The Lotus Exige Was a Pretty Fly Ride

The Lotus Exige is an exciting, lightweight, and zippy 2-door coupe that people have loved for years. Sadly, the model had to say goodbye to the North American market in 2011, but not without some parting gifts.
Written by Hannah DeWitt
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
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Lotus is one of the most exciting sports
car brands
ever, and their Exige was made to impress. It was designed for drivers who yearned for performance both in daily driving and on the track. The Lotus Exige is one of the safest and most reliable sports cars, loved and admired by many.
According to
Car and Driver
, the Lotus Exige is a track-ready bird sharing a similar interior and chassis with another famous Lotus model, the Elise. With diverse body panels, a secure roof, and a rear wing to increase maneuverability, the Exige is indeed an excellent choice for anyone who has an interest in a track-ready coupe. 

Background of the 2011 Lotus Exige

The Lotus Exige is a 2-door, 2-seat British coupe manufactured by Lotus cars since 2000. Lotus created a 2011 model to be a limited “Final Edition'' that was made for the North American market. 
According to
Top Speed
, it came with a matte black body color option, a 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engine with 275 hp, sports seats, and a special numbered plate for each vehicle. The company produced only 25, and the final edition was revealed in 2011 in Pebble Beach week.
Production of the North American version of Lotus Exige ended in August 2011 for two reasons. First, the smart airbag extension needed for the vehicle expired, then Toyota stopped the production of its 2ZZ-GE four-cylinder engine. This meant that the Exige couldn’t be made road-legal.
To celebrate the end of the generation of the Exige production, the company also produced the final edition of the Exige S 260 solely for Northern Americans. Lotus made the Exige S 260 in several color choices from its complete color variety. They built only 30 examples of this model to be released on the North American market.
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Like most track coupes, the Exige was compact, but it was also exceptionally lightweight, making it crucial for handling purposes. That's one of the things that made the Lotus Exige so famous.
On-track performance is vital for these car types, and that's why Lotus put weight-saving and alertness at the core of Exige's design. Due to the build and size of the Exige, they're very supple and adept when cornering. It also has exceptional unreserved steering, and likewise a low center of gravity. 

Performance, design, pricing, and reviews 

The 2011 Lotus Exige comes in two trims: The S 260 and the S 240. The S 240 has standard and appealing features meant for the track. Further, the S 240 is Yamaha-engineered, powered with a Toyota-built 4-cylinder engine. It also has intercooled and supercharged engines that produce 170lb-ft of torque and 240 hp.
The S 260 has a slightly increased output of 257 hp and 174lb-ft torque. On the other hand, Lotus S 240 boasts 0-60 mph and an under-five-second 0-60 time. The car has a dazzling and fierce body design, especially the front. The Lotus Exige provides a breathtaking yet straightforward driving experience and a unique look.
The Final Edition Matte Black Exige S 260 costs a little bit more than the standard final version of the Exige model. Each of the limited 25 models comes with a definitive price of $69,900.
Reviews attest that the Lotus Exige is an incredibly lightweight and excellent coupe and, indeed, every driving enthusiast's dream ride. 

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