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Lotus pulled 55 pounds out of the Exige and added power to create this Sport 380

The hard-core Lotus just got harder. Or maybe corier? Anyway, the Lotus Exige Sport 380 is the most extreme iteration of the Elise and Exige yet. It hits 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, has even more downforce than the Sport 350, and weighs a full 55 pounds less than that car if you opt for the lightweight exhaust. With a curb weight of 2,425 pounds, that weight reduction means something. Mass was pulled out of a variety of places on the car, including the front splitter, front "hood" insert, wing, and diffuser surround, all of which are rendered in carbon fiber and save a cumulative six pounds. Swapping the rear glass to polycarbonate reduces weight by two pounds, a lithium-ion battery in place of the standard one removes 23, the carbon racing shell seats cut 13, and lighter wheels and brake discs lower the total by 22. Lotus even messed with the lights on the back, going from four big ones to two and making do with smaller fog and reverse lights, saving just over half a pound. That optional titanium exhaust saves an additional 22 pounds. And it's not like the Sport 350 was a porker. As the name suggests, there's more power coming from the supercharged and heavily massaged 3.5-liter Toyota V6. The Sport 380 makes 375 horsepower and 302 pound-feet of torque, up from 345 and 295 in the Sport 350. The 380 accelerates to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds (down from 3.7) regardless of which transmission you choose, but we highly recommend the six-speed manual over the auto, if only for its fantastic and beautiful exposed linkage. Tweaks to the aero package keep drag in check while increasing downforce by about 60 percent over the Sport 350, for a total of 309 pounds at top speed. Which, if you're curious, is 178 mph for the manual, 170 for the auto. So another vote for the three-pedal version. We'll have to remain curious, though, because sadly the current Exige is still not available in the US in any form, nor will it be. But Lotus is working on a new one that should arrive in a couple years to join the rejuvenated Evora lineup – the fantastic Evora 400 and upcoming, fantasticker Evora Sport 410. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Lotus Exige Sport 380 View 14 Photos Image Credit: Lotus Lotus Convertible Coupe Lightweight Vehicles Performance

Lotus Elise Sprint adds lightness to lightness

Lotus announced the introduction of a new Elise trim level that exemplifies founder Colin Chapman's famous phrase of "simplify and add lightness." The new Elise Sprint combines the weight savings of the current standard Elise, along with a number of Sprint-exclusive parts for what Lotus claims is the model's most significant weight loss yet of about 90 pounds over the old model, bringing the car's dry weight (not curb weight) to 1,759 pounds. The exclusive Sprint parts account for about 57 pounds of that loss. They include a lithium-ion battery, forged wheels, polycarbonate rear window, and carbon fiber for the seats, roll bar cover, engine cover, and access panel. Interestingly, the biggest savings come from the lithium-ion battery, which is roughly 20 pounds lighter than the normal battery. Lotus also includes the optional two-piece brake rotors and carbon fiber door sills to reach the 90 pound total. This all translates to slightly quicker 0-60 mph times for Elise Sprint models over their Sport counterparts. Both the 1.6-liter 134-horsepower Sprint and 1.8-liter 217-horsepower Sprint 220 models complete the run to 60 mph a tenth of a second quicker than the equivalent Sport versions, with times of 5.9 and 4.1 seconds respectively. The weight loss also results in a price gain. For either Sprint model, you'll end up paying an extra GBP5,000, which is a bit over $6,100 at current exchange rates. Of course, the Elise isn't available in the US anyway, so it's a moot point. Related Video:

Yeah, it's more than 10 better | 2018 Lotus Evora Sport 410 Quick Spin

Doesn't it drive you crazy when you get a new toy and within weeks they announce a new, improved version? That's exactly what Lotus has done with the new Evora 400. Just as this two-plus-two coupe is wowing US buyers with its combination of light weight and old-school ride and handling, those sneaky devils have gone and produced a lightweight, sport version. Your correspondent attended the launch to test the waters, but in the process found that you'll still have time to enjoy your stock 400 model, since the Sport won't be gracing US shores before next summer – Lotus still has to engineer its lightweight construction for US safety regulations. And will you then want to swap for one at a likely price in excess of $105,000? Read on. Not if you plan to carry the kids, since the new Sport 410 is now strictly a two-seater. The vestigial rear perches, along with the air conditioning, stereo wireless, rear bulkhead glass, sound insulation, door trims, and even the mud flaps have been jettisoned to reduce mass. As a result, you can't see much out of the rear-view mirror except carbon-fiber stays. Other weight-saving measures include new carbon-fiber panels for the roof, rear deck, and front and rear panels. There's a new lithium-ion main battery saving 25 pounds and an optional titanium exhaust system that's lighter and sounds saucier. Total weight saving is 154 pounds compared to the 400, which makes the curb weight a feather-like 2,923 pounds despite the addition of a new transmission oil cooler. It pushes itself into the ground harder, too. Aerodynamic tweaks such as the front splitter and rear spoiler increase downforce from 19 pounds to 40 at 100 mph and from 71 pounds to 141 at 150 mph. Lotus has tweaked its inlet-charge-cooled and supercharged 3.5-liter V6 Toyota Camry engine to yield 10 extra horsepower for a total of 410 (hence the name) at 7,000 rpm and 302 pound-feet of torque at 3,500 rpm. The 410 will hit 60 mph in 4.0 seconds with the six-speed manual, or in 3.9 with the six-speed automatic. Suspension adjustments include re-valved dampers and an effective spring-rate increase thanks to the lighter weight. The hydraulically assisted steering and AP Racing brakes with two-piece rotors remain the same, as does the geared Torsen-type limited-slip differential. The Sport runs on specially forged Magnesium lightweight wheels shod with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 19/20-inch tires front/rear.