The newly unveiled Lotus E Exige Cup 430 – Unlimited Edition is indeed the most extreme production version of the Exige ever made. The company claims that the vehicle has been designed and developed for aggressive track performance and point-to-point supremacy. The Exige Cup 430 has emerged as the fastest production car to lap the famous Hethel circuit in 1 minute and 24.8 seconds, which is about 1.2 seconds faster than Lotus 3-Eleven.
The newly designed body creates 220kg of downforce and is stated to be 15 per cent more powerful than the Exige Cup 380 model. A new ultra-lightweight front clam with unique carbon fibre ducts has wider radiator apertures and a new mesh pattern grille to provide a more combative aspect and to allow for a new front splitter and air curtain mechanism to reduce drag. The lightweight rear clam panel supports the larger, straight motorsport wing to increase downforce without impacting the car’s overall drag coefficient. The company claims that the newly design front and rear clam panels are 6.8 kg lighter than those on any other Exige.
The Lotus Exige 430 – Unlimited Edition is powered by a 3.5-litre V6, 24-valve water-cooled, all-alluminium engine that generates 420bhp of power at 7000rpm and 440Nm of torque 4,000rpm to 6,800rpm. Mated to a six-speed manual transmission, the vehicle is capable of sprinting from 0 to 100kmph in just 3.3-seconds. The vehicle’s top speed is limited to 290kmph.
Speaking about the Exige Cup 430, Jean-Marc Gales, CEO, Group Lotus plc said, “This is the car that we have always wanted to build, and I am sure that all Lotus enthusiasts will be delighted with the end product. As well as a significant power hike, the Cup 430 has benefited from extensive development in areas essential to Lotus’ DNA, in order to ensure that the full potential of the Exige’s incredible chassis can be exploited. This car has no rivals – inside or outside of its price bracket - and it’s no exaggeration when we say that nothing can keep up with this Exige on the road or track.”
