Page 1 of 1 Launched at the first Lotus Sport Elise race at Brands Hatch in April 2000, the Exige was one of the wildest variations on the Elise theme. Together with the Elise GT1, the Exige was the only closed road-going version of the Mk I Elise. Although it was based on the road going Elise, it shared more characteristics with the full racing Sport Elise.
The Elise's unique bonded aluminium monocoque also forms the heart of the Exige. This type of chassis combines a very high rigidity with a very low weight, the key ingredients for a performance oriented chassis. Like any modern racing car, the Exige is suspended by double wishbones all-round. Vented and cross-drilled discs provide the nimble road-racer with plenty of stopping power.
Mounted transversely behind the passenger compartiment is the Rover K-Series engine, which can be found in the bulk of the Elise models. In the Exige it produces 177 bhp, which is close to 100 bhp / litre. Upon the customer's request the power could be increased to 190 bhp. The high-sprung engine does not make the Exige an easy car to drive, especially in traffic. A huge scoop on the roof provides the four cylinder engine with plenty of air.
Although the Exige was intended to be a road car, its home is on the track. In the hands of an experienced driver, the Exige, with its razorsharp handling and light weight, is hard to beat. Colin Chapman would definitely have approved! Page 1 of 1
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Exige
Launched at the first Lotus Sport Elise race at Brands Hatch in April 2000, the Exige was one of the wildest variations on the Elise theme. Together with the Elise GT1, the Exige was the only closed road-going version of the Mk I Elise. Although it was based on the road going Elise, it shared more characteristics with the full racing Sport Elise.