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2004 Lotus Exige Mk II Preview

Back from the Dead

Remarkable changes are taking place at Lotus. The automaker is currently preparing to enter the American market with its second generation Elise later this year.

While that may be good news for longtime fans, other news about the company itself is not so good. Only one standing model stays in the Lotus lineup seeing that the M250 midsize was canned and the long-running Esprit is officially dead.

To help tie the marque over until its next supercar comes around Lotus has revived the Exige that ran from 2000 to 2002. The new car maintains

Lotus has revived the Exige to hold supercar fans over until they expand their product line. (Photo: Lotus Cars U.S.A.)

the same lightweight core values which the first generation featured.

The most recent news concerning the Elise 111R revolves around the new Toyota 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engine with variable valve timing. Reasons for change include reliability, increased efficiency, and the fact that Toyotas inline

The Elise 111R has Toyotas new 192-hp 1.8-L 4-cylinder engine mounted over the rear axles, the same to be used in the Exige. (Photo: Lotus Cars U.S.A.)

four will pass worldwide emissions standards without challenge. It generates a very impressive 192 horsepower, backed by 134 lb-ft of torque. The engines general characteristics should equal the high-revving K-Series British motor, so fans of the original Exige should not be disappointed.

While the Rover K-Series was an admirable engine powering one of Lotus best vehicles, the Toyota motor packs its own

The engine redlines at 8,500 rpm, which will be music to the ears of Lotus enthusiasts. (Photo: Lotus Cars U.S.A.)

special traits. It is true that the Rover motor featured VVC, Rovers version of variable valve timing, however the Toyota powerplant packs this trait (VVTL-i) as well, plus two camshafts. Between idle and 6,200 rpm, the car utilizes a normal cam, but as soon as this line is crossed all goes wild thanks to an aggressive cam setup that increases valve lift for extra engine breathing. Though the Exige will never reach the limit on its 10,000 rpm tachometer, enthusiasts will be impressed by the cars 8,500 rpm redline and 7,800 rpm peak power delivery.

Performance

Two other big benefits of the Toyota engine are the great gas mileage and impressively low emission ratings. (Photo: Lotus Cars U.S.A.)

has always been a key factor to the Exiges success, and though it is true that the new model will be heavier by 90 kilograms, it has a 15-hp advantage over the old car. The new engine allows the 1,925 pound coupe to reach 60 mph in just 5.1 seconds, with a top speed of 147 mph.

Despite the ability to offer near infinite thrills, the Exige will return a remarkable 26.7 mpg on the average mixed cycle, something that very few extreme sports cars can match. As mentioned before, the Exige can squeak past the Euro4 emissions regulations, a set of tests that has caught and smothered many high performance cars (or at least invoked them to change dramatically). The car is mated

The Exige model recieves front and rear spoilers, as well as an F1-like turbulence reducing flat underbody. (Photo: Lotus Cars U.S.A.)

to a six-speed gearbox, and like all Lotus vehicles, features a performance exhaust system engineered in-house.

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