Lotus Exige dimensions

The 2011 Lotus Exige introduces one of the most engaging vehicles built today, but its focus on performance means convenience and comfort are low among its priorities. Lotus Exige Coupe offers the following pros: Ultralight weight; super-sharp steering; good fuel efficiency; uncompromising sports-car performance. Lotus Exige Coupe drawbacks are: Spartan dashboard with little space; difficult entry and exit; poor outward visibility; rough ride quality; peaky performance delivery; limited dealer network.

The 2011 Lotus Exige is a midengine, two-passenger rear-wheel-drive coupe that is provided in two trims: the S240 and the S260 Sport.

Traditional features for the Lotus Exige S240 include forged-aluminum wheels (16-inch front, 17-inch rear), Yokohama Advan A048 high-performance tires, Lotus/ap Racing and Brembo ventilated and cross-drilled brakes, Bilstein dampers with Eibach springs, air-conditioning, performance windows and locks, sport seatings with Probax anatomical padding, black cloth upholstery, a leather-trimmed Momo helm, a four-speaker Alpine audio with a CD player, and adjustable traction control and release control.

An auxillary Touring Pack adds add-on acoustic insulation, a cupholder, an dashboard stowage net, a full carpet set, Ipod connectivity, center control panel divider and leather upholstery for the seatings, door panels, handbrake and center control panel. The Track Pack adds manually adjustable Ohlins dampers and height-adjustable springs. A paint-protection film, limited-slip differential and special-order look colours are also auxillary (although some of these colours are more expensive than all the other features combined).

The Lotus Exige S260 Sport ratchets up performance with a boost in performance output, numerous carbon-fiber body panels, a front splitter, a back spoiler and a carbon-fiber race bench. The S260 also incorporates the limited-slip differential and Touring and Track Packs as traditional equipment. The paint-protection film is also available as an feature.

A special Roger Becker Edition of the Lotus Exige debuts for 2011, honoring the longtime director of Lotus car engineering, who recently retired. This model is based on the S260 and contains the Touring suite, along with the limited-slip differential. It will only be provided in a handful of colours with a black leather dashboard. .