Lotus Exige (2004 – 2011) Review
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Lotus Exige (2004 – 2011) At A Glance
Ideally suited to those who find the Elise a bit soft and wimpy.
An Elise has virtually as much real-world ability for less cash. Aluminium chassis corrodes at suspension pick-up points.
Reviews for Lotus Exige (2004 – 2011)'s top 3 rivals
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Lotus Exige (2004 – 2011) models and specs
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| Length | 3797–4084 mm |
| Width | 1727–1900 mm |
| Height | 1129–1163 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2300–2370 mm |
| Miscellaneous | |
|---|---|
| Kerb Weight | 890–1176 kg |
| Boot Space | 112 L |
| Warranty | 1 year / 24000 miles |
| Servicing | 9000 miles |
| Costs | |
|---|---|
| List Price | £35,550–£72,305 |
| Insurance Groups | 47–49 |
| Road Tax Bands | J–L |
| Official MPG | 28.0–33.2 mpg |
| Euro NCAP Safety Ratings | |
|---|---|
| Adult | - |
| Child | - |
| Pedestrian | - |
| Overall | - |
On sale until August 2022
| Coupe | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Version | List Price | MPG | 0-62 |
| Cup 430 Final Edition V6 VVT-i 436 2dr | - | - | 3.2 s |
| Sport 390 Final Edition V6 VVT-i 402 2dr | - | - | 3.7 s |
| Sport 420 Final Edition V6 VVT-i 426 2dr | - | - | 3.3 s |
On sale until June 2021
| Coupe | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Version | List Price | MPG | 0-62 |
| 3.5 350 Sport 2dr | - | 28.0 mpg | 3.9 s |
| 3.5 410 Sport 2dr | - | - | - |
| Coupe 3.5 350 Sport Auto 2dr | £61,205 | 30.1 mpg | 3.8 s |
| Coupe 3.5 350 Sport Special Edition 2dr | £64,425 | 28.0 mpg | - |
| Coupe 3.5 380 Sport 2dr | £70,425 | - | - |
| Coupe 3.5 380 Sport Auto 2dr | £72,305 | - | - |
| Cup 430 V6 S/C VVT-i 430 2dr | - | - | - |
| Roadster | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Version | List Price | MPG | 0-62 |
| 3.5 350 Sport 2dr | - | 28.0 mpg | - |
| 3.5 410 Sport 2dr | - | - | 3.4 s |
| Cup 430 V6 S/C VVT-i 430 2dr | - | - | - |
| Roadster 3.5 350 Sport Auto 2dr | £61,205 | 30.1 mpg | - |
On sale until April 2017
| Coupe | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Version | List Price | MPG | 0-62 |
| Coupe 3.5 350 Sport Special Edition 2dr | £63,550 | 28.0 mpg | - |
| Coupe 3.5 380 Sport 2dr | £69,550 | - | - |
| Coupe 3.5 380 Sport Auto 2dr | £71,715 | - | - |
| Coupe 3.5 S 2dr | £56,150 | 28.0 mpg | 3.8 s |
| Coupe 3.5 V6 Cup 2dr | £64,644 | 28.0 mpg | 3.8 s |
| Roadster | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Version | List Price | MPG | 0-62 |
| Roadster 3.5 350 Sport 2dr | £58,850 | 28.0 mpg | - |
| Roadster 3.5 350 Sport Auto 2dr | £60,615 | 30.1 mpg | - |
| Roadster 3.5 S 2dr | £56,649 | 28.0 mpg | 3.8 s |
On sale until January 2011
| Coupe | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Version | List Price | MPG | 0-62 |
| Cup 260 2dr | £45,950 | 33.2 mpg | 4.1 s |
| S 2dr | £35,550 | 33.2 mpg | 4.7 s |
On sale until December 2008
| Coupe | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Version | List Price | MPG | 0-62 |
| £42,950 | 31.1 mpg | 4.1 s | |
On sale until October 2008
| Version | List Price | MPG | 0-62 |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - | |
Model History
- March 2004
- October 2007
- November 2016: Lotus Exige Sport 380 announced.
- January 0001: Technical Specification:
March 2004
More powerful version of Elise, at first with 177bhp 1,796cc Rover K-Series engine, then with 189bhp 192PS 1,794cc Toyota 2ZZ-GE engine. (There is a lot of confusion about the K-Series to 2ZZ-GE engine swap.)
October 2007
Performance pack for Exige S announced boosting power from 220 to 240PS, priced at £3,000.
November 2016
Lotus Exige Sport 380 announced.
Fastest ever Exige with 375PS and kerb weight 1,100kg so 352PS per tonne. 0-60 in 3.5 seconds. 140kg aerodynamic downforce at top speed of 178mph.
Minimal electronic aids. Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres as standard (265/35 ZR18 rear and 215/45 ZR17 front) .
Uprated 3.5-litre supercharged V6 engine makes 375PS at 6,700 rpm and 410Nm of torque at 5,000 rpm.
Exige Sport 380’s six-speed oil-cooled manual gearbox uses Lotus’ acclaimed open-gate design. O ptional six-speed automatic gearbox with paddleshifters.
Standard car UK price £67,900.
January 0001
Technical Specification:
|
PERFORMANCE |
Manual |
Automatic |
||
|
Max power |
375 hp (380 PS, 280 kW) at 6,700 rpm |
|||
|
Max torque |
410 Nm (302 lbft) at 5,000 rpm |
|||
|
0-60 mph |
3.5 seconds |
3.5 seconds |
||
|
0-100 km/h |
3.7 seconds |
3.7 seconds |
||
|
Max Speed |
178 mph (286 km/h) |
170 mph (274 km/h) |
||
|
Kerb Weight with lightweight options |
1,110 kg 1,100 kg |
1,121 kg 1,111 kg |
||
|
Dry Weight with lightweight options |
1076 kg 1,066 kg |
1,087 kg 1,077 kg |
||
|
Downforce at maximum speed |
140 kg |
140 kg |
||
|
Fuel Consumption mpg (l/100 km) * |
||||
|
Urban Extra Urban Combined |
19.5 (14.1) 37.2 (8.3) 28.0 (10.4) |
21.1 (13.3) 39.8 (7.6) 30.1 (9.7) |
||
|
CO 2 emissions |
242 g/km |
225 g/km
|
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What to watch out for
Don't use in winter road salt. The Elise and subsequent Exige and Europa were all designed on a non repairable aluminium chassis. But this has steel suspension wishbones and steel washers that act as the spacers to adjust the castor and camber of the suspension. They form an electrolytic corrosion battery with the aluminium suspension mounting points. Lotus insists all dealers use a coating compound where steel is in contact with aluminium. The problem is when wet, especially when there is salt on the road, the steel washers corrode and then the form a battery with aluminium chassis, corroding the chassis where exposed, which is the edge of the suspension mounting bush. The suspension mounting points are particularly susceptible to this as not only are they exposed, but are the first place to get wet and the last place to dry out and even in the summer will suffer from condensation
The fact that the chassis is non repairable means that when this happens the car is dead as it costs several times the cars value to replace the chassis and rebuild the car. So inspect these areas carefully when buying/maintaining one of these cars.
