Lotus developing track-spec Exige Race 380

The Lotus Exige will soon be available as a light and powerful track car after the British sportscar maker recently released the development of the Exige Race 380. Essentially the race version of the Exige Sport 380, the upcoming sports car will weigh only 998 kg and will come with the revamped powertrain and suspension system.

“The Lotus Exige Sport 380 is a real giant slayer on the road, and one of the quickest A to B supercars around. It gave us the ideal platform from which to develop the new Exige Race 380 - a peerless competition car designed to beat the best. By setting its weight below 1000kg, its power to weight is unsurpassed in its class,” said Jean-Marc Gales, CEO of Group Lotus.

Compared to the Exige Sport 380, the upcoming racecar features several exterior tweaks for improved aerodynamics. New air vents have been incorporated on the front and rear bodywork which will allow the car to generate 240 kg of downforce at 273 km/h. A new grill can also be found on the rear section will aid engine cooling added Lotus.

Further helping airflow and reduce wind resistance comes courtesy of a new rear diffuser and large straight-cut wing. The Exige Race 380 runs on Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires as standard, with the front axle getting 215/45/ZR17 rubber. Meanwhile, the rear axle gets wider 265/35/ZR18 tires. Lightweight forged alloy wheels are also standard equipment on the Exige Race 380.

Inside, the racecar will have a full roll cage, lightweight carbon-fiber FIA driver's seat, six-point harness and ultra-light polycarbonate side windows. A TFT instrument cluster will provide the necessary information for the driver, along with a data logger, GPS unit and programmable screen configurations.

Ever present is the 3.5-liter supercharged V6 that produces 375 PS at 6700 rpm and 410 Nm of torque at 5000 rpm. While output figures remain the same from the Exige Sport 380, Lotus installed several new features to optimize performance for the track. It gets a new 6-speed X-trac sequential gearbox with carbon fiber paddle shifters, oil cooler and a cassete-type plate limited slip differential. 0 – 97 km/h comes in at a very quick 3.2 seconds.

It can also be fitted with the optional titanium exhaust system which reduces overall weight by 10kg off the rear axle. As for stopping power, AP Racing forged four-piston calipers have been installed, as well as grooved two-piece disc brakes.

The car's handling was also tweaked as Lotus fitted the Exige Race 380 with 2-way adjustable Ohlins dampers and adjustable front and rear anti-roll bars. Together with the Lotus Traction Control System, the amount of wheel slip can be finely tuned by the driver from the cockpit.

It will be offered soon to private racing teams for the 2017-2018 racing season and will be fitted with additional competition-focused equipment.