If any of us lost 57 pounds, we'd be faster, too. And more fun.
Lotus took the almost-weightless Exige S 240 (2,077 pounds) and trimmed some fat to make the Exige S 260 Sport.
Specifically, engineers replaced the composite front lower splitter, the front access panels at the base of the windshield, the roof, the rear engine cover, the side air intake ducts and the rear wing with identical pieces made from carbon fiber. The seats also are carbon fiber. The motorsports (gel-cell) battery saves several pounds, the lightweight motorsports flywheel, the super-light forged alloy wheels save 12 pounds (3 pounds at each corner), and then they replaced the rear glass with a blank panel through which you can't see (the intercooler blocks almost the entire rear view, anyway).
All this means that the Exige S 260 Sport now tips the scales, but just barely, at 2,020 pounds with a full tank of gas, about 57 pounds less than the ridiculously light S 240. (Racer's tip: Qualify with a near-empty tank!)
Then, just to tweak the laws of physics some more, engineers recalibrated the 1.8-liter, intercooled, turbocharged four to add 17 more horsepower at a peak of 257 hp at 8,000 rpm. Programmable launch and traction control also are present, as on other Lotus cars.
The result is something that should give any owner the edge come the big club-racing weekend at the local track. If you can't do it with this car, you have only yourself to blame.
The track is where this model shines. As with all other Lotus models, this one is superbly balanced, perhaps the best balanced of any car you can buy in America. When you aim it somewhere, it goes precisely there, and not after flopping around a little or plowing the front tires for a while. It goes right where you point it right when you point it there. The difference with this Lotus is that it has more power to get there and less weight to slow it down.
We drove it along one of our favorite local mountain roads and were re-amazed at how well it holds on through corners. It's like a smaller, lighter British Ferrari.
Of course, it is otherwise hell to live with. There is no way short of a trapeze that you can get into and out of this thing with any kind of grace. It is the most painful car in the history of ingress and egress. Rear vision, as noted, is awaiting a lawyer who advertises on buses. It is loud, hot and generally uncomfortable to drive. And during the brief time we had it, it refused to start one morning for no apparent reason (we had gone through the 'What's yer name?' 'What's yer quest?' routine required to start this silly ignition and it just clicked. Lotus later said that they couldn't replicate the problem). We had to bump start it.
Oh, and it costs $76,120. For that, you could get any number of cars that start--but none that perform so nimbly on perfect roads and road courses. So it's a trade-off. As with so many things in life, it's up to you whether this makes sense.
2009 Lotus Exige S 260 Sport
Available: Now
Price: $76,120
Drivetrain: 1.8-liter, 257-hp, 174-lb-ft I4; RWD, six-speed manual
Curb weight: 2,020 lb
0-60 mph: 4.0 sec (mfr)
Fuel economy: 23 mpg combined
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