Lotus has recently introduced the Exige Cup 430, the most radical model in the Norfolk-based company's current lineup, but even though that thing is proper nuts, it can't even hold a candle to this build.
The Exige is not as popular as the smaller and much more easily available Elise, but with a V6 engine and the same attention paid to keeping the weight down, it is a much more capable track tool than the Tesla Roadster lookalike.
That is before anyone decides to modify the car in any way. Once a tuning company gets involved, the Exige can easily be turned into a veritable beast, something this clip can very easily attest to. The recipe is pretty simple: squeeze as much power from the engine as you can and remove anything that is not vital to its drivetrain and powertrain.
Nothing prepares you for the bareness of this car's interior. It only gets the absolute minimum of features, which means two bucket seats, a steering wheel, some buttons and dials, and thin sheets of metal to keep the wind away. And that's about it.
It's also all you really need in a car that's purpose-built for racing on the track. You don't need sound-proofing because it would only get in the way of you connecting with the car. Plus, the sound that Toyota-sourced V6 engine is incredibly sweet. It might make you bleed out of your ears after a few laps, but it will give also give you multiple eargasms before that.
This Exige got a Harrop TVS1900 Supercharger kit which brings the power output from the base 350 hp of the Toyota-sourced engine to over 450 hp. That may not seem like much, but considering this thing weights slightly more than a feather, it translates into a big boost to its power-to-weight ratio.
It truly is a chassis and an engine, with the bodywork serving only for aerodynamic purposes. The only thing we don't like so much is that we can't see a roll cage. Yes, it would have added weight, but it would also save the driver's life in case of an accident.
However, the combination of its barebones look, the wonderful Formula One-like sound, and the tendency to spit flames out of the single center-mounted exhaust make it impossible to hold a grudge against it. Plus, it looks like it can hold its own against a Porsche 911 GT3 RS. We bet that driver wasn't expecting the little Lotus to put up such a strong fight.
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