Lotus Exige Sport 380

[TLF News]

Click for full article

[Rancid]

New rear panel too.

Looks better.

 

[Gashead1105]

New shiny bling = 100KG less weight than my current V6. Hmm. Sod the GT4, is it available on 50:50?

Slightly worried by the reference to the Evora 400 exhaust though, that would mean it is too loud for all UK tracks...

[French Frie]

the two rear lights, à la Evora, look interesting ... but they kept the pig snout exhaust ! Cup 250 style rear wing and red stripes are not what I prefer ... thanks for the full article, Bibs  !

[RedViper]

Interesting they went with Cup 2's aswell rather than trofeo R. Must mean they are running at least -1.5 camber as required to make the Cup 2's work. I asked Michelin this directly when considering switching tyres a while back.

Overall that is one hell of a car mind.

Presumably this is opening the doors to run a smaller pulley on an older Exige S or Sport too? given manifolds must still be same as they come from Toyota with the block?

Edited November 23, 2016 by RedViper

[PaulLF1]

Exige 400 Cup coming soon... perhaps?

[Rancid]

As this is in all but name a Cup car, does that mean there's a chance of a Cup 400 coming....?

[Gashead1105]

Pistonheads article says that it has a transmission oil cooler and can be optioned with a track pack with adjustable shocks and ARBs...

I want.

[French Frie]

the standard 48L tank is also a very good thing, and IMHO, the gloss black panels look better than matt ones ... I wish they had made a single piece rear louvered panel though, as plastic borders seem out of place !

[C8RKH]

Looks lovely. stunning. love that colour scheme too.

Fully optioned with track packs, inetrior packs, colour packs, carbon packs and titanium axhaust I bet you're looking at £76k plus.  Too rich for me but stunning.

[Crouchy]

Love it.

I really want to trade mine it but at probably £75k+ for the spec I want and a probable trade in of about £35k on the 2015 v6 I have now I'm not sure I can justify or afford the extra £40k. I'll still go see the dealer next week though to see what can be done.

[French Frie]

funny point : the roadster is now the standard version, and the Coupé is an option  !

not cheap, but this is a real step forward ... well done Lotus !

PS: the smaller pulley was not recommanded by Lotus when it was done by KT, was it  ?

 

[Gashead1105]

6 minutes ago, Crouchy said:

Love it.

I really want to trade mine it but at probably £75k+ for the spec I want and a probable trade in of about £35k on the 2015 v6 I have now I'm not sure I can justify or afford the extra £40k. I'll still go see the dealer next week though to see what can be done.

-10% off list = 67.5

50:50 deal = 33.75

Result = dealer pays you to order a new car 

[Bibs]

http://www.lotuscars.com/exige-sport-380

[JayEmm]

Two things concern me about this

1. Evora 400 exhaust, issues with that for track cars are well documented - unless they've found a solution or the 30bhp less means it can run quiet mode all the time

2. Lotus have started quoting "dry weights" and "with lightweight options"... not liking the look of that slippery slope

Otherwise looks v v nice

[The Pits]

Damn. I had very high hopes that this would be my next Lotus.

Not keen personally. I was hoping it would be a Cup car. Maybe there won't be any more Cup cars?

They can't seriously have a Sport 350 and a Sport 380 can they?!

I'm not keen on the eyeliner but that can be easily removed. I don't think the new 311 style rear treatment is in any way better. Maybe that won't look so bad in reality but I love the signature rear of the current car. The new wing just doesn't look as good to my eyes and is still mounted into the engine cover. A proper rear wing would be mounted into the chassis like the CupR/311. I was dearly hoping for that which would also produce some proper downforce. The Elise Cup 250 still produces a fair amount more - 155kg at 150mph and is a much more cohesive design to my eyes. I like the idea of carbon parts as standard but it's a very complicated and confusing spec. Matt black panels here, gloss black panels there seems indecisive. Evora 410 exhaust will sound immense as we know, titanium option is amazing but we also know there are serious issues for track use. Who is going to buy an Exige just for road use? I think the Evora Sport 410 is more convincing.

"The Lotus Exige Sport 380 is available as a roadster as standard and as a coupe as an option."

WTF? So I can have a Sport 380 Roadster Auto? It just seems all over the place.

As always I will reserve final judgement until seeing it in the flesh and hopefully driving it.

Right now though an Evora Sport 410 or a full Aero pack and 1900cc charger on my car is much more appealing.

 

[French Frie]

@The Pits: the "eyeliner" is an option  ... hopefully ! 

 

[Gashead1105]

I like the eyeliner - the 360 Cup that B&C have has most of it on and it works really well. I'd have mine in gold though... 

 

[French Frie]

... nobody's perfect  !

[SFO]

Standard as a Roadster .. I thought the roadster was not supposed to have the front lip or the rear spoiler?

[The Pits]

Has there ever been a worse launch photo?! I don't think that's helping.

The spec is so convoluted it basically means you can have it custom built. Roadster, auto, stereo, whatever you want.

 

So far I like:

red highlighted lower aero parts, rubber extended front splitter's a good idea, I like the detailing at the back near the diffuser

red accents inside

titanium exhaust option (and further 10kg weight reduction)

twin front canards (can I have those in carbon too?)

carbon panels

carbon seats

carbon sill covers

bigger fuel tank

new transmission oil cooler

 

I don't like:

1110kg wet. The Hethel Edition is lighter.

eyeliner

lack of 311 style TFT dash

new rear panel, I prefer the twin rear light look

hotchpotch of gloss and matt finishes

potential noise issue for track use

rear wing design (great on the Elise, just looks awkard on an Exige, again photos aren't helping here)

peak power is now at 6700 instead of 7000

less downforce than Elise Cup 250

not a Motorsport car

 

 

 

 

 

[French Frie]

55 minutes ago, The Pits said:

 

"The Lotus Exige Sport 380 is available as a roadster as standard and as a coupe as an option."

WTF? So I can have a Sport 380 Roadster Auto? It just seems all over the place.

 

Yep... what's the point  ? I assume the 380 will replace the 350, like the 350 as replaced the Exige S ... Only  ticked options will define if it's a road or hardcore version ... I do not say I approve that, but ...

IMO, the point is rather that new versions are coming too fast ... Hethel Edition was revealed at the beginning of October only ! Maybe a 400 version will released before the end of 2017, making previous versions obsolete !

PS : I agree with you regarding the lack of MS versions 

Edited November 23, 2016 by French Frie

[French Frie]

This pictures is already a lot more appealing :

 

Edited November 23, 2016 by French Frie

[The Pits]

This is what I mean. How uninspiring is that launch photo?! It's just about the least flattering angle for the car, busy background, the list goes on.

Where did you find this photo of the Gulf blue one?

It's not the replacement for my V6 Cup that I was hoping for but putting all that aside, a 375bhp Roadster will titanium exhaust and standard suspension would be an absolutely epic road car. Imagine that, roof-off, in the Alps?!

Maybe that's a better way to look at it?

[Vanya]

This is fantastic news. Hopefully now Sport 350 prices will plummet a little so I can buy one!