Lotus Announce ‘Supercar Killer’

by Paul Hadley

Ok, that’s not what the Norfolk-based brand has called its new model, although what a name that would be! No, this is the new Lotus Exige Sport 380 which has been dubbed by the brand as, yup, you guessed it – the ‘Supercar Killer’.

Killer Specs

What does the Exige Sport 380 have? What makes it a so-called ‘supercar killer’? Under the 1,066 kg (dry) body lies a 3.5 litre supercharged V6 engine which is able to produce 375 bhp and 352 bhp – almost a 1:1 power-to weight ratio. Impressive. This means you’ll hurtle to 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds and then on to a top speed of 178 mph. Crikey. That power is mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox which wait for it… has an open-gate design – I’m a fan of that! A 6-speed automatic is also available although it’s a tad slower than its manual counterpart. With that kind of power, the only thing left to ask is when should I buy new tires?..lol

Brains to go With the Brawn

The Exige Sport 380 is more than simple brute force though; with it being a Lotus you can be safe in the knowledge that this will have cat-like agility in the corners and the kind of track performance that has made Lotus the brand it is today. The front panel has been revised from the Exige Sport 350 to change the airflow into the radiator and the car has been made with plenty of carbon fibre, including the large wing on the back. This combined with other elements of the car such as the air blades behind the rear wheels means the Exige Sport 380 is able to offer 60% more downforce than the Exige Sport 350.

How Much?

The Exige Sport 380 will start from £67,900 which I’ll admit is quite a bit of money for a car that’s best at home on the track and not really suited for everyday use but it’s a lot cheaper than, let’s say, a Ferrari. It’s homegrown too, so you’d be supporting the British industry. It will be offered as a roadster as standard although a hardtop coupe is available as well.

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