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Lotus pumps Exige up to 430 horsepower

It seems that every few months or so Lotus has yet another lighter, faster version of one of its cars, usually with an emphasis on the lighter part. This time, the latest, fastest Lotus gets a big bump in power. It's the Lotus Exige Cup 430, and it shares its supercharged V6 with the recently launched Evora GT430. That means it makes 430 horsepower, an impressive 55 more than the 375-horsepower Exige Cup 380. It also produces 325 pound-feet of torque. That engine is impressive enough in the Evora GT430, but it becomes pretty breathtaking in the Exige, which weighs about 2,410 pounds. Though that's slightly heavier than the Cup 380, the overall power-to-weight ratio has improved, and Lotus says the 430 can fly to 60 mph in just 3.2 seconds from a standstill. It also boasts a higher top speed than the 380, at 180 mph, which is 5 mph more than the 380. Perhaps more impressive is the fact the Exige Cup 430 is the fastest road car Lotus has tested at its Hethel race track, beating the track-oriented 3-Eleven road car by 1.2 seconds. Among the other interesting features of the Exige Cup 430 are the three-way adjustable shocks as well as adjustable front and rear anti-roll bars. More of the car's total downforce, 45 percent to be precise, acts on the front now, compared with 36 percent on the Cup 380. Four-piston brake calipers are used at each corner. It also comes with a number of weight-saving features as standard, including the lithium-ion battery and titanium exhaust. It can also be optioned to be a legitimate race car with an FIA-legal roll bar and airbag delete. But just the stock car isn't cheap. It has three different price tags depending on whether you purchase it in the U.K., Germany, or France. But the cheapest price in dollars comes from the U.K. where it retails for GBP99,800, or just shy of $131,000 at current exchange rates. Related Video: Featured Gallery Lotus Exige Cup 430 View 9 Photos Image Credit: Lotus Lotus Coupe Lightweight Vehicles Performance

2020 Lotus Evora GT First Drive | Exquisitely analog

OJAI, Calif. — WeÂ’ve glimpsed LotusÂ’s EV-powered, 2,000-horsepower, $2 million future, and itÂ’s a glorious vision, for sure. But the boutique brand has also updated its more attainable gas-powered offerings back here on Earth, in the form of the 2020 Lotus Evora GT. Our first drive offered a revealing (and thrilling) taste of what might be among HethelÂ’s last traditionally-powered sports cars. For those unfamiliar with the Evora, the diminutive 2+2 was launched in 2009 as a grand touring-capable alternative to the laser-focused, ultra-featherweight Elise. Power hails from a Toyota-sourced 3.5-liter V6 with Lotus-modified induction and exhaust hardware, with everything from the throttle calibration to the spark plugs tweaked, and oil sump baffles added to reduce sloshing during high g-force maneuvers. While supercharger oomph was added to the Evora 400Â’s powerplant in 2015 (breaking the, you guessed it, 400 horsepower barrier), the latest GT spinoff incorporates mods from the non-U.S.-spec Evora 430, which brings total output to 416 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque. As before, a six-speed manual comes standard (and accounts for approximately 70% of sales), while an automatic adds $2,700 to the $96,950 starting price. Thanks to an infusion of carbon fiber and composite bits, the Evora GT tips the scales at only 3,175 pounds – for context, thatÂ’s only 33 lbs more than a Porsche 911T – aided by a bonded aluminum tub that manages both light weight and excellent torsional rigidity. Opt for the carbon pack ($10,000), and youÂ’ll shave an additional 71 pounds from the equation. Further mass reduction is available via forged wheels ($3,250) and titanium exhaust ($8,000). Revised aerodynamics in the form of tucked-in wheel arch vents, a slight drop in ride height, and a larger rear spoiler conspire to double downforce, producing 160 lbs of force at the 188-mph top speed. If youÂ’ve ever endured the awkward ingress and egress of a Lotus Elise, the Evora feels refreshingly conventional: simply slide in, click in, and adjust your mirrors diligently because, at least if youÂ’ve ordered the carbon package, visibility through the rear windows is almost entirely obscured by thick louvers. Like that other British performance brand (looking at you, McLaren), Lotus stuck to its guns by retaining a hydraulic steering rack that conveys road surface nuances and feedback with refreshing accuracy.

Lotus confirms new Elise S Cup

Head on over to the Lotus website, and though the Elise isn't offered in the United States anymore, buyers in other markets can choose between numerous models: there's the base Elise, the Elise Club Racer, the Elise S and the Elise S Club Racer, and that's before even getting into the even more extreme Exige that's also based on the Elise. Track-day enthusiasts can also go for the full-on Elise S Cup R, but now the British sportscar manufacturer has confirmed a new variant.
Called the Elise S Cup, it slots in between the CR and the Cup R as an extreme performance model that can actually be driven to the track and back home on public roads. The S designation tells us it packs the 1.8-liter supercharged four that already produces 217 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque in the existing Elise S, Elise S CR and Elise S Cup R, but as we saw when Lotus was testing the new variant around the Nürburgring, the Elise S Cup packs some key upgrades.
It's got an aero kit - including front splitter, winglets, side skirts, rear diffuser and rear wing - that's more aggressive than other road-going models (though apparently less extreme than the track-focused S Cup R), helping to generate 145 lbs of downforce at 100 mph and 275 lbs at top speed and besting the Elise S around the Lotus test track by an impressive three seconds.