The real beauty of both the Elise and Exige is they perform like dedicated track cars, but they're fully street legal. You can take yours to the grocery store if you want, in spite of the miniscule storage space. One of the Lotus guys even said he drove an Exige eight hours from Lotus HQ near Atlanta to Virginia International Raceway and didn't stop except for gas. He admitted it was partly due to the ProBax seats, standard equipment for 2006, which use multi-density foam padding to reduce pressure at key points and support your spine's natural curve. Even so, I think I'd be hard-pressed to spend that much time in the car. Putting two six-foot-plus individuals side by side illustrates just how small the cockpit is. There's adequate room to sit, but you'll sometimes bump elbows and the occasional knee when reaching for sixth gear. And there's the little contortionist number you'll need to perform to simultaneously duck under the low-slung roof and negotiate the wide door sills...
Lotus expects to bring 300 Exige cars to America in 2006. Best order yours now.
2006 Lotus Exige
Base Price: $50,990
Drivetrain
Transverse mid engine, rear-wheel drive
Engine
1.8-liter inline four, dohc, four valves per cylinder
Transmission
Six-speed manual
Suspension
Independent dual wishbones, coaxial coil springs, telescopic dampers, front anti-roll bar
Brakes
AP two-piston fixed aluminum front calipers, Brembo single-piston sliding rear calipers, 11.5-inch cross-drilled rotors
Dimensions
Length x Width x Height (in.): 150 x 68 x 46
Wheelbase: 90.5 in.
Curb Weight: 2,015 lb
Performance
Peak Power: 190 bhp @ 7800 rpm
Peak Torque: 138 lb-ft @ 6800 rpm
0-60 mph: 4.9 sec.
Top Speed: 147 mph