Lotus Exige Coming to America.
Date: September 1, 2005
Following a record-breaking first year of sales for the Lotus Elise roadster, Lotus Cars USA will begin importing
the Elise’s aggressive twin brother, the Lotus Exige. While a family resemblance to the Elise can be seen in the Exige’s
bodywork, every body panel is new except for the doors. The Exige is narrowly focused on taking the Elise’s excellent
handling to an even higher level of performance.
“Bringing the Exige to America allows us to reinforce our commitment to pure sports car enthusiasts” said John
English, president and CEO of Lotus Cars USA. “The Exige is unique in its ability to provide incredible track capability
in a package that can be driven to and from the track.”
Using the award-winning Elise chassis as a starting point, the Exige adds aerodynamic bodywork that produces nearly 100
pounds of downforce at 100 miles per hour. This is exceptional compared to the lift most cars produce at this speed. This
additional downforce allows Exige to corner faster than the Elise and therefore makes it nearly 2 seconds faster around
Lotus’ famous Hethel test track. New bodywork includes an aerodynamic splitter at the lower edge of the front bodywork,
a sculpted hardtop and engine bay cover, side intake scoops and a rear wing. While the additional bodywork adds about 30
pounds to the weight of an Elise, the Exige will still weigh just slightly more than 2000 pounds.
All the trim including the splitter, rear wing, side scoops, rear diffuser and wheels are finished in black to add to
the Exige’s aggressive look. The radiator outlet, front brake vents and engine bay outlets are finished with black mesh.
Since the focus is performance, the forged wheels, ultra high performance Yokohama A048 tires, stiffer suspension and
twin oil coolers from the Elise Sport Pack are standard equipment. Sport seats are also standard and all 20 exterior
colors from the 2006 Lotus palet will be available. In keeping with the black trim theme, black will be the only interior
color for both the standard cloth and the Touring Pack leather.
For those looking to slightly tame the Exige, a Touring package will be available with leather seats and door panels,
full carpeting, additional sound insulation and an upgraded stereo system. For those looking to add even more edge, a
Limited Slip Differential, traction control and an air conditioning delete option should do the trick.
Since the bodywork on the Exige is “hand-laid” and the rest of the car is hand assembled, production will be limited
to 300 to 350 cars for the U.S. The MSRP will be $50,990 when Exiges begin to arrive early in the first quarter of 2006.
Options include the following:
Touring Pack - $1350
Lotus Traction Control - $495; Designed to modulate power through the engine control module to reduce rear wheel
spin, LTC can be disabled via an interior switch.
Limited Slip Differential with Lotus Traction Control - $1790; Torque sensing limited slip differential designed
to distribute power more evenly between the rear tires to allow more aggressive acceleration out of low speed corners
in autocross-type competition.
Air Conditioning Delete - $250; Removes approximately 22 lbs. from the already lightweight Exige.
Metallic Paint - $595
Lifestyle Paint - $1200
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NEW Lotus Exige Announced
PRESS RELEASE
New Exige to Change the Rules
Hethel, UK
8th September 2003
Not since the arrival of the Elise has any car made such an impact. Now, as the current Elise improved on the original
icon, so the Exige is to perform the same feat. The new Lotus Exige bears all the hallmarks of a true racer. Large air intakes
and front splitter dominate the cars aggressive front stance. Sweeping lines and extended air scoops lead into the commanding
rear haunches and spoiler, proudly displaying the cars racing intent.
With Lotus Design working in conjunction with Lotus engineering and aerodynamic teams to achieve an optimum driving experience,
the Exige performs as dynamically as it looks. Powered by a 1.8 litre 4 cylinder 16 valve engine with VVTL-i variable valve
technology and mated to a close ratio six-speed manual gearbox, the Exige will sweep effortlessly past 60mph in under 5 seconds
whilst breaking the 140mph mark with ease. With an output of 190bhp, the Toyota Motor Corporation manufactured engine is perfectly
suited to the Exige, revving to around 8350rpm.
As with any Lotus, perfect dynamics are key to the product. Tuned by Lotus’ world famous Ride and Handling team, every conceivable
component, such as suspension, wheels and tyres have been developed to provide the ultimate performance both on and off the track.
The Exige will be unveiled at the 2004 Geneva Motorshow for the UK, Europe and Asia-Pacific markets. Details of specifications
and price will be announced closer to this unveiling date.
The K-Series engine will continue to be used within the Elise range for the foreseeable future.
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