Lotus reveals faster Exige Sport 380

Lotus has released pictures and full information of yet another lighter, faster version of its hardcore Exige that's claimed to be so rapid, it's been fondly nicknamed the "supercar killer".

Called the Exige Sport 380, the small Elise-based roadster comes powered by the same Toyota-sourced supercharged 3.5-litre V6 as the Sport 350, but with power and torque wound up from that car's 257kW/400Nm to 276kW/410Nm.

The gains come from a reprogrammed ECU, revised supercharger pulley and increased boost plus an uprated fuel pump. Finally, there’s also a new sports exhaust.

Weighing in at just 1100kg -- 26kg lighter than the Sport 350 -- the more powerful Exige is two-tenths of a second quicker to 100km/h, taking just 3.7 seconds.

Top speed, meanwhile, is an impressive 287km/h.

The changes over the Exige Sport 350, which was only revealed in October, are extensive.

Shaving valuable kilos off the kerb weight, the latest Exige gains a new front splitter, a redesigned front access panel, new rear wing and diffuser -- together they all save 2.7kg.

The gram-saving continues with a polycarbonate rear window (-0.9kg), pair of carbon race seats (-6kg), lithium-ion battery (-10.3kg) and lighter forged wheels (-10kg).

Curiously, in total, all that adds up to 29.9kg although Lotus claims a more conservative 26.3kg weight saving over the still lithe Sport 350, because other parts exclusive to the Sport 380 add back some of the weight lost.

At the rear of the car there's also been some design changes over the 350.

The Sport 380 is distinguishable by a redesigned rear-end that now has two clusters, rather than the four. The fog lights and rear reversing light have been moved inboard -- a change that's claimed to save yet another 0.3kg.

While cutting weight, engineers have claimed to improve shift-quality of the six-speed manual. Improving durability of the gearbox that features an exposed mechanism, while a new oil-cooler has also been added.

As well as the manual transmission, Lotus will also offer a six-speed automatic that features aluminium paddles behind the steering wheel.

Another new feature for what's claimed to be the fastest-ever Exige is a larger 48-litre fuel tank that addresses some owners' complaints the regular car has too short a range.

Aerodynamics have also been tweaked for the flagship Exige.

The new spoilers, combined with carbon-fibre barge boards that are designed to reduce high-pressure air under the vehicle, all contribute to 140kg of downforce at the Sport 380's top speed -- that's a considerable gain of more than 60 per cent over the Sport 350.

Handling, meanwhile, is said to have been improved by a lower centre of gravity and a 10mm wider front track.

For those who track their Exige, Lotus also offers a Track Pack that includes adjustble dampers and front and rear anti-roll bar.

An optional Carbon Pack also lives on the options list that adds a one-piece carbon-fibre roof panel. Unfortunately, it actually weighs 2kg heavier than the standard panel, but is offset by a carbon-fibre louvered tailgate that saves 2kg.

The optional extras don't stop there, says the British car-maker, as the Exige Sport 380 can be further personalised through its Lotus Exclusive bespoke department.

Available standard as a roadster, the Lotus Sport 380 can also be ordered as a coupe.

Pricing for the latest, lightest and fastest Exige Sport 380 in the UK begins at £67,900 ($A106,000), which is £11,000 ($A17,000) more than the Sport 350.

Lotus Cars Australia has confirmed the 380 will become available Down Under, where pricing will be announced soon, and where the Exige S is priced at $132,990 in both coupe and roadster form.