Lotus Exige review
Lotus Exige 1.8i Road Test
Test date 22 June 2004
Price as tested £31,500
For Razor-sharp handling, improved comfort, better cabin
Against Lacks the old car's drama, brake pedal travel
The original Elise, the car that saved Lotus, appeared nine years ago, but the story of the Exige really begins in 1999 with the launch of the Sport Elise, a one-make racecar featuring aggressive aero bodywork and a centrally-mounted driver’s seat. Lotus claimed a roadgoing version would never be made but within the year, the Exige had been born.
And this was no pale imitation of the race car; the functional roof scoop directed cool air to the alternator, and the numerous aerodynamic aids added 80kg of downforce at 100mph. Series one Exige production finished in 2001.
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