Lotus Exige Sport 410
A new Exige is on the horizon, but the Sport 410 is a first-rate swansong for the outgoing version
LOTUS’S EXIGE HAS BEEN EVER-present on the Hethel production line for 18 years, and it will continue to be so until 2020 when its – and the Evora’s – replacement arrives. Until then, Lotus has opted to freeze any further substantial development on the model and has created a three-car line-up to see it out.
Therefore the Sport 410 is not another limited-edition model to celebrate a birthday/ anniversary/new kettle in the Hethel canteen. Rather it’s a series production model that sits between the Sport 350 and Cup 430 in a lineup that Lotus chief Jean-marc Gales describes, with tongue firmly in cheek, as Lotus’s 911 GT3 Touring, GT3 and GT3 RS – the difference being you don’t have to buy an SUV first before being invited to buy an Exige.
The cynics will suggest that the Sport 410 is nothing more than a set of stickers, a new paintjob and an ECU tickle away from previous Sport models. But it’s much more than that, essentially being a turned down Cup 430 rather than a tweaked up Sport 350 (that was the Sport 380, which is superseded by the 410). To this end the Toyota-sourced 3.5-litre supercharged V6 receives a remap to reduce power from 430 to 410bhp, but enjoys the flattest torque curve of the range as a consequence. From 3000rpm to the near 7000rpm red line, the Sport 410 has more muscle at its disposal for longer.
The Sport 410 also debuts a new front-end design for the Exige range, which primarily focuses on the intakes, maximising cleaner and faster air travel through and under the car. And while the aluminium rear diffuser may be discreet, the carbonfibre engine cover and fixed rear wing are anything but. With wide haunches, Cup 2 rubber hugging forged Team Dynamic wheels, and AP Racing calipers bulging behind the spokes, the Exige still has that racetrack refugee look about it. In a world of soft surfaces and never-ending radii it’s a magnificent antidote.
Low-slung and wide-silled, you slide into the Exige’s carbon bucket seat before swinging your legs over and in. Pull the seat forward, grip the small wheel, and there’s a brilliant sense of adventure about sitting here with no infotainment system glaring back at you, nor a high-rise centre console playing host to a dozen switches. The simplicity is welcoming, the exposed gear linkage a work of art.
The V6 is a little gruff on start-up, but settles to an idle soundtrack that has intent without being boisterous (even with
‘It flows with a precision, accuracy and togetherness only a Mclaren can replicate’
the optional titanium exhaust fitted). The single-mass flywheel and smaller 240mm clutch present no issues, but the unassisted steering will catch a few by surprise on first turn; thereafter you only ever notice it for the detailed and comprehensive messages telegraphed to your fingertips.
Connected to the aluminium tub are the adjustable Nitron springs and dampers and Eibach anti-roll bars from the Cup 430. Both have been retuned for a more road-biased setup here, but also with one eye on pushing those Michelins into the surface as hard as possible due to the 410 being 70kg lighter on maximum downforce compared with the 430’s 220kg. On the road the Sport 410 floats with a remarkable pliancy, with each of its corners working as one, soaking up ripples, deflecting bumps and softening holes. When it gets going it flows with a precision, accuracy and togetherness that only a Mclaren manages to replicate.
There’s too much grip for the road, but it doesn’t numb the experience, rather it focuses you on absorbing everything you’re being told, processing it all and reacting where necessary. Few cars involve you as much and this is one of the few modern cars that you’ll find impossible to ignore when it comes to driving for the sake of it; intoxication on this level normally commands at least twice the asking price. And it’s fast (0-62mph in 3.4sec, top speed 180mph). At times violently so, sucking you into the horizon at a rate to be expected of a car with a power-to-weight ratio – 376bhp per ton – that outmuscles a 911 Turbo S.
Despite it being tuned for the road, the Sport 410 doesn’t hide its track roots when you venture onto a circuit. Set up to allow a broader spectrum of owners to get more from it – hence the reduction in downforce and a focus on mechanical grip – the on-road feedback is amplified on track. Too early on the throttle and there’s some steady understeer, but it’s so quickly felt you can react accordingly. Hook the 410 up and it dissects a corner with such completeness that within 20 minutes you know you’re quicker, your lines cleaner, your braking more efficient. It’s like having an instructor with you offering encouragement and advice while all the time making you feel every improvement is down to you.
There will be those who snipe at Lotus because it’s the thing to do, and others who ask if the cars really are this good after all this time. The simple answer is yes, and the thrills they deliver are as unique and brilliant as ever.
Engine V6, 3456cc, supercharged Power 410bhp @ 7000rpm Torque 310lb ft @ 3500rpm Weight 1108kg (376bhp/ton) 0- 62mph 3.4sec Top speed 180mph Basic price £85,600 Performance, looks, uniqueness, lack of rivals Some may baulk at the price evo rating