Autoblog

Harder Core: 2010 Lotus Exige Cup 260

Jonny Lieberman — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 10:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Lotus, UK

2010 Lotus Exige Cup 260 - click above image for high-res gallery

The Lotus Elise/Exige twins are quickly becoming the Porsche 911s of Britain. Or are they British Mustangs? In other words, totally fantastic sports cars with so many special variations that only the idiot savants among us can keep up and keep track. Case in point: meet the new for 2010 Lotus Exige Cup 260. What is it? A faster, stiffer and - you guessed it - lighter version of the already impossibly quick, nimble and skinny Exige S introduced in March of this year.

Power remains the same (257 horsepower and 174 lb-ft of torque from the supercharged 1.8-liter Toyota inline-four) but remember what Lotus founder Colin Chapman said: "Adding power makes you faster on the straights; subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere." With that in mind, the Cup 260 not only makes use of the 84 pounds of weight savingsthat the skeletal Exige S lords over the base Exige, but sheds further kilos of flab through some pretty aggressive dieting.

Extensive use of carbon fiber saves another 26 pounds, lightweight components (battery, wheels, subframe, fly wheel, rear-window delete, supercharger U-bend pipes) chop off a further 48 pounds. In fact, Lotus says the wheels are the lightest ever fitted to a production car. Ripping out other useless junk like the carpets, rearview mirror, sun visors and the like sheds another 10 pounds.

Add it all up and you're left with a car that weighs just 1,958 pounds, slightly more than half the weight of a Chevy Camaro SS (3,857 lbs). And where the 426 hp Camaro can hit 60 mph in five seconds, the lithe little Lotus can do it in four ticks flat, thanks in part to an all-new launch control system but also because it doesn't weigh anything. The 30% stiffer rear-end coupled with the two-way adjustable Ohlins dampers means the Exige Cup 260 should handle even better than all the numerous Exiges that came before it. Price? Nothing is set in stone (ha ha) about the U.S. MSRP but $80K seems about right - provided Lotus decides to import it. Full press release after the jump, high-res gallery splendor below.

Gallery: 2010 Lotus Exige Cup 260

[Source: Lotus]

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Harder Core: 2010 Lotus Exige Cup 260 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 27 Aug 2009 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lotus reveals 2008 Exige Sport Cup 260

Damon Lavrinc — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 16:18:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Lotus

Lotus just keeps churning out more variants of the Elise and Exige, but the major difference between those other limited-edition models and the Exige Sport Cup 260, is this is the automaker's ultimate track-day version to date.

Powered by the 257 hp, Toyota-sourced 1.8-liter mill and a Roots-type Eaton M62 supercharger, the 2,046-pound coupe rockets to sixty in four seconds, passes 100 mph in 9.9 seconds an on to a top speed of 147 mph. A heavy-duty clutch sends power to the standard six-speed manual and on down to an LSD, with a plate-type limited slip available as an option. A new instrument pack with a revised graphic design keeps tabs on the blown four, while new aerodynamic bits (producing 40 kgs of downforce at 100 mph) and variable traction and launch control keep things planted at speed.

Standard equipment includes cast 16-inch wheels wrapped in Yokohama A048R tires, four-piston AP Racing calipers up front clamping 282 mm cross-drilled rotors, an adjustable anti-roll bar and dampers, along with FIA-approved Recaro seats, six-point roll-cage and a 70-liter fuel cell.

The price of the Exige Sport Cup 260 is set at £56,034 and it's available now in Europe.

[Source: Lotus]

Lotus reveals 2008 Exige Sport Cup 260 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Feb 2008 16:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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For shame! Cupholder option in new Lotus Exige S

Damon Lavrinc — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 13:57:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Lotus

We were as taken-aback as the blokes over at Autocar when they discovered that the new, Performance Pack-equipped, Lotus Exige S came with an optional cup-holder. "It can't be true!" we screamed to the God of Oversteer, but it is, and although it's as minimal as it can get, it still seems like a dilution of a car (and a brand) that's made a name for itself producing focused, lightweight weapons for the track. Mr. Chapman is doing donuts in his grave and we're left shaking our heads.

[Source: Autocar]

For shame! Cupholder option in new Lotus Exige S originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 17 Nov 2007 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lotus Exige S Club Racer: New color, same shtick

Damon Lavrinc — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 14:01:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Europe, Lotus

Click the image above for a couple of wallpaper-worthy shots of the Club Racer Exige S.

The term "Club Racer" is usually appended to some of the most hard-core track-day weapons on the market. In the case of the Lotus Exige S Club Racer, it boils down to an exclusive paint scheme and some added interior bits.

The sky blue and "Phantom Black" exterior ties in nicely with the sports pack black wheels, and harkens back to the heyday of Mr. Chapman's racing endeavors in the '60s. Inside, the Club Racer gets a combination of black leather and carbon fiber "effect" coverings, along with an overhead shot of the Hethel circuit embroidered into the headrests.

Only 25 limited editor "Racers" will be sold, with no word on how many will make it Stateside. With a price of £39,950 for what's essentially a Sport, Touring and Super Touring package equipped Exige S with a Sports Exhaust and air-con, we could think of better ways of building up our own dream Exige.

Lotus' press release in full is posted after the jump.

Gallery: Lotus Exige S "Club Racer"

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Lotus Exige S Club Racer: New color, same shtick originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 22 Sep 2007 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lotus Exige S on the way!

Alex Nunez — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 08:07:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Lotus

On Tuesday, Lotus made the official announcement that the supercharged Exige S is headed stateside with 220 horses under its highly-ventilated engine cover. That's 30 horsepower more than the standard Exige, and is enough to propel the blown version to 60 mph in just 4.1 seconds, 100 mph in 11 seconds, and a top end of 148 mph. Since it's a Lotus, it works real nice when you actually turn the steering wheel, too.

The asking price is reportedly $56,990, a number that Autoblog reader Dave E. confirmed in an email to us after he eyeballed a dealer order sheet. If you'd like to be jealous, head on over to this thread at EliseTalk.com, where you'll find customers talking about the cars they've already got on order. Based on the chatter there, it sounds like dealers will have some cars in showrooms next month, and that customer orders will start arriving in December.

As for the car's official US debut, we'll go out on a limb and guess that it'll happen at Lotus Ltd's 26th Annual Lotus Owners Gathering, which will take place in Fort Worth on October 13-17. The club's website says that the Texas event will provide the backdrop for the unveiling of Lotus' newest US model.

[Sources: Jalopnik, EliseTalk, Lotus Ltd.]

Lotus Exige S on the way! originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Sep 2006 08:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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