- Swansong editions get more power and equipment
- Replacement of the duo is on the horizon
Lotus has finally given a last hurrah to the Elise and Exige sports cars after a production run of 25 and 21 years, respectively. Unceremoniously, the swansong models of the pair is called ‘Final Edition’ with a bump in power and added equipment – instead of accustomed crash dieting.
In fact, the Final Editions of both these lightweight sports cars are easily the best-equipped version since their introduction. The British marque has announced a range of five new Final Editions – two Elise and three Exige – with “higher power, greater standard specification and - in true Lotus style - lightweight”. Names of these five editions are – Elise Sport 240, Elise Cup 250, Exige Sport 390, Exige Sport 420 and Exige Cup 430.
With the limited run Final Editions, the Exige and Elise get special paint scheme to go with the exclusivity. This includes Lotus’ historic Azure Blue which was used on the first production Lotus car in 1996, Black from the motorsport division, and Racing Green as a homage to the original car unveiled back at 1995 Frankfurt Motor Show.
The biggest change on the inside is the all-new TFT digital dashboard with the choice of two screens, one with a conventional set of dials and the other a race car-style with digital speedo and an engine speed bar. The flat-bottom steering wheel is new and clad in leather and Alcantara. Every car comes with a Final Edition build plaque, plus new seat trim and stitch patterns too.
As for the powertrain, the Elise Sport 240 gets 23bhp more, totalling to 240bhp and 245Nm from its supercharged 1.8-litre engine, with a 0-100kmph claim of 4.1sec. Its weight shedding is helped by 10-spoke Anthracite wheels and host of carbon fibre panels. Meanwhile, the Elise 250 Cup gets aerodynamic tweaks too apart from Bilstein sports dampers and adjustable anti-roll bars. Its crash diet has helped it tip the scale at scanty 931 kilograms.
Moving to the Exige Final Edition, the three models get newer wheels, paint schemes and decals while sharing the supercharged 3.5-litre V6 sourced from Toyota. The Exige Sport 390 gets 47bhp more taking the total to 397bhp. As the name suggests, the Sport 420 has 420bhp on tap, 10bhp more than its predecessor, making it the fastest Exige till date. It can sprint 0-100kmph in just 3.3 seconds and has a top speed of 290kmph. It’s equipped with Eibach anti-roll bars and AP racing brakes. Lastly, the Exige Cup 430 Final Edition is the most powerful of the lot making 430bhp. Tipping the scale at 1110kg, it will take mere 3.2-seconds for a 0-100kmph sprint.
