Lotus Exige Sport 350 detailed

That’s exactly what Lotus designers attained in the advancement of the new Exige Sporting activity 350, which weighs simply 2,480 lb, or around 112 lb lower than the Exige S on which it’s formed.

We can, however, look on enviously from afar while soaking up the details.

To achieve this, Lotus engineers weighted every single component in the Exige S, which resulted in newly designed parts being put in the 350, such as a louvered tailgate panel, a lighter battery, lightweight engine mounts and a center console featuring an exposed gearshift mechanism made out of machined and cast aluminum components. A five-speed automatic is available, which includes forged aluminum paddle shifting.

Motivated by the same, supercharged 3.5-liter V-6 packing 345 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque, the Exige 350 Sport sprints to 60 miles per hour in a claimed 3.7 seconds (0.1 second quicker than before) and tops out at 170 miles per hour. The 0-62mph time is slightly complicated by gearbox choice, taking 3.9sec with the standard manual or 3.8sec with the optional automatic – “due to electronically optimised gearshifts”. The Exige Sport is the first Lotus to beat 1:30 on the Hethel track.

Beneath the metal, the Exige Sport 350 suspension setup now receives firmer dampers and a revised geometry to deliver better handling.

New larger switches with improved haptics have been introduced for the DPM system (Sport and Race) with the headlights and rear fog lights mounted together with the vehicle’s new engine start button.

But Lotus’ new Sport branding, first applied on the Elise Sport and Elise Sport 220 models, isn’t only about weight reduction as it also represents performance-focused driving. Revised aerodynamics produces 93 pounds of downforce at 100 miles per hour.

The Lotus Dynamic Performance Management provides three modes, Drive, Sport and Race. The system also opens the engine exhaust bypass valve at mid-to-high engine speeds. The interior cabin can be had in leather or Alcantara, but you can also go for the Tartan theme as a throwback to the 1976 Lotus Esprit S1.

As standard, the front splitter, rear wing, front access panel, roof panel, wing mirrors and rear transom are finished in matt black to complement the car’s aggressive stance; with the option for these components to be painted in body colour at no additional cost. The new model is 51kg lighter that the already light auto it replaces, now tipping the scales at 1125kg.

The Lotus Exige Sport 350 will go on sale in Europe in February with other markets to follow in March.