Lotus has introduced their fastest roadster ever at the Geneva Motor Show, the Lotus Exige S Roadster.
Power comes from the same supercharged 3.5-litre V6 as the hard-top and shared with the Evora. Maximum power is 257 kW and torque is 400 Nm. Acceleration from 0 – 100km/h is 3.8 seconds, identical to the hard-top Exige, but top speed is down by a significant 39 km/h, to 233 km/h. The Roadster comes with a six-speed manual gearbox as standard, but is also available with a paddle-operated Serial Precision Shift (SPS) transmission.
Two suspension settings are available: Standard or Race. Standard settings offer a mroe compliant ride for road use, where as the Race setup is more track-biased and also forms part of the ‘Race Pack’ option that includes launch control.
Unlike past Exige models, optional interior equipment and trim extends from the luxurious to the weight-saving bare minimum, depending on the customers preference.
The Exige S Roadster will be sold predominantly in Europe and Asia. While it can be ordered in South Africa for delivery around the middle of 2012, no price has been confirmed from Lotus just yet.
