Photo: Lotus
British sportscar maker Lotus may be a low-volume manufacturer due to its highly-specialized products, but that self limitation is also the reason why those in the market for a no-frills all-thrills ride appreciate this brand so much. Naurally, the sales bulk is taken by the Elise, but the Exige is a far more focused tool.
By more focused I mean that the Exige S boasts with a Toyota-sourced 3.5 V6 engine with 345 horsepower on tap, not the 217 horsepower of the 1.8-liter four-pot equipping the Elise S. Extra oomph aside, the track-inspired aerodynamics and better suspension setup are other details where the Exige S trumps the cheapest Lotus in the current model range.
Normally offered with a stick shift and three pedals, the Exige S has recently received an option that comes in the form of a Toyota-developed six-speed automatic with flappy paddles mounted on the steering wheel because racecar or something like that. Despite Lotus’ recent try to make the Lotus Exige S a bit more consumer friendly, the British sportscar is not what anyone would call a hot seller.
But here’s the most interesting piece of data on this milestone - Japan buys the most Exige S vehicles, followed by the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Australia, Hong Kong and Belgium. That’s a crazy feat considering Japan is all about JDM and touge racing-prepped Honda Civics. To boot, Switzerland is widely regarded as the most car unfriendly European country ever, especially for the loudest and fastest breeds.
Normally offered with a stick shift and three pedals, the Exige S has recently received an option that comes in the form of a Toyota-developed six-speed automatic with flappy paddles mounted on the steering wheel because racecar or something like that. Despite Lotus’ recent try to make the Lotus Exige S a bit more consumer friendly, the British sportscar is not what anyone would call a hot seller.
Since its debut in 2012, the Lotus Exige S Series 3 was produced in just over 1,000 units
The milestone was achieved only a few days ago and the vehicle pictured in the gallery below is it. According to the UK-based automaker, the 1,000th Exige S’ destiny is to be a test bed for the Lotus Test and Development team, where it’ll be used for fine tuning the new six-speed automatic gearbox.But here’s the most interesting piece of data on this milestone - Japan buys the most Exige S vehicles, followed by the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Australia, Hong Kong and Belgium. That’s a crazy feat considering Japan is all about JDM and touge racing-prepped Honda Civics. To boot, Switzerland is widely regarded as the most car unfriendly European country ever, especially for the loudest and fastest breeds.
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