A two-pack of exciting news from Lotus today: the new Exige Sport 350 drops nearly 100 pounds from the Exige S via an extensive lightweighting program.  Along with its 345-horsepower supercharged 3.5-liter V6, the new Exige Sport 350 is an absolute rocketship!

Consider that the total weight of the Exige is barely 2500-pounds, and you can instantly know how fast the car is.  That weight is up just 200 versus the front-engine MX5 for 2016… a car with only 160-ponies in its most potent guise.

Interestingly, the new Exige Sport 350 is now even more rapid as a paddle-shifted automatic: 3.8s plays 3.9-seconds for the 100-kph sprint — with the auto out front. Both cars deliver a scorching 3.7-second run to the shorter 60-mph run. This is thanks to shotgun-fast upshifts of just 240-milliseconds — more rapid than any race driver can achieve on their best day.

The six-speed manual does find favor in its overall Vmax: despite being just five pounds lighter overall, the stick delivers that 170-mph top speed versys 162-mph for the automatic.

Choices!

The one choice you can’t exercise is buying one of these stunning Exige Sport 350 models in the USA — where the model is not for sale.

In other big Lotus markets worldwide, the Exige Sport 350 is priced and ready to order now for first deliveries in early 2016. A roadster version of the Exige Sport 350 is also joining the global race-pace Lotus fleet from around March of 2016.

USA Lotus fans… don’t fret too hard!  There is a new Elise 220 and Evora 400 to keep you thrillingly sideways on American roads for 2016.  Stay tuned for next article to check out the new Elise hotness….

 

2016 Lotus EXIGE SPORT 350

09 December 2015

New Lotus Exige Sport 350 – Light is Right

• 51 kg lighter than previous Exige S

• 345 hp and in excess of 300 hp/tonne

• 0-60 mph in 3.7 Seconds and top speed of 170 mph

• Heritage Tartan interior and new colour and trim options

As the ultimate incarnation of the world famous Exige, Lotus has revealed the Sport 350, the latest version of the class-leading and award winning sports car, that’s lighter and faster than ever before.

The new Exige Sport 350 is the next model in the range to mark the reintroduction of the renowned ‘Sport’ naming designation. It joins the recently announced Lotus Elise Sport and Elise Sport 220 – delivering a lighter and even more performance-focused driving experience.

Concentrating on what Lotus does best, and with a focus on pure performance, the two-seater has been developed to deliver an unrivalled experience for the driver, being sharper and more direct than previous models. Drawing on the core elements that have made the Exige a firm favourite with driving enthusiasts, the Exige Sport 350 combines Lotus’ lightweight extruded aluminium chassis structure with muscular and aerodynamically efficient composite bodywork.

A product of Lotus’ ‘Lightweight Laboratory’, the Exige Sport 350 weighs just 1125 kg and has shed 51 kg compared to the previous model Exige S. This reduction in mass is the result of a thorough re-evaluation designed to deliver a pure driving experience.

Lotus engineers weighed every component in the previous Lotus Exige S in order to save weight, the result of which includes, amongst many other changes, the introduction of a louvered tailgate panel, a lighter battery, lightweight engine mounts, a lightweight centre console featuring an exposed gearshift mechanism, lighter HVAC pipework and the optimised use of sound insulation.

Jean-Marc Gales, CEO of Group Lotus plc, commented: “The Lotus Exige is already regarded as one of the world’s best sports cars and a benchmark for performance and handling both on road and on track. With the Exige Sport 350 we took an already phenomenally quick car and made it even faster, more dynamic and more pure, perfectly demonstrating our Lotus design philosophy of ‘lighter and faster’.”

The 3.5-litre supercharged V6 engine generates 345 hp and 295lbft of torque at 4500rpm, offering scintillating, progressive power to the road, while revised suspension tuning and wheel geometry contribute to un-matched vehicle dynamics and steering precision. Coupled with the car’s lower mass, this power and torque enables the Lotus Exige Sport 350 to accelerate to 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds (0-100km/h in 3.9 seconds) before reaching a top speed of 170 mph (274 km/h).

The manual gearbox has been heavily revised, giving more precise and quicker shifting. The gearshift mechanism uses light weight machined and cast aluminium components which are so technically aesthetically appealing they are no longer hidden within the transmission tunnel but exposed through an open-gate design, further reducing weight.

The Lotus Exige Sport 350 is also available with a 6-speed automatic option where drivers can change gears manually via forged aluminium paddles located behind the steering wheel, or rely on the gearbox’s fully automatic mode. The automatic gearbox control panel is integrated neatly into the centre console of the cockpit, with buttons for Park, Reverse, Neutral and Drive. Up-shifts take just 240 milliseconds, with rapid downshifts accompanied by automatic throttle-blip (when in Sport mode).

When fitted with the optional automatic gearbox, the new Exige Sport 350 is slightly quicker for 0-62 mph (0-100km/h), clocking a time of 3.8 seconds against 3.9 seconds for the manual gearbox, due to electronically optimised gearshifts.

Replacing the previous car’s glass tailgate, the newly designed lightweight, strong and stiff, rear louvered tailgate not only helps lower the Exige’s centre of gravity, but also aids engine bay cooling – a feature first introduced on the Lotus Esprit Turbo in 1980.

The Exige Sport 350’s aerodynamic styling produces 42 kg of down force at 100 mph (160 km/h) with the rear wing and flat underside both contributing to its phenomenal aerodynamic performance and finely balanced handling.

The Exige Sport 350’s suspension, with firmer dampers and revised geometry, delivers more responsive handling and, combined with a lowered centre of gravity and four piston brake calipers, help it lap Lotus’ test track 2.5 seconds faster than the previous Exige S model, in a time of 1 minute 29.8 seconds. This makes it the first production Lotus ever to go sub 1 minute 30 seconds around the famed Hethel track.

Lotus Dynamic Performance Management (DPM) provides three discrete modes – ‘Drive’, ‘Sport’ and ‘Race’ – with the latter offering increased levels of traction slip threshold, allowing wider drift angles before intervening. The system also opens the engine exhaust bypass valve at mid-to-high engine speeds. Both ‘Sport’ and ‘Race’ settings increase throttle responsiveness.

New larger switches with improved haptics have been introduced for the DPM system (Sport and Race) with the headlights and rear fog lights mounted together with the vehicle’s new engine start button.

New trim packs introduce a heritage theme to the cabin with lightweight sports seats and door panels clad in red or yellow Tartan (leather or Alcantara interior trim options are also available). The Tartan theme was first introduced in 1976 in the Lotus Esprit S1 and was a bold statement originally in keeping with the fashion of the time and now fitting for the new Exige Sport 350.

Optional extras for the Exige Sport 350 include lightweight forged alloy wheels (reducing kerb weight by a further 5 kg), cross drilled and vented two-piece brake discs (shaving yet another 5 kg off the weight), black or yellow painted four-piston callipers, air conditioning, an in-car entertainment system and full carpet and sound insulation pack. Interior packs cover Alcantara, leather and Tartan options, for both seat and door trims. By selecting the lightweight options available the total weight of the Exige Sport 350 becomes a featherweight 1115 kg.

As standard, the front splitter, rear wing, front access panel, roof panel, wing mirrors and rear transom are finished in matt black to complement the car’s aggressive stance; with the option for these components to be painted in body colour at no additional cost.

Jean-Marc Gales continued, “Light weight is the most important aspect of our heritage and future Lotus cars will follow the direction of our most recently launched models, the Evora 400, Elise Sport and of course our latest Exige Sport 350, all of which are both lighter and faster than their predecessors. Over the last 15 years, successive versions of the Lotus Exige have beaten more expensive sports car rivals in media comparison tests and I expect the Exige Sport 350 to continue this. The best has just got better!”

The Lotus Exige Sport 350 goes on sale in Europe in February 2016 and will be available outside Europe, excluding North America from March 2016.

The Lotus Exige Sport 350 will also be available as a Roadster from March 2016.

 

Those wishing to register their interest in the new Lotus Exige Sport 350 should visit: http://www.lotuscars.com/lotus-exige-range

 

Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price

 

UK (Pound Sterling)	£55,900
Germany (Euros)	€74,000
France (Euros)	€74,630
Italy (Euros)	€78,230
Japan (¥ Yen)	¥10,560,000

Technical Specification:

PERFORMANCE	MANUAL	AUTOMATIC
Max power	345 hp at 7000 rpm (350 PS) (258 kW)
Max torque	295 lbft at 4500 rpm (400 Nm)
0-60 mph	3.7 seconds	3.7 seconds
0-100 km/h	3.9 seconds	3.8 seconds
Max speed	170 mph (274 km/h)	162 mph (261 km/h)
Fuel Consumption mpg (l/100 km)
Urban Extra Urban Combined	19.5 (14.5) 37.2 (7.6) 28.0 (10.1)	21.1 (13.4) 39.8 (7.1) 30.1 (9.4)
CO2 emissions	235 g/km	219 g/km
Unladen weight	1125 kg	1130 kg

 

ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION

All alloy, 3.5 litre DOHC V6 VVT-i, 24-valve, equipped with Harrop HTV 1320 Supercharger utilising Eaton TVS™ Technology

Mid mounted, transverse, rear wheel drive

Multi-point sequential fuel injection and direct ignition system

Lotus Electronic Throttle Control system

6 speed manual gearbox with sports ratios

BOSCH Electronic Differential Lock (EDL)

 

CHASSIS AND BODY

Lightweight, extruded aluminium bonded chassis

Fully independent double wishbone suspension with front and rear anti-roll bar

Aerodynamically optimised front splitter, rear diffuser and wing

Bilstein high performance gas dampers, front and rear

Eibach coaxial coil springs, front and rear

Red AP-Racing four-piston caliper high performance disc brakes

Lotus / BOSCH tuned ABS system

Lotus Dynamic Performance Management (Lotus DPM)

Lightweight battery

 

 

EXTERIOR SPECIFICATION

LED front day time running lights with integrated direction indicators

LED rear lamps with integrated direction indicators

Gloss black, cast alloy wheels (17” front and 18” rear)

Front Pirelli P-Zero Corsa tyres 205/45 R17

Rear Pirelli P-Zero Corsa tyres 265/35 R18

Lightweight black louvered tailgate panel

Rear parking sensors

Matt black front splitter, rear wing, front access panel, wing mirrors, rear transom, hard top and rear diffuser (no cost deletion)

 

INTERIOR SPECIFICATION

Driver and passenger airbags

Black leather, thick-rimmed sports steering wheel

Centre console with exposed lightweight gearshift mechanism

Polished aluminium gear knob

Black technical fabric sports seats with Lotus roundel

Leatherette trimmed sills

 

OPTIONS

Alcantara® trim pack

Leather trim pack

Tartan trim pack

Automatic transmission

Air conditioning

AP-Racing four-piston black or yellow calipers

Two-piece high performance brake discs with yellow calipers

Silver, cast alloy wheels (17” front and 18” rear)

Lightweight satin black forged alloy wheels (17” front and 18” rear)

Clarion CD/MP3/WMA receiver with integrated iPod® connectivity with Bluetooth® plus full carpet and sound insulation

 

PAINT OPTIONS

Signature paint Metallic paint