The Lotus Exige S is a great car to look at and no doubt great to drive. It boasts a supercharged 3.5-litre V6 engine with 258 kW and 400 Nm of torque. The real punch, however, comes from a power-to-weight ratio of 220.6 kW per tonne. It’ll do 0 – 100 km/h in 4 seconds and hit 274 km/h, but you’ll need to get into the driver’s seat first.
The Exige S Roadster’s extruded aluminium bonded chassis maybe lightweight (1 166 kg), but its design has resulted in an awkward barrier to entry, as Joe Public demonstrates in this video. Then again, the Roadster is the first Exige to be offered with a factory-fitted, lightweight, removable roof; and maybe for good reason.