Lotus Exige S3
The hard-roof Elise that grew into a supercharged V6 weapon.
7 reviewers · 9 videos
Reviewers strongly agree on its performance and handling, but split on value.
across 7 reviewers
"a hundred and ten thousand dollars for this suddenly seems like the deal of the century"
ReDriven · ▶ 16:39"at this sort of money i would like you know a stereo or sat nav system that hasn't come straight out of halfords"
Sideways Sid · ▶ 15:25Performance
5.0/57 of 7 reviewersstrong consensus“the exe 390 definitely wins that feature”
positive · RichReviews · ▶ 4:11“This thing is brutally fast. It just goes up through the gears. Bang, bang, bang, bang. And the noise is just incredible.”
positive · Carfection · ▶ 2:17“my god it gets to 60 so quickly... that is the perfect amount of power for australian roads”
positive · ReDriven · ▶ 23:13Handling
5.0/57 of 7 reviewersstrong consensus“it is communicative in a way that very few cars manage to be today both through the chassis and through the steering”
positive · Goodwood Road & Racing · ▶ 14:16“it steers it moves absolutely perfectly”
positive · JayEmm on Cars · ▶ 8:22“the 390 is very very direct it's very fast as well a little bit Twitchy I would say”
positive · RichReviews · ▶ 23:20Fun to drive
5.0/57 of 7 reviewersstrong consensus“the amazing thing about the two cars is that they've managed to make two so different cars from the same chassis”
positive · Goodwood Road & Racing · ▶ 17:22“no more engaging more exciting way to pile down a British country road than this”
positive · JayEmm on Cars · ▶ 23:33“when you are in the mood for it you get this... that v6... has that same drama that same soundtrack”
positive · Sideways Sid · ▶ 17:03Daily drivability
2.0/57 of 7 reviewersconsensus“it's definitely on the firm side... getting in and out of it is a bit of a pain... you can't see much out of the back”
critical · Sideways Sid · ▶ 14:48“it's very very tight in the cabin it's a lot less space in the cabin than there is in the Amira for sure”
critical · RichReviews · ▶ 21:13“is this a compromised car yes of course it is there is a lot wrong with it”
mixed · JayEmm on Cars · ▶ 11:35Value
4.0/57 of 7 reviewerssplit“a hundred and ten thousand dollars for this suddenly seems like the deal of the century”
positive · ReDriven · ▶ 16:39“after that initial hit of depreciation they tend to hold their money very very well”
positive · JayEmm on Cars · ▶ 10:27“at this sort of money i would like you know a stereo or sat nav system that hasn't come straight out of halfords”
critical · Sideways Sid · ▶ 15:25The big one. The S3 transformed the Exige with Toyota's 2GR-FE supercharged 3.5 V6 — 345 hp in the Sport 350, climbing through the Sport 380/410 and the track-bred Cup 380 to the Cup 430, which at 430 hp was the fastest road-going Lotus of its era before the Emira. Despite the power jump it stayed faithful: bonded-aluminium tub, manual gearbox (an auto was offered), Nitron dampers and serious aero on the Cup cars. The character is traction and downforce over outright civility — wide sills, firm damping, a cabin that's all business. The ladder of Sport and Cup variants is the thing to learn, since output, aero and value step sharply between them. Where it places: the hardcore send-off of the Exige line, and — in Cup 430 form — a modern Lotus halo that's already collectible.
Hear it in the reviewer’s words
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- Sport 350 / 380 / 410V6 power-and-aero ladder
- Cup 380aero/track special
- Cup 430430 hp — fastest road Lotus of its era
- Final Edition (2021)send-off trims
The supercharged 2GR V6 is stout and tuner-friendly. The trade-offs are liveability — wide sills to climb over and firm Cup damping — and a tight cabin. The Cup 430 was the pre-Emira halo and commands the strongest values.