The
Lotus Exige is a two-door, two-seat sports car which is essentially
a hardtop version of the Lotus Elise roadster. The original
Exige was launched in 2000 and had a 1.8 L engine. It produced
170 bhp in standard form and 190 bhp in top spec. Compared to
the Elise, the Exige had wider wheel arches, a front splitter,
a large rear spoiler and a fiberglass roof.
In 2004, the Series 2 Lotus Exige was introduced. It features
a 1.8 L 16-valve DOHC Toyota/Yamaha engine that produced 189
bhp . The purpose of the aerodynamic modifications on the Exige,
as opposed to the Elise, was to create more downforce (100lbs
of downforce at 100mph in the Exige versus 13 lbs at 100mph
in the Elise).