Exige Race 380 - £120,000
Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2017 9:39 pm
Unapologetic, uncompromising and built to win, the Exige Race 380 is the track-only sibling of one of the world’s best supercars, the Exige Sport 380, from which it retains the majority of the original car’s configuration, thanks to the Exige Sport 380’s highly advanced development.
The Exige Race 380 is a peerless competition car, designed to beat the best, lapping Hethel track 1.5 seconds faster than the previous Exige Cup R - a massive performance gain. With a weight cut to just 998 kg dry, its power to weight is unsurpassed in its class. Combining Lotus’ vehicle development skills with its motorsport pedigree, the Exige Race 380 provides the ultimate in race-bred engineering and comes with a host of competition-focused components as standard. The Exige Race 380 features in particular a full, integrated roll cage, lightweight FIA Carbon driver seat (HANS compatible) and a six-point harness, as well as ultra-lightweight polycarbonate side windows, competition specification fire extinguisher, battery isolator and front and rear motorsport towing eyes. An ultra lightweight carbon fibre motorsport specific louvered tailgate panel is fitted over the engine and carbon fibre air intake pods are fitted to either side of the car forward of the rear wheels.
Helping the driver stay on pace, the new Exige Race 380’s colour TFT instrument cluster offers numerous user customisable and programmable screen configurations. Incorporating a track data logger and GPS unit, owners have the opportunity to upgrade this logger with professional data analysis software. This class-leading competition car will set the pace when the first production cars reach owners in May 2017 and will become the race car of choice for race teams as well as privateers.
The Exige has long set the benchmark for handling and, to ensure it remains perfectly poised and agile, the Exige Race 380 uses a revised suspension configuration, incorporating 2-way adjustable Öhlins dampers and adjustable front and rear anti-roll bars. This, together with the Lotus Traction Control System, where the amount of wheel slip can be adjusted by the driver from the cockpit, allows owners to fine tune the vehicle’s handling characteristics. Helping the Exige exploit its performance, the Race 380 employs Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres as standard (wider 215/45 ZR17 at the front; 265/35 ZR18 at the rear), renowned for their predictable handling and high grip, which are complemented by the car’s ultra-lightweight forged alloy wheels. The same attention to detail has been applied to the brakes, with AP Racing forged, four-piston callipers and grooved two-piece brake disc providing the stopping power.
The new Exige Race 380 includes a wide range of competition-orientated options as standard, covering everything from drivetrain to driver information system – all designed to increase the car’s capabilities. Developed to be eligible for the world-wide Lotus Cup series and a number of clubman championships, this racer is every inch a winner. Retaining the race-proven 3.5-litre supercharged V6 engine, the Exige Race 380 boasts 375 hp at 6,700 rpm and 410 Nm (302 lbft) of torque at 5,000 rpm. However, in order to extract every ounce of performance, the car comes with an Xtrac 6-speed sequential transmission, oil cooler, and cassette-type plate limited slip differential, and is operated by carbon paddles located behind the steering wheel. Opting for the full exhaust system in titanium removes a further 10 kg from beyond the rear axle. Extremely quick off the line, the Exige Race 380 sprints from 0-60 in just 3.2 secs, and laps the Hethel track in an outstanding 1 minute 23.5 seconds - the fastest ever for an Exige.
