Last week saw the launch in London of a branch of a private club established on the Cote d”Azur for motoring enthusiasts who want the best of everything, at a membership cost of ”50,000 per year (including VAT). RevoLondon includes for the money the use of some exotic cars for up to 30 days including the Enzo Ferrari; McLaren SLR; Porsche Carrera GT and Pagani Zonda, plus exotic powerboats and a way in to such events as the Monaco Grand Prix and its social scene. RevoLondon members will also benefit from membership of ”Fifty” the private club in St James”s. Since it was nearly Christmas (and this is the last edition of the year) ABTN took time out to join some exalted company at the Marriott Canary Wharf and the editor actually sat in a ”400,000 Koenigsegg. Very comfortable he says and even slightly quicker than the ”30,000 Lotus Exiage, a report on which follows. The Lotus would not be out of place in this quality group. http://www.revo250.com
Lotus Exige Road Test
Forty-five years ago an ex-de Havilland aero engineer named Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman unveiled a lightweight sports coupe called the Lotus Elite. With a bonded fibreglass body and 1.3 litre Coventry Climax engine it set standards of engineering that were difficult to surpass. By modern comparisons it wasn”t very safe, crash protection not a high priority at the time, but you just did not have accidents in the Elite (I can be disproved ” editor). The Elite was noisy inside, handled (for its time) like a dream, and was not very reliable. ACBC has passed on, but his legacy as Britain”s foremost car designer of the second half of the 20th century is still with us, his ideas of keeping it simple and light always the target at Lotus.
In 1995, Lotus produced its 50,000th car and also sadly pulled out of Formula 1 racing. But the company bounced back and stunned the public and press alike with the launch of the unique Lotus Elise at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Technically advanced and super-light, the Elise delivered 0-60mph in under 6 seconds for a price tag of less than ”20,000.
For our special holiday period road test ABTN has taken a close look at the new Lotus Exige, a coupe version of the soft top Elise, like the Elite, a lightweight with the most superb of handling and still very noisy on the inside. The really big difference is the manufacturing standards and the car”s safety. Today”s Lotus cars are superbly engineered and assembled to the highest standards. Unlike the original Elise the Exige is tastefully finished off on the inside, has electric windows and a radio, and also offers a surprisingly large boot. Yes you can get your golf clubs in. Today”s customer wants something more than the basic Lotus 7 (still in production as the Caterham 7 and rumoured with a completely new and larger version due out next year). He wants fun. He wants speed. He wants reliability. And he wants to keep dry. The Exige fulfils that dream.
Lotus will produce a record 5,500 units over the next 12 months with both the Elise and Exige launched in the USA. List price of the 189hp Lotus Exige 111R is a very competitive ”29,995. We don”t have the figures for the Exige, the identically slightly lighter Elise with the same VVTL-i (Variable Valve Timing and Lift-Intelligent) engine producing a maximum power output of 189hp sprints 0-60mph in 4.9 seconds to 100mph in 13.0 seconds before reaching a certified top speed of 150 mph.
Indeed the Exige weighs in at just 875 kg ” unladen with no options ” giving a power to weight ratio of 161 kW/t and 4.56 kg/PS. Remote central locking is included in the Exige but air conditioning comes in at just over ”1,000.
The Exige is a Lotus and as such has a world leading chassis. Based around the revolutionary and award winning extruded and bonded aluminium tub, with lightweight steel rear sub-frame, used in the Elise 111R, the Exige uses stiffer springs and dampers to provide minimum body roll and to exploit the exceptional level of aerodynamic performance and down force, and the high levels of grip provided by the Yokohama A048 tyres. In fact the ride is outstandingly good for an out and out sports car soaking up road calming humps with surprising ease. The driver and passenger sit in an extraordinarily strong and protective tub, the (French produced ” Lotus like all car manufacturers resource from all over the world) GRC (glass reinforced composite) body panels mere cladding.
Lotus have taken the core values of Lotus and the racing Exige and applied them to the new car with features such as the roof scoop, rear wing, deep front splitter and fast back roof, whilst new features such as the engine cover vents, side intakes and lightweight mesh grills further differentiate the Exige from other products in the Lotus stable.
Driving the Exige is a unique experience. If you are big, or less nimble it is not the easiest of cars to get in and out of, but once sat in the taught cockpit everything fits neatly into place. Take off from the traffic lights and you are going to be first and braking can be left very late into the roundabouts. Motorway cruising is not one of its virtues and if Lotus want to do anything to make the Exige a real mini grand tourer something needs to be done to the interior noise levels. This does not matter with the convertible Elise but Exige customers are a different breed. You have to use wing mirrors too, the rear view mirror virtually useless. What is needed is a periscope to see over the rear wing.
For the future Lotus still builds the GM/Opel/Vauxhall version in small numbers. A new and larger Lotus series is planned based on a standard module. The now Malaysian-owned company is one of the world”s leading automotive design agencies with half its ”150m turnover quietly generated in the backrooms of Lotus Hethel (Norwich) factory. But the skills and knowledge built up over 60 years abound. Maybe the Geneva Motor Show will give an indication of Lotus thinking for the future.
http://www.grouplotus.com