While they may not be the most common cars here in New Zealand, Lotus has cemented itself as a brand that knows a thing or two about small, lightweight cars that have a high-revving engine crammed inside.
After 20 years of building the iconic Exige, the British brand has decided to celebrate the milestone by releasing the Exige Sport 410 20th Anniversary Edition in a limited run for 2021.
On the outside, a few exterior changes throw things back to the very first Exige released in 2000. The body-coloured roof, rear wing, and side intakes show this, as well as the black stone chip protector on the side.
Like most Lotus models, this special Exige can be ordered in all sorts of fun colours such as Chrome Orange, Calypso Red, and Laser Blue, joined by Saffron Yellow, Arctic Silver, and Motorsport Black.
On the inside, the funky colour scheme doesn't stop, with several coloured Alcantara trims on offer. The sports seats have been embroidered with the 20th-anniversary logos, and the dash stitching matches the seats.
While this is a track-ready racer, a bunch of modern features have become standard in the Exige over the years, including a Bluetooth radio, cruise control, and three-way adjustable dampers.
Power comes from the standard 3.5-litre supercharged V6 engine that's capable of 305kW and 420Nm of torque. This is sent through a six-speed manual transmission to the rear wheels. 0-100km/h is done in 3.3 seconds, and the top speed is 280km/h.
Like all special edition cars, the 20th Anniversary Exige carries a massive price tag. Over in the UK, it will set you back around $152,000 before any of the extras are tacked on, so its quite an expensive toy.
