Aussie exigency

For drivers who feel that the power to weight ratio of the Lotus Exige is a bit weak-kneed, the British sports car company has developed a new model with 179kW of power.

Developed specifically for the Australian market, the Exige Sport 240 (240 being 179kW converted to hp) is not sold anywhere else in the world.

Lotus Cars Australia will import just six of the cars initially; each one featuring larger brakes, revised body parts, special badging and interior changes. Every car will have its own unique build plaque.

Those first six cars are only available in two colours -- Blaze Orange and Sapphire Black -- and will go on sale officially from the opening of the Australian International Motor Show in October.

The uprated supercharged DOHC engine gets its power to the ground with the help of a driver-adjustable traction control system.

The high performance engine develops 10 per cent more power than the Exige S and produces 230Nm of torque -- an improvement of 15Nm over the Exige S. These improvements result from new fuel injectors and revised engine management ECU mapping.

Stronger clutch components are specified for the Exige Sport 240's six-speed 'C64' transmission and drive is passed to the rear wheels via a limited slip differential.

The adjustable traction control system fitted to the car provides 18 pre-sets for manual selection by the driver and can be set to suit wet or dry conditions. For fast starts, the system includes launch control, which can also be set by the driver, selecting the desired engine speed prior to the start.

Lotus claims a 4.2-second run to 100km/h from a standing start and a top speed of 249km/h.

AP four-piston calipers work in conjunction with the 308mm diameter ventilated disc rotors at the front to pull up the Exige Sport 240. At the rear, Brembo single-piston brake calipers keep a tight rein on the 288mm solid rotors.

Cars finished in Blaze Orange will be equipped with blacked-out front splitter, rear spoiler endplates, alloy wheels and rear panel valance. Black cars will be enhanced with Chrome Orange front splitter and rear spoiler endplates.

Tyres are supplied by Yokohama and are fitted to five-spoke OZ alloy wheels which are black for the Blaze Orange cars and silver for the Sapphire Black cars. This design of alloy wheel has not previously been available in Australia and measures 16-inch diameter in front, 17-inch in the rear. Handling and ride are enhanced through specifying adjustable dampers and adjustable front anti-roll bar.

Lotus has extended the roof-mounted intercooler air intake further forward for this particular car and along with the badging and alloy wheels, is a visual clue to the exclusive car's identity.

Interior features are based around the Exige's 'Touring Plus' pack and features air conditioning, black leather sports seats and additional sound insulation.

Price is $149,990.

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