I’m going to get this line out of the way right from the start, because it’ll probably be the most surprising part of this whole review:
The Lotus Exige V6 S is, in my opinion, the finest sports car I’ve ever driven and beats the Porsche 911 GT3 hands down.
There, I said it, "I was at a bit of a loose end last week and then the best possible email arrived, from Ben Speak at Hilton & Moss sports cars in Stansted, asking if I was free and wanted to take the new Exige V6 S for a drive. Needless to say, it didn’t take a long time to make that particular decision. Arrangements were made for Friday and when that day arrived I was slightly saddened to see that the large orange ball in the sky hadn’t made an appearance. In fact it was typically grey with the odd patch of drizzle".
That would make a 1170 kg, 375 bhp car a little more fun then, I suppose.
When I arrived to collect the car it was sitting outside and it took me a good 10 minutes to get past it. The looks have certainly divided opinion among the motoring masses, but in my eyes it looks fantastic. Huge gaping grilles in the front bumper look like they would eat small children given the chance and you’re initially struck at how small it still looks, despite the new extended bodywork.
The centre of the car is familiar to Lotus fans, sharing the same cockpit area as the Elise and older Exige, but from there back there’s a longer rear clam with a rather large wing perched atop it. There’s a diffuser at the rear and a central exhaust pipe to make the noise. What this extended clamshell hides it what really marks this Exige out from all that have gone before – a V6.
Not just any V6 either – Lotus could have fitted the 3.5 litre V6 from the Evora and given the Exige a nice boost in performance with its 280 bhp, but instead they went for the 345 bhp Supercharged V6 from the Evora S to give the new car some really eye watering performance. Looks good to the eye and on paper, then.
Of course then the real fun began because the ever helpful Ben then passed me the keys and sent me on my way. Which brings me to the first and only major issue I have with the V6 S – getting in and out. I’m a broad 6ft 3in chap, and though I’m sure it would get easier with practice, entering the Exige was a spectacle not unlike watching a new-born giraffe trying to climb back inside its mother graceful I was not. If you’re of a more diminutive stature though, this holds no such issues.
But once inside it was down to business – ah, the cabin. ‘Purposeful’ is the word I’d use – again it will be very familiar to any Elise or older Exige owner, but this particular car did have some extra leather around the interior to lift the feel a little and go some way to feeling like a car you could spend a long time in. The seats were particularly impressive, seemingly completely devoid of any padding, yet were some of the most comfortable seats I’ve ever sat it. It turns out these are the same Probax seats you get in the Elise which have a great reputation, unlike the Audi RS4-alike seats found in the Evora S which don’t fit everyone as well.
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| BOTB Road Test: Lotus Exige V6 S |
There, I said it, "I was at a bit of a loose end last week and then the best possible email arrived, from Ben Speak at Hilton & Moss sports cars in Stansted, asking if I was free and wanted to take the new Exige V6 S for a drive. Needless to say, it didn’t take a long time to make that particular decision. Arrangements were made for Friday and when that day arrived I was slightly saddened to see that the large orange ball in the sky hadn’t made an appearance. In fact it was typically grey with the odd patch of drizzle".
That would make a 1170 kg, 375 bhp car a little more fun then, I suppose.
When I arrived to collect the car it was sitting outside and it took me a good 10 minutes to get past it. The looks have certainly divided opinion among the motoring masses, but in my eyes it looks fantastic. Huge gaping grilles in the front bumper look like they would eat small children given the chance and you’re initially struck at how small it still looks, despite the new extended bodywork.
The centre of the car is familiar to Lotus fans, sharing the same cockpit area as the Elise and older Exige, but from there back there’s a longer rear clam with a rather large wing perched atop it. There’s a diffuser at the rear and a central exhaust pipe to make the noise. What this extended clamshell hides it what really marks this Exige out from all that have gone before – a V6.
Not just any V6 either – Lotus could have fitted the 3.5 litre V6 from the Evora and given the Exige a nice boost in performance with its 280 bhp, but instead they went for the 345 bhp Supercharged V6 from the Evora S to give the new car some really eye watering performance. Looks good to the eye and on paper, then.
 |
| BOTB Road Test: Lotus Exige V6 S |
 |
| BOTB Road Test: Lotus Exige V6 S |
But once inside it was down to business – ah, the cabin. ‘Purposeful’ is the word I’d use – again it will be very familiar to any Elise or older Exige owner, but this particular car did have some extra leather around the interior to lift the feel a little and go some way to feeling like a car you could spend a long time in. The seats were particularly impressive, seemingly completely devoid of any padding, yet were some of the most comfortable seats I’ve ever sat it. It turns out these are the same Probax seats you get in the Elise which have a great reputation, unlike the Audi RS4-alike seats found in the Evora S which don’t fit everyone as well.
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