The Greatest Lotus Ever Or Just Another Parts Bin Special?
The Long struggling Lotus have just announced the newest update to the Exige. The Cup 430 Unlimited edition sees a number of visual and performance orientated upgrades to create what Lotus are calling the “wildest incarnation of its fire-breathing, point-to-point two-seater sports car.” The new performance upgrade for the Exige comes from the engine, which has been taken from the hardcore Lotus Evora GT430. This means that the new Exige Cup 430 Unlimited edition has 430BHP and 440Nm of torque, and in a car weighing just 1056KG it gets a power to weight ratio of 407hp/tonne, the same as a McLaren 540C.
The Upgrades From The Evora Mean The Exige Can Still Compete With The Big Boys
The upgrades in the engine bay don’t stop there, the new engine is mated to an all new Edelbrock super charger and charge cooler, this means a 0-62 time of just 3.2 seconds and a top speed of 180MPH. This newest version of the Exige has an increase in power of 25% over the previous hardcore Exige Sport 350 an impressive jump for the cash strapped company. Jean-Marc Gales CEO of Lotus said: “This is the car we have always wanted to build, and I am sure that all Lotus enthusiasts will be delighted with the end product. As well as a significant power hike, the cup 430 has benefited from extensive development in areas essential to Lotus DNA”.
Light Weight Carbon Fibre Covers The New Exige
What Gales is of course referring to by Lotus DNA is track performance. Due to their light weight and incredible handling Lotus’ are always fantastic on the track. Lotus engineers have been sure to increase that performance with the new 430 unlimited edition through a number of aerodynamic upgrades. The car receives a racing derived rear wing, a new design for the front splitter and carbon fibre air blades to cut through the air with ease. These new upgrades have given the car an incredible 220KG of downforce. The Lotus Exige Cup 430 Unlimited Edition is a sea of carbon fibre, the new front splitter, front access panel, roof, diffuser surround, side pods, tailgate and that new rear wing are all carbon fibre. Lotus engineers were obsessed with delivering the maximum in track performance without increasing the weight or ruining the handling.
You Have To Ask How Long Can This Ageing Struggling Company Keep Going
Lotus have struggled in the past with out dated designs and cheap craftsmanship. They simply do not have the money to update their cars as regularly as the big boys, but where Lotus have always succeeded is in performance, whilst they may not be the newest cars on the market Lotus have managed to maintain a package of fantastic handling and racing pedigree that few companies have managed to replicate. The Lotus Exige Cup 430 Unlimited Edition is just an upgrade using stuff from the Lotus parts bin, but what the magicians at Lotus have managed is the fastest and most powerful Exige ever.
What do you think of Lotus’s newest Exige upgrade, let us know in the comments.
