Autocar - Lotus Exige S 3.5 V6 S FIRST DRIVE

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Lotus Exige S review

Test date 10 April 2012 Price as tested £50,850

What is it?

This is the new Series 3 Lotus Exige. Apparently Lotus is no less immune to automotive trends than any other car maker, because the latest Exige S is bigger and heavier than before. That’s not because of a new passenger tub – it’s carried over, as are the doors and windscreen – but because behind its two seats sits not a four-pot but a supercharged Toyota V6 making 345bhp.

Lotus’s engineering gaffer, Matt Becker, suggests it’s for people who might like a Porsche 911 GT3 on a circuit, but with lower running costs.

From the front backwards, the steering ratio is faster (to compensate for a 70mm increase in wheelbase) at 17:1 rather than 18:1. The maximum steering angle has been increased to 35 degrees from 32, and the balance point (where a slide is most naturally held) is less close to that limit. There’s also new front suspension geometry to retain some steering lightness in the face of the increased weight and directness.

The unchanged tub means that things are similar inside the car, although it’s now possible to specify heated seats. Yes, in an Exige.

Beyond the tub, the engine is in the same tune as found in an Evora S, but with stiffer engine mounts. The rear subframe is very similar to the Evora’s, too.

What’s it like?

On the roads around Hethel, the Lotus Exige S is superbly poised and controlled, yet supple in a uniquely Lotus way. And it’s fast: 60mph in 4.0sec, 100 in 8.5sec. Flat out, it’ll hit 170mph.

The six-speed manual gearshift still isn’t the last word in slickness, but it feels improved over past examples, while other control weights are good, albeit with a brake slightly over-servoed at the very top of its travel. Throttle response is terrific, there is ample torque throughout the rev range (the 295lb ft max is at 4500rpm, but there feels plenty below), while stopping power is fabulous.

At lower speeds, the steering is at the limit of acceptable weight. Were it any heavier, it’d need power steering, so let’s hope this is the limit, because, once rolling, it’s brilliant. It’s largely free from kickback but loaded with feel. It self-centres perfectly and offers unrivalled response and accuracy. It’s a gem.

On a circuit, meanwhile, the Exige is once again sublime and seemingly inexhaustible. It grips forever, then understeers gently – telegraphing this impeccably through the steering wheel.

An open differential has been retained, so more power will not necessarily give you anything but inside rear tyre smoke at this point, but brake on the way into a corner, or lift – and stay lifted – and the car will tuck its nose in while mobilising the rear. There follows something no Exige has been so keen to indulge in before: maintaining a slide. The longer wheelbase means there’s more notice of its arrival, too, while the extra lock makes it easier to catch.

A word of warning, though: the Exige will wear its consumables less quickly than some heavier track cars but is unlikely to be as light on them as it used to be. Specify the more stiffly sprung Race Pack (like our test car), which is the Lotus marketing department’s way of talking you out of a further £2000, and you’ll find it’s optimised for Pirelli P Zero Trofeo tyres (a cheeky further £800 option) rather than the standard Corsas. I can’t say the (optional) diamond-cut wheels really suit a track car, either.

Should I buy one?

Still, I’m splitting hairs here. The Exige remains precisely the kind of car that Lotus is best at: one that’s as fast and as much fun as some specialist track cars, yet two-thirds their price. And that’s not bad for arguably the best all-round road/track car currently on sale.
Matt Prior

Lotus Exige S
Price: £52,900; 0-60mph: 4.0sec; Top speed: 170mph; Economy: 28.0mpg (combined); CO2: 236g/km; Kerb weight: 1176kg; Engine: V6, 3456cc, supercharged, petrol; Installation: Mid, transverse, RWD; Power: 345bhp at 7000rpm; Torque: 295lb ft at 4500rpm; Gearbox: 6-spd manual; Fuel tank: 40 litres

Bron: http://www.autocar.co.uk/CarReviews/Fir ... pe/262459/