Lotus turns 70 and wants to celebrate it in a very special way with the Exige

Brands sometimes want to commemorate special occasions, and there is no better way to do it than by creating a highly exclusive vehicle. In this way, Lotus has chosen to celebrate its seventieth birthday with a very special guest, the Exige. The Exige is already a unique sports car, offering as standard performance that could give several supercars a run for their money, but on this occasion the British firm has wanted to give the Exige some more subtle changes.

Lotus has a philosophy that allows it to create unique vehicles, whose goal is to become king of the circuits. With the Exige this was no different, which is why they decided to celebrate their birthday in grand style, so this special edition is based on the most radical version of the English sports car. Specifically, it can be ordered with the engine of the Exige Sport 350 or Sport 380, as both variants offer everything needed to be a true-bred supercar.

The Exige 380 Sport adopts a much more sporty look, thanks to a powerful rear wing that rises at the back. At the same time, a new diffuser and a much more aggressive splitter also contribute to this. But this is not limited to the exterior: there are also major changes inside, which give the Exige a cabin worthy of a genuine competition vehicle.

Two bucket-type seats make their presence felt inside this small but tough sports car. Both the passenger seat and the driver’s seat embroidered with the brand logo alongside the number of years it turns, as a reminder that you are not in an ordinary Exige. Another element that grabs attention is the gear lever.

It is a six-speed manual gearbox whose mechanism is exposed to the eyes of everyone who gets inside. This detail fits perfectly with the spartan conception of the Lotus, whose aim is to reduce weight as much as possible, which we love. Furthermore, carbon fibre, aluminium and Alcantara are found everywhere, essential to achieving the 1,071 kg dry weight it claims.

At the same time, we must focus on the heart that brings the Lotus Exige 70th Anniversary to life. It is a supercharged V6 capable of producing 380 CV of power -350 in the case of the lower version- and 410 Nm of torque. This allows the Exige to reach 100 km/h in under four seconds and claims a top speed of 286 km/h. Although the mechanics do not change in this special edition, there are some tweaks in other areas.

The 70th Anniversary edition is offered in three exclusive colours: Imperial Green, Essex Blue and Monaco White. In this way, the distinction will be much more noticeable, not only thanks to these three shades but also to the plates on the exterior of the vehicle indicating that it is a very special Exige. Furthermore, the firm wanted to emphasise its exclusivity further, so that only forty units of this Lotus will be produced.