Lotus has brought out a lighter, racier sibling to the Exige Sport 380 that was only recently launched in November 2016. It’s called, quite obviously, the Exige Race 380, and another major difference here is that this car isn’t road legal.
The changes that Lotus has instituted here all serve to make this the more pure machine, though it’s not like the other Exiges are luxury GTs. A revised suspension, extra aero which provides 240kg of downforce at 170mph (274km/h), a six-speed sequential transmission, limited slip differential, and of course a more obsessive level of weight trimming.
The mid-mounted supercharged 3.5-litre V6 engine produces 280kW and 410Nm, which given the car’s sub-1000kg weight, is more than ample. In fact, Lotus claims the improvements have resulted in a 1.5-second quicker lap time over the Exige Cup R around their Hethel test track.
The small British sports car maker has had a knack for introducing lighter, and perhaps slightly more powerful versions of a recent car that was already quite light and powerful given its weight - the Lotus Evora 410 being one the most recent example, with various versions of the Elise being no stranger to this practice either. But again, this is the rare occasion that Lotus rolls out a track-only variant.
The Exige Race 380 will be priced at £99,500 which amounts to roughly $161k in AUD.
For more on Lotus cars, including pricing and specifications, check out our Showroom.
