Exige V6 spy shots

[gtornes78]

Just found these pics.

Seems on schedule for launch in Frankfurt and clearly seems to have the Evora S V6 judging by the exhaust, which should mean good fun

More pics here: http://www.teamspeed...tml#post1065959

[Justin182]

Interesting!

[Stirling_Villeneuve]

Nice paint job by Swizz...

That aside I'm looking forward to seeing the car but what's going on at the back end? Looks like a lardy rear 'federal style bumper stuck on the back. I wonder how much they've added to the length too?

[NedaSay]

Yup it has a big federal ass! It does look like an Elise on american issued steroid! I wonder how light it will be!

[molemot]

Who said dazzle camoflage went out with WW2??!

[Kimbers]

Drooling!! Not sure of the bumpers but I want one!!

[Vulcan Grey]

Doubt those are bumpers for the USA... The Exige and Elise lost their waiver for the smart airbags, and the new rear subframe for the V6 would mean all new crash tests...

[Stirling_Villeneuve]

Not convinced by the rear wing... looks a tad Impreza. The car looks big too, almost like an Exiged Evora!

[gtornes78]

Or an Evora'd Exige perhaps? Seems about 20cm longer in the rear, and judging from the new mirror mounts looks quite a bit wider as well. Will be interesting to see if there are any changes to the chassis and interior.

[Stirling_Villeneuve]

It does seem wide... is that because the rear wing looks narrow, ie it doesn't fill the full width of the car like the S2 Exige does?

[chandrew]

Are we all convinced it isn't a mule for testing the Esprit? When was that due to start testing?

Most other manufacturers seem to test new models using a stretched / altered version of the last. The Evora wore an Esprit body didn't it?

[gtornes78]

There has been several V6 mule cars around for quite some time, all wearing extended Exige bodies. These are among the latest I've seen, from recent testing at the ring, and clearly show that it's both longer and wider, but not massively more than the Elise they have with them.

An Esprit mule would be quite a bit bigger than this, and probably wearing an Evora body.

[chandrew]

Agree, but this one (and the similar one without spoiler from a week ago) look quite different to the ones you're showing above, even in proportions. Maybe it's just the swirls

[Bibs]

Lotus know people will photograph these cars. Don't be surprised if more smoke and mirrors is employed behind the obvious smoke and mirrors.

[Kimbers]

Indeed. The first Exige V6 pictured was with MJK at the Helm and was a mule engine test car for the Evora. Then the next teaser was in an Esprit shell. Finally there was the "spyshots" which were of the Evora in Camo in winter testing. So its been going on for ages!

Sometimes they would tell a "Spy photographer" (a mate of mine) when and where they were testing so he could get the best shots.

[chandrew]

Car have a set of photos with the car next to an Elise. Clearly Exige size when you get to compare & contrast Edited September 1, 2011 by chandrew

[Lowtus]

I'm trying to understand the purpose of this car. It seems late in the day to be putting a V6 into Elise/Exige structure although it was always a car which should have been built IMO.

In Evora the engine is a l-o-n-g way back in the car for anything which bears the title "mid-engined". Will it be mounted further forward in the Exige?

I'm guessing there will have be a pretty comprehensive rework of the body too. Exige cabin access is hardly user-friendly.

One way or another my cheque-book is still ready and willing to buy a new Lotus as soon as they come up with a car!

[Kimbers]

Ditto, but if the Evora gets cheap enough first (3 years old possibly) then I will be investing in one of those.

[Stirling_Villeneuve]

One way or another my cheque-book is still ready and willing to buy a new Lotus as soon as they come up with a car!

Likewise... but I'm beginning to think it's more a case of 'if' they come up with a car!

That said I'm with Lowtus on the Evora front but prices are already pretty low, less than a lot of Exiges!

Edited September 5, 2011 by Stirling_Villeneuve

[Bibs]

[ronin]

What a bogus spy video..... Come on why the hell do a video of the car in traffic, it makes me want to go and put a deposit on a new Lotus right now....NOT

[Stirling_Villeneuve]

Definitely sounds the part... I'd be worried by the fact it couldn't shift that black Elise though!

[gtornes78]

Does anyone recognise the location? The garage they drive into look similar to this one used for the Evora mule some years back, so is probably a regular place for Lotus to test. Stelvio perhaps?

[NedaSay]

The noise of this Exige is wow!!!! I think I had a small one just by hearing it! From the footage I may assume that the dual rear tail lights of the car are just for show!

Has this been shot on the San Bernardino Pass or the Stelvio Pass?

Gosh one has to like organizing leaks!

Edited September 8, 2011 by NedaSay

[chandrew]

I don't recognize it as any of the big Swiss passes, and the road signs (from what you can see) look more likely to be Italian. Could be the west side of the Stelvio though at 1min the video shows what looks like a border point. San Bernardino has one of these but I'm not sure its the same one.