This is the new, fire breathing Lotus Exige S. I say fire breathing, because behind its two seats sits not a four-pot but a supercharged Toyota V6 making a heady 345bhp.
The supercharged V6 is the same unit you’ll find in the Evora S, but with stiffer engine mounts. The rear subframe is very similar to the Evora’s, too.To keep the Exige’s newfound power in check a few revisions have been made to the standard Exige. These include a quicker steering ratio (to compensate for a 70mm increase in wheelbase) at 17:1 rather than 18:1, new front suspension geometry to retain some steering lightness and an alteration to the car’s maximum steering angle from 32 degrees to 35 degrees, giving the S a slightly tighter turning circle.
At lower speeds, the steering is at the limit of acceptable weight, despite being unassisted. It’s also largely free from kickback but loaded with feel and self-centres perfectly to offer unrivalled response and accuracy.
On a twisty B-road blast, Lotus’ hottest Exige is extremely fast; the sprint to 60mph from standing is dispatched in just 4.0sec (that’s 0.1sec quicker than an Audi R8 V10, incidentally), and flat out, it’ll hit 170mph.
Through quick corners, the S is superbly poised, controlled and supple. Goad the accelerator and you’ll be pleased with the immediate throttle response thanks to ample torque throughout the rev range (the 295lb ft max is at 4500rpm, but there feels plenty below).
The six-speed manual gearbox, however, isn’t the slickest unit, but an improvement over past examples and the pedal weights generally very good. The brakes are a little over-servoed for our liking, but stopping power is fabulous.
Where the Lotus Exige S really shines is on a racing circuit. The S serves up immense lateral grip levels, then understeers gently – telegraphing this impeccably through the steering wheel.
Brake into a corner, or lift – and stay lifted – and the Exige S’s rear-end will begin to drift and, unlike ever before, stay sideways. The longer wheelbase means there’s more notice of its arrival, too, while the extra lock makes it easier to catch.
The Exige remains precisely the kind of car that Lotus is best at; it’s terrifically quick, extremely entertaining and, importantly, relatively cheap compared with its rivals. That’s not bad for arguably the best all-round road/track car currently on sale.
