British sports car manufacturer, Lotus has launched the most aggressive iteration of its Exige lineup – the Exige Sport 380. Lotus says the Exige Sport 380 is a supercar killer, as the car is now lighter, faster and more aerodynamic than the Exige 350 on which it is based on.
Following the Lotus’ code of making cars lighter than before, the Exige tips the scale at 1,066 kg. With extensive use of carbon fibre, ultra-lightweight forged alloy wheels, lithium- ion battery, polycarbonate rear window instead of glass, titanium exhaust, carbon fibre roof panel, racing seats and a lighter two-piece brake disc; the car attains a power-to-weight ratio of 352bhp per tonne. They even reduced the tail lights from four to two in order to shave few grams of the weight.
Powering the Exige Sport 380 is the uptuned 3.5-litre supercharged V6 generating 375bhp at 6,700 rpm and 410 Nm of torque at 5,000 rpm. Transmission is a six-speed manual with the exposed-linkage stick shift to save weight. There is also an optional six-speed automatic gearbox, with forged aluminium paddle shifters behind the steering wheel. Performance from zero to 100kmph takes just 3.5 seconds and the car attains a top speed of 286kmph. The Exige 380 also comes with a larger fuel tank of 48 litres, enabling a longer range.
Aerodynamic improvements on the Exige 380 include front splitters with a lip spoiler, large carbon rear wing, diffusers, and aero kits around the body which in all generates a downforce of 140kg at top speed. An improved downforce of over 60 per cent over the Exige 350, without affecting the drag.
The carbon fibre sports seats are hand finished with Alcantara and leather, with contrast stitching. The optional lightweight carbon fibre sill is lowered and contoured for ease of ingress and aggress. There is an all-new integrated entertainment system for the Exige 380 which includes iPod and Bluetooth connectivity, along with air conditioning. The aesthetically appealing exposed-linkage gear lever mechanism also helps contribute to the car’s reduced weight.
With a price tag of £67,900 (Rs 57.98 lakh) for the roadster, a coupe version is also available. The Exige 380 is costlier by £11,000 (Rs 9.39 lakh) than the Exige Sport 350. Despite being performance and track focussed, according to Lotus, the Exige is still usable and practical for a road car.
Jean-Marc Gales, CEO of Group Lotus, commented, “We’ve saved something special for our last new car of 2016. We have built upon the foundations of the excellent Exige Sport 350 and developed a perfectly proportioned, intuitive and attainable supercar for real roads. The cut in weight is nothing short of drastic and, combined with the hike in power and its enhanced agility, we’ve created something exceptional - far greater than the sum of its parts. The Exige Sport 380 is so good, that it is no longer the best in class, it’s now in a class of its own.”
