proActive is the official industry newsleter of Lotus Engineering. This is issue 1, March / Aprils 2004
Features
The hydropgen promise of Mazda's rotary engine
How to have your cake and eat it
Cost Effective Niche Vehicles of the Future
News
UK: Denso most profitable major supplier in 2003
GERMANY: EU regulations could add L5,000 per car
Top Award for Lotus Elise
Belgium: EU and carmakers fail to aggree on CO2 emissions objectives
GENEVA SHOW: Fiat and General Motors to share large car platform
USA: Americans rediscover V8 horsepower
UK: GM strays from its common architecture strategy
UK: Shell predicts future fleet fuels will be improved rather than newly developed
Drivers-Start our engines: A legend is reborn
Drivers - Start your engines: A legend is reborn
After an absence from the market place for 2 years, Lotus is reintroducing the Lotus Exige - a car that at the time revolutionised the hardcore sportscoupé market despite being on sale for just over 18 months.
The first generation Exige was introduced to the world in early 2000 as a pure race car for the road. Born out of the successful Lotus Sport Elise racecar, which was campaigned throughout Europe with such success in 2000 and 2001, the Exige was hand built in low numbers for a few markets around the world.
The second generation Exige, unveiled as a world debut at the Geneva Motorshow in 2004, takes the same racecar-for-the-road philosophy and applies it to the driver of today.
With phenomenal performance and handling, powered by an advanced 1.8 litre VVTL-i (Variable Valve Timing with Lift - intelligent) engine producing a maximum power output of 141 kw and 181 Nm of torque, the Exige sprints to 100 km/h in 5.2 seconds and 160 km/h in 13.2 seconds before reaching a certified top speed of 237 km/h.
Key to this phenomenal performance and handling is the total aerodynamic package (which gives 41.2 kg of downforce at 160 km/h - 19.3 kg: front and 21.9 kg: rear) and light weight, the latter made possible through innovative engineering and clever design; indeed the Exige weighs in at 875 kg - unladen with no options - giving a power to weight ratio of 161 kw/t.
For more details on the new Lotus Exige please click here.