Photo: Lotus
A toned-down Exige Cup 430, the Exige Sport 410 is another forgettable Lotus based on the Exige S than went official back in 2011 at the Frankfurt Motor Show. But like every other new-and-improved version of the breed, the Sport 410 is described as “the ultimate road drive, unrivaled in its class.”
If anyone from Lotus marketing and public relations is reading this, for the love of all things holy about cars, change the record for once! In the past years, this is all the British automaker had to say about its great-handling cars. And with each repetition, Lotus is getting increasingly annoying regardless of how good the car is.
With that out of the way, what does the Exige Sport 410 have to its name? First of all, 410 indicated the brake horsepower (416). Torque is rated at 310 pound-feet (420 Nm), with the suck-squeeze-bang-blow coming courtesy of a 3.5-liter supercharged V6 from Toyota. Sending the goodies to the rear axle is the job of a six-speed manual, a close-ratio transmission boasting exposed gear-change linkage.
So far so good, right? Then there’s the dry weight of just 1,054 kilograms (2,324 pounds), equating to a power-to-weight ratio of 389 horsepower per tonne. That’s an equal ratio to the Exige Cup 430, which is speaking volumes about the sporting credentials of this road-going work of automotive wonder. Aerodynamics haven’t been forgotten either, Lotus quoting 150 kilograms (330 pounds) of downforce.
Zero to 60 miles per hour is doable in 3.3 seconds, onto a maximum velocity of 180 mph. The suspension, including the three-way adjustable dampers and Eibach adjustable anti-roll bars, are shared with the Cup 430. For superlative grip and traction, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires keep the car in contact with the tarmac at all times, wrapped around forged alloy wheels available in black or silver.
Options? The Exige Sport 410 has some of those as well, including a titanium exhaust system and lots of motorsport-inspired goodies. Some of the latter include airbag deletion, an electrical cut-off switch, fire suppression system, four-point harness, and an FIA-compliant roll cage.
With that out of the way, what does the Exige Sport 410 have to its name? First of all, 410 indicated the brake horsepower (416). Torque is rated at 310 pound-feet (420 Nm), with the suck-squeeze-bang-blow coming courtesy of a 3.5-liter supercharged V6 from Toyota. Sending the goodies to the rear axle is the job of a six-speed manual, a close-ratio transmission boasting exposed gear-change linkage.
So far so good, right? Then there’s the dry weight of just 1,054 kilograms (2,324 pounds), equating to a power-to-weight ratio of 389 horsepower per tonne. That’s an equal ratio to the Exige Cup 430, which is speaking volumes about the sporting credentials of this road-going work of automotive wonder. Aerodynamics haven’t been forgotten either, Lotus quoting 150 kilograms (330 pounds) of downforce.
Zero to 60 miles per hour is doable in 3.3 seconds, onto a maximum velocity of 180 mph. The suspension, including the three-way adjustable dampers and Eibach adjustable anti-roll bars, are shared with the Cup 430. For superlative grip and traction, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires keep the car in contact with the tarmac at all times, wrapped around forged alloy wheels available in black or silver.
Options? The Exige Sport 410 has some of those as well, including a titanium exhaust system and lots of motorsport-inspired goodies. Some of the latter include airbag deletion, an electrical cut-off switch, fire suppression system, four-point harness, and an FIA-compliant roll cage.
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