Electrifying ethanol Exige

The recently launched Lotus Exige S is indubitably a desirable bit of gear -- it's fast, agile and sexy -- but the Hethel boffins have just unveiled another Exige derivative that seems better in virtually every respect.

Say hello to the Exige 265E, which, according to Lotus, is not only the world's fastest production-based ethanol car, it's also the most powerful road-going version of the Lotus Exige to date.

The research vehicle weighs just 932kg, and it runs on E85 fuel (a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent petrol).

Its engine is a modified version of the Exige's existing Toyota powerplant and in E85 configuration it belts out 198kW at 8000rpm, and peak torque of 249Nm at 5500rpm.

Lotus claims the Exige 265E (so named because of its 265 horsepower ouput) can sprint to 60mph (96km/h) in just 3.88 seconds, and 100mph (160km/h) in 9.2 seconds. That's up there with the ballistic new 911 Turbo, which has 358kW at its disposal. Pretty handy figures...

Top speed is quoted at a tad under 255km/h, which seems largely irrelevant anywhere other than on a racetrack or in NT.

The change in its diet -- from premium unleaded to E85 -- necessitated alterations to the fuel system and the engine calibration. In addition, the four fuel injectors mounted on the inlet manifold have been enlarged.

Lotus says two additional fuel injectors have also been fitted at the supercharger inlet to increase the amount of fuel being injected in to the engine under higher engine loads and to further cool the charge air prior to combustion.

The manufacturer has announced that the next stage of the project will include modifications that will allow the car to run on multiple fuel types, rather than just E85.

Ethanol has been gaining in popularity in several markets (including the US), and manufacturers such as Chrysler and Ford have invested heavily in developing E85-compatible vehicles.

Be that as it may, Lotus says there are no plans to put the Exige 265E into production. Pity...