Lean And Mean Lotus Exige Sport 350 Launched

Lotus has launched an even more hardcore version of their Exige S sports car.

Called the Lotus Exige Sport 350, the new car has the same engine as the Exige S but has shed 51 kilograms and now weighs in at just 1125 kilograms.

This diet has been achieved by mounting the engine on lighter mounts as well as a new tailgate panel along with new piping for the air conditioning, a new battery, and the usage of lower amounts of sound insulation. inside the car, the centre console is less bulky and the the manual aluminium six-speed gearbox's gearshift mechanism is exposed.

Those looking to make the Exige Sport 350 even lighter can also opt for forged alloy wheels and drilled brake discs. This leads to 10 more kilograms in weight saved.

The supercharged 3.5-litre V6 is the same one from the Exige S and it produces 345bhp and 400Nm of torque. The 0-100km/h sprint takes just 3.9 seconds and the Sport 350 will continue pulling till it reaches 274km/h. Lotus inserted a revised suspension setup into the new car with firmer dampers and altered geometry, which help the car shave 2.5 seconds off the Exige S lap time around Lotus' own test track.

The interiors of the car are quite bare but you can spec the sports seats in a yellow tartan trim. Other options like an multimedia system or air-conditioning can be added on, though that will increase the weight of the car.

The Lotus Exige Sport 350 will go on sale in February with prices from £55,900. A roadster version of the car is expected to follow a month later.