Lotus Exige S Roadster – soft top for hardcore Lotus

Here’s something new that Lotus brought to Geneva, the Exige S Roadster. The name explains everything, really, a roadster version of the refreshed Exige S that made its debut at Frankfurt last year. The Exige S is hardcore, and the Roadster is described as “more raw than a Japanese tasting menu”. Hmmm…

It’s the first time an Exige has been offered with a factory-fitted soft top. Why soft-top? Because it’s lightweight and easy to put up and take down. Target weight is under 1,100 kg, making this one of the lightest six-cylinder roadsters on the market by some margin.

The Exige S is powered by a supercharged 3.5 V6 engine with 345 hp and 400 Nm. Reaching 100 km/h from standstill takes just four seconds, while 0-160 km/h is done in 8.5 seconds. Top speed is 233 km/h. Combined fuel economy is 10 litres per 100 km.

The Roadster comes with a six-speed manual gearbox, but will also be available with Lotus’ Serial Precision Shift (SPS), a paddle-operated automated manual transmission. The SPS gearbox is lighter and more compact than a normal torque-converter automatic.

The car comes with two different suspension settings – standard setting for an “active driving experience suited to public roads” and an optional setting as part of the Race Pack for max performance, developed for track use. Launch control can be activated when the car is in Race mode. Inside, the car can be specified with a “comfort enhanced plush interior” or a stripped down style more typical of Lotus.

The Exige S Roadster has been developed for Europe and Asia, and will not be available in North America.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Thu, 08 Mar 12 00:43:49 +0000.

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