Extensive use of carbon fiber for the roof panel, seats, dash, rear tailgate, front splitter, side air intake ducts and rear spoiler is good for a 22-pound weight reduction. Additionally, weight has been saved using lighter components for the battery, the wheels, the rear engine subframe, the flywheel, the rear window, the supercharger piping and the footwell pads.
Lotus has truly outdone itself in minimalism to cut weight, having dispensed with the trunk carpeting, the front mud flaps, the battery cover, the interior mirror, the sun visors and even the strut that aids in opening the rear tailgate. It all adds up to a total weight of 1,962 pounds, which is 84 pounds lighter than last year's Exige Cup car.
Weight saving is all well and good, but customers can have an optional air-conditioner noise-reduction package installed on request.
Power is unchanged from last year's Cup car, making 257 horsepower and 174 pound-feet of torque from the supercharged inline-4.
The Exige Cup 260 also comes with a rollover hoop painted in body color, and the frame is pre-drilled for a full front roll cage to be installed. Brakes have been upsized to two-piece, 12.1-inch cross-drilled discs in the front and 11.1-inch discs in the rear. Those discs are squeezed by new pads riding on AP Racing calipers up front and Brembo calipers in the rear. Eibach springs, adjustable Bilstein dampers and an adjustable front antiroll bar allow buyers to tune the suspension to their liking.
Lotus has equipped the Exige Cup 260 with a launch system that allows drivers to program the number of revs they want the engine to reach when they plant their foot with the clutch in. A clutch damper softens the jolt of dropping the clutch, and traction control is engaged until the car reaches 6 mph. The traction control system can also be adjusted through 30 increments, from allowing 7 percent tire spin to turning it completely off.
Inside Line says: It may be legal to drive the Lotus Exige Cup on the streets, but it really does belong on the track. — Eric Tingwall, Correspondent
Add A Comment »