESP can
be switched off.
At the outset you quickly recall the wheel effort needed for
low speed manoeuvring. No power assistance here. You buy one of these and you
get a yoga workout and muscle strengthening gratis. However, the beautifully
nuanced unassisted steering is the payback for that additional slow-speed heft.
It’s just so tasty and stands out in a sea of electrically-assisted vanilla
steering.
So too the brakes. It’s an AP system, with four-piston
calipers acting on 350mm vented and cross-drilled discs up front. They never
showed any sign of stress, and never smoked. Lotus suggests a 100-0 stopping
distance of 33m. We bet that’s conservative.
Comparing the two variants, both of which cost $131,900, on
the face of it the higher top speed of the Coupe and the fact you get a solid
roof and a pukka wing make this better value.
Lotus Exige S Roadster Rear
