If you have a need for a sporty 2-seater, Lotus has the car for you. The Exige S has had a V6 engine since 2012. Toyota supplies the 3.5-liter design which is a great match for the light & nimble aluminum chassis. But for those who want the ultimate in handling with a better power to weight ratio than almost anything on the road, the Exige 380 is an engineering marvel. Borrowing the supercharger from the Evora 400, the Exige 380 is the most powerful example to date. A smaller supercharger pulley spins the blower faster, forcing more boost into the intake. New exhaust is titanium from the engine, to tailpipes, and shaves 10 lbs of weight. Extensive use of carbon fiber along with a lithium battery makes for a dry weight of only 2,350 lbs.
(Related – Lotus Evora 400 With Fan Inspired Livery)
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Let that sink in…Lotus is building a 375 hp car with 302 lb-ft of torque, and it weighs over 1,000 lbs less than your daily driver. This is made possible by staying true to their core beliefs. You won’t find power steering, lane-keeping assist, or massaging seats. You will have a new six-speed manual transmission with an integrated oil cooler. It is controlled by a beautiful sequential shifter that is exposed on the center console. With more extensive use of carbon fiber in the body panels, these enhancements have shaved 55 lbs from the curb weight. Sixty mph arrives in 3.5 seconds on your way to a top speed of 178. Fuel mileage approaches 20 mpg for the six-speed and 21.1 for the automatic version. Pricing is expected to start just under $95,000, making it very competitive in the market for compact track cars. As soon as US availability is confirmed you will see it first here on Autofluence.
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