28 August 2009 - 10:00
What comes after Size Zero?
The problem with last year's Lotus Exige 260 Cup was that it was a bit of a porker. A lardy, blimp-like, 928kg fattie.
So, like a fashion designer starving her already waif-like models, Lotus has forced the Exige 260 Cup onto a brutal weight loss strategy, forcing it onto a subsistence diet of carbon fibre bodywork, lightweight alloy wheels and a smaller battery.
The result? A veritably size-zero kerbweight of 890kg, 38kg lighter than last year.
With Lotus's supercharged 1.8-litre four-pot putting out 256bhp, that means a power-to-weight ratio of 288bhp per tonne, and a 0-60mph time of four seconds flat. It's pretty green by supercar standards, too, returning 33.2mpg and just 199g/km of CO2.
We got an early drive in the 260 Cup a few months ago. Read what we thought here.
The price is a bit of a kicker, mind: the Exige 260 Cup costs £45,000, though that does generously include a full tank of fuel.
Put another way, that's £51 per kilo. Which, according to our meticulous research, makes it the same price as wild-harvested wood sorrel. We have no idea whether this makes the Exige Cup 260 a bargain or not...
Find out when we put more up like this, and follow Top Gear on Twitter.
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A lighter lotus, what did they do stick an engine in a sock! soon it will just be wheels, a driver and an engine strapped to thier back
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the worlds fastest food blender has arrived. I want one.
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I'd feel guilty getting in this without going on a diet first, which is a shame.
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To drive this thing more than once a day you'd have to have the recaro racing seats with head restraints. Anything less and your head'll come off.
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Fat drivers shouldn't buy one as it makes a mockery of all the hard work Lotus put into lightning it. Perhaps it should be driven naked.
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Fat people would be great in this car, to stop it blowing away (btw i am fat)!
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Yet another track car from lotus. thats fantastic!
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couldnt agree more with Winbolt, if top gear test this, ask May, he was the one who drove an Aston in the nude, so this could be his calling in life
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The Elise is fast... the Exige is insaine so what is this???
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let me guess, the next lotus will weigh about 3 or 4 kilograms. they could make it even lighter by filling it up with hydregon, then itll weigh -6 to -8 kilograms!! but this exige 260 cup will be fantastic.
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as much as i idolise Jezza, i think he shouldnt drive this, (hes too fat) hampster should do it (in his under wear & after a diet). the only thing thats heavy about this car is the diet u go on before driving it!
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Lotus seem to make a hot new exige every few months. Just how many more times can they improve it?
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lotus did make a bit of a mistake with the 260 cup but the new one is bonkers it would be better putting 350 bhp in and then making the chassis cope with the power then you would have a car as bonkers as the lotus carlton
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50 quid per kilo of oranges.... hmmmm....
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it look brillint and now its lighter than a packet of crisps
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I'm not sure on the square-jawed facelift, or the black stickers, but that's going to be one hell of a car. 260bhp may seem like not much in TopGear World, but in an 890kg car that's enough to really throw it around a track, especially as power is in no way the focus at Lotus. It's ability will only be limited by that of the one driving it. If you're ham-fisted and brick-footed with it though, that much power in a car that small and light could send you wayward easily. Good thing Lotus knows more about suspension than just about anybody.
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brilliant.Ive always liked lotusseseseses no matter what but this is ultimate could probably handl almost twice the power tho
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this car is mad lotus already make superlight cars and now theve gone a step further your going to have to way this car down just so it wont blow away lol
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Reminds me of the feather in Forrest Gump. There's no telling when or where you'll touch the ground again : ) But honestly, I think anything over 600 kg is a bit on the heavy side. For a Lotus...
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Very nice car but sholdnt they concentrate on diffrent cars. Lotus Insignia or Lotus VXR8 anyone? They turned a shity Vauxhaul Calton into the fastest 4 door car so whats stopping them from doing this?
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Klasco commented on this article
28 August 2009
i still think it needs better engine perhaps a 3.0L
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