1  November 2006

Lotus Exige S British GT Special Edition - be part of a very exclusive winning team

This year in partnership with the Cadena racing team, Lotus entered eighteen rounds of the British GT3 Championship with the stunning new Lotus Sport Exige GT3 racecar. The season finished with the Lotus Sport Cadena Race Team being crowned British GT3 Team Champions, with one race still remaining from their inaugural season of competition.

To celebrate this outstanding success, Lotus has launched the Lotus Exige S British GT Special Edition. Based on the phenomenally quick standard-production Lotus Exige S, the Lotus Exige S British GT Special Edition pays homage to the success of the Lotus Sport Exige GT3 racecar. Each vehicle features a quad-stripe paint scheme and is individually identifiable by uniquely numbered ‘British GT’ badges, Lotus Sport Cadena supplier decals and silver 7 twin-spoke forged alloy wheels, along with unique sports seats, door trims and Lotus Sport floor carpets. The Lotus Exige S British GT Special Edition is powered by a six-speed supercharged 1796 cc engine using advanced VVTL-i technology, enabling the car to sprint to 60 mph in only 4.1 seconds and on to a top speed of 148 mph.

But the performance doesn’t stop there – the Lotus Exige S British GT Special Edition can go even quicker: The Lotus Exige S is already one of the quickest cars on the road and one of the fastest road cars on the track, but add the optional GT Pack (a UK post-registration conversion) and the Lotus Exige S British GT Special Edition becomes one of the quickest cars at any price, anywhere in the world. The GT Pack has been designed specifically to enhance the car’s performance for those drivers with even more extreme track day aspirations. It adds another 25 hp (from 218 hp to 243 hp) and 15.4 ft.lbs of torque (from 158.6 ft.lbs to 174 ft.lbs) which, as a Lotus is always very light - in this case just 930 kg – drops the 0 to 60 mph sprint to less than 4 seconds and increases the top speed to 155 mph. Of course, this higher performance has led to a requirement for uprated brakes (with 308 mm diameter 2-piece front discs with four piston calipers, uprated brake pads and silicone brake fluid), 2-way adjustible Öhlins dampers with uprated springs and an Accusump™ oil control system.

Mike Kimberley, Chief Executive of Group Lotus said: “We believe that the Lotus Exige S British GT Special Edition will provide a unique customer proposition, both emphasising the racing heritage of the Lotus Exige and enabling customers to get closer to the Lotus Sport Exige GT3 racecar than ever before. With fantastic value for money standard and optional equipment, exceptional performance and legendary Lotus handling, the Lotus Exige S British GT Special Edition becomes one of the greatest performance choices of the year!”

Lotus Exige S British GT Special Edition Standard specifications include:

Track and Sports focused equipment:

· Uprated braided brake hoses

· Lotus Traction Control System (TCS)

· Factory fit Torsion type Limited Slip Differential

· 7 twin-spoke ultra lightweight forged alloy wheels (Silver)

· T45 Steel roll-hoop

· Leather ProBax sports seats in black/yellow featuring unique Lotus Sport Cadena trim

· Four-point harnesses

· Fully independent sports suspension utilising unequal length wishbones, Bilstein mono-tube gas dampers with uprated valving, uprated Eibach coaxial springs, front anti-roll bar

· Level 1 Sport exhaust

Exterior and Interior Equipment

· Lotus Sport Black metallic paint

· Lotus Sport Yellow and Arctic Silver stripes

· Unique British GT Championship decals featuring individual numbering

· Lotus Sport Cadena supplier decals on side sills

· Lotus Sport Cadena logos on front clamshell / wing

· British GT3 Championship Winners logo with unique build number

· Lotus Sport build plate

· Lotus Sport windscreen decal

· Manufacturers decals on side sills

· Leather door trim in black/yellow

· Polished aluminium gear-knob

· Polished aluminium handbrake sleeve

· Radio and single CD/RW player with 4 speakers

There are only two cost options:

Air conditioning at £1295 (MSRP) which does not sap power from the engine as it cuts out when the driver uses more than nine-tenths throttle – very rarely does a driver use more that 95% throttle for more than 10 seconds even on the quickest circuits!

GT pack at £4995 (MSRP):

· Power upgrade to 243 bhp

· 2-way adjustible Öhlins dampers with uprated springs

· Accusump™ oil control system

· 308 mm 2-piece front discs with four piston calipers, uprated brake pads and silicone brake fluid

· 12-month/12,000 mile warranty

 

Important note about Lotus warranties

Lotus is one of the very few manufacturers that offer warranty’s that remains valid for track day use. Lotus believes that a driver should not be penalised for using a Lotus on the track, and as such the full 2 year unlimited mileage warranty applies for track use where there is no race or competition use including timed laps or runs. The Lotus Exige S British GT Special Edition with the GT Pack has a 12-month/12,000 mile warranty.

Recommended Selling Price (incl. VAT)

Lotus Exige S British GT Special Edition - £35,995.00

GT Pack - £4,995.00

Air Conditioning - £1,295.00

An additonal £950 is charged for on the road costs. These include delivery, PDI, first service, number plates, first registration fee, valet, 12 months Road Fund Licence and a full tank of fuel.

Performance

Lotus Exige S British GT Special Edition (With GT Pack)

0-60 mph 4.1 seconds (3.98 seconds)

0-100 mph 9.98 seconds (9.90 seconds)

Max Speed 148 mph (155 mph)

Max Power 218 hp at 7800 rpm (243 hp at 8000 rpm)

Max Torque 158.6 lb.ft at 5500 rpm (174 lbft at 7000 rpm)

Combined Fuel consumption 31 mpg TBA

CO2 emissions 216 g/km TBA