Lotus will begin producing a track-only version of the Exige Sport 380 and the stripped out back track car will land ready to race in March.
Lotus says the nearest comparison for the Exige Race 380 is the Exige Cup R, but the Exige Race 380 tore around the company’s home track at Hethel 1.5 seconds faster than the Exige Cup R — because of its weight savings and track focused nature.
The Exige Race 380 uses the same 3.5-liter supercharged V6 found in the Exige Sport 380, outputting 375 horsepower (280kw) and 410Nm of torque. These come at 6,700 rpm and 5,000 rpm, respectively. The drivetrain changes at the gearbox, though, which becomes an X-trac six-speed sequential transmission for faster shifts and more control. The transmission also contains an oil-cooler; cassette-type plate limited slip differential, and carbon fiber paddle shifts.
The Exige Race 380 uses a 2-way adjustable Ohlins damper system on its suspension, along with front and rear anti-roll bars. The driver-adjustable traction control system allows for fine-tuning in varied race conditions. Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, at 215/45 ZR17 and 265/35 ZR18 (front, rear) clad the Race 380's ultra-lightweight forged alloy wheels, complemented by AP Racing forged four-piston calipers with grooved two-piece brake discs.
Lotus reports the 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) speed of the Exige Race 380 to be just 3.2 seconds, about three tenths faster than the Sport 380 model. This is largely due to the better gearbox and the Race model's much lighter weight, which comes in at just under 1,000 kg (2,205 pounds) – about 110 kg (242 pounds) lighter than the Sport.
The Exige Race 380 has a thin-film-transistor (TFT) display for the instrument cluster, allowing full customization of screen configurations. A track data logger and GPS unit are standard, but the cluster can be upgraded to include software with professional data analysis included.
