Lotus Exige
The hard-roof Elise that grew into a supercharged V6 weapon.
The 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.
- 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.
No primary reviews scraped yet for this nameplate. Check back as the pipeline crawls more publications.
