Exige V6 model history milestones

Exige S Introduction:

First deliveries commence November 2012 at ‘12 VIN serial number CHD10491.
See Technical Service Bulletin 2012/12 for full details.

Lotus Racing Exige Cup: January 2013

First VIN DH_10447 Onwards. VIN characters: Same as ‘S’ production models. Officially debuted at Autosport 2013 International Racing Car Show, designed to compete in the Lotus Cup series,

Differences compared to standard Exige include: A Lotus Racing build plate mounted on the passenger’s side inner sill to confirm the vehicle final assembly was completed at the Lotus Racing headquarters.

Engine fitted of an internally baffled sump assembly and modified engine breather system to accommodate an external oil catch tank. Increase in the power to weight ratio achieved by the reduction in the vehicles unladen weight by removal of NVH trims, radio, speakers, alarm and SRS system.

Onboard fire extinguisher and battery isolator system fitted as standard. Non-airbag steering wheel and 3 point non-pyrotechnic seat belts fitted as standard removable steering wheel and 4 point harness supplied as dealer fit. ‘T45’ seat belt anchorage frame with ‘A’ frame kit is fitted as standard.

Suspension: 2-way adjustable Nitron spring damper assemblies with separate reservoirs are fitted all round.

Wheels & Tyres: Production cast black five Y-spoke wheel rims fitted with the standard Pirelli P Corsa road tyres.
Rear towing strap fitted and the front grille modified to allow fitment over the front towing eye to comply with track day and race regulations.

Body: N/S rear clamshell modified to accept fitment of flange bezels for the external battery isolator and on-board fire extinguisher switches.

Decals & badges: ‘LOTUS’ lettering in Cool Grey pantone colouring on the upper surface of rear wing and Union Jack decals fitted to the end caps. ‘V6 Cup’ logo on both sill panels below the doors and OSR transom panel and an ‘Exige’ badge also in Cool Grey fitted to NSR transom panel.

Paint: Front clamshell below LH/RH intake grilles, front access cover, rear transom panel, tailgate, hardtop, rear wing, end caps and uprights are finished in ‘soft feel’ water borne matt black finish paint. Door mirror end caps are finished in silver.

Interior: Driver’s and passenger’s seat are carbon fibre HANS compliant race seats ‘V6 Cup’ embroidery to the seat back. Door panels, dash panel and centre console are also re-trimmed. Please refer to TSB 2013/16 for further information.

2013MY Exige S Roadster: September 2013

First Production ‘13MY VIN serial number DHC10852.
Body: As per the Exige S except for the standard factory fitment of the Elise style fabric soft top roof and deletion of the front splitter and rear aerofoil. The side air intake panels and door mirror plinths are finished in the same colour as the body on the Exige S Roadster (compared to black finish on the Exige S).

Engine: Uses the same 2GR-FE V6 powertrain carried over from the Exige S but the top speed is electronically limited to 145 mph / 233 km/h by the ECM (Electronic Control Module) restricting the throttle from opening when top road speed is being approached.

Suspension: Rear Anti-roll bar diameter increased to 19.5mm to increase stiffness, all other components are carried over from Exige S but the reduced down force generated by the body panels (due to removal of the front splitter and rear aerofoil) requires minor revisions to the front and rear camber angles to re-align front and rear axle responses to ensure the ride and handling performance is comparable to the Exige S.

Wheels: A silver version of the Exige S cast gloss black wheels fitted as standard with the optional diamond cut finished wheels offered as an optional extra.

Brakes: Carried over from the Exige S but with the addition of silver callipers which are exclusive to the Roadster.

Interior trim: Carried over from the Exige S, but features quilted trim finishing’s to the seats and door insert panels on both the Premium and Premium Sports Pack interior trim options. See Technical Service Bulletin 2013/13 for full details.

Exige LF1: June 2014

Limited edition 81 vehicles produced
RHD model debuted in June 2014 at the Canary Wharf Motorexpo and Goodwood Festival of Speed in London and LHD simultaneously at the Le Mans 24 hours event.

Based on the black and gold livery of the 1970s and 1980s Lotus Formula 1 cars, each limited edition car is numbered with a limited edition carbon fibre build plate and will sequentially celebrate a specific Grand Prix from car #1 commemorating Lotus’ first GP victory at Monaco in 1960 to car #81 marking Kimi Raikkonen’s win in Australia in 2013.

Body: Motorsport Black met. C152, Total Red C154 and Mars Gold C164, exterior badges incorporating ‘LF1’ logo, black and gold ‘Lotus’ nose badge and wheel centres.

Interior trim: Leather and technical fabric featuring black and gold design with gold contrast piping and stitching details Embroidered ‘LF1’ logos on headrests and floor mats and ‘Lotus F1®Team’ logo on seat backs.

Bespoke carbon fibre engine plate fitted to supercharger, ‘Race’ Pack, two-piece brake discs, red brake callipers, matt gold 5-spoke 17”/18” cast alloy wheels, Pirelli P-Zero Trofeo tyres and air conditioning fitted as standard.

Exige LF1 owners receive the Formula 1® package within the purchase price of the car which comprises a factory tour of the Lotus Cars production facility at Hethel and the Lotus F1® Team headquarters at Enstone. Also included is an Exige LF1 Membership card entitling members to 20% discount on Lotus Originals and Heritage ranges and 10% off Lotus F1® Team Replica collection, a Romain Grosjean 1:2 scale replica helmet, Lotus F1®car key fob and USB stick.

Unique part numbers for the Exige LF1 can be found within this Service Parts List under function group 90.00 - Special Editions.

2015MY Exige S Automatic. January 2015

From VIN FHC20502 Onwards
VIN character 6 body type: G = Roadster H = Coupe
VIN character 13 transmission type: 1 = Manual 2 = Automatic

Engine: Carried over from Exige S Coupe and Roadster,
Rear silencer: Revised for automatic models, visually identical to manual silencer except the length of the perforated outlet pipe within the assembly is altered to avoid an audible’ booming’ noise that would be generated at higher road speeds if fitted with the manual silencer due to the revised gearing to engine rpm/road speed characteristics of the automatic transmission system.

Transmission: The Exige S automatic utilises the same Toyota 6 speed U660E automatic transmission assembly and ‘Shift by wire’ system to control a PRND gear selector actuator module mounted to the top of the transmission as currently used on Evora automatic models.

Driveshafts: LH and RH driveshafts have been altered to compensate for the increased size of the automatic transmission casing.

Transmission cooling: The auxiliary engine coolant radiator/fan assembly mounted ahead of LH front wheel arch is deleted on automatic models and is replaced with a transmission fluid cooler radiator. Both the transmission fluid feed and return hoses/pipes are routed along the LH bodyside of the vehicle. A thermostat assembly is fitted in-line within the transmission to cooler fluid feed circuit and is positioned in the LH bodyside wheelarch panel.

Body & Paint: Carried over from existing production range, but no new options have been introduced for the launch of the automatic models. Engine coolant cooling: A revised coolant pack assembly incorporating a more efficient radiator is fitted to compensate for the deletion of the auxiliary engine coolant cooler. The coolant fans that are now mounted above the radiator.

Engine oil cooling: RH front mounted air to oil cooler carried over from previous models.
Suspension, wheels and brakes: Carried over from the Exige S Coupe and Automatic models except for the Trofeo tyre originally fitted as part of the ‘Race Pack’ option is no longer available as a production order option but can still be purchased as an aftermarket accessory through the Lotus Cars Aftersales department.

Interior trim: Carried over from the Exige S except for centre console assembly which is redesigned to accommodate the gear selector switch.

Electrical: Heated seat switches moved to centre console which also incorporates a redesigned heater rear window switch.
Lotus DPM switch: The ‘latched’ type DPM switch is replaced by a ‘momentary’ type switch with ‘+’ and ‘-‘ symbols replacing the ‘Tour’ ‘Sport’ ‘Race’ and ‘DPM Off’ graphics displayed on the ‘latched’ switch.
Fuse boxes: Fuse and relay configuration on both the front services compartment and rear luggage compartment area are unchanged but the fuse/relay layout and allocation within the fuseboxes are revised to accommodate the automatic transmission control modules.
Please refer to TSB 2015/01 for further information.

Exige S Club Racer: March 2015

First VIN FHC11249. Available only as a Coupe with manual or automatic transmission with a weight reduction of 15 kg compared to the Exige S

Deletion of carpets and NVH material.

Centre console in body colour, sports seats in leather or Alcantara with colour coded stitching and body colour harness hoops, Available in Metallic White (C184), Exige Orange (C182), Metallic Yellow (C187) or Matt Black (B141) with all models having the front splitter, rear wing, front access panel, roof panel, wing mirrors and rear transom in Matt Black.
Satin Black wheels. lightweight battery (not available from Lotus), CR logo on the radio blanking cover, seats and near the side repeater indicators. Sport interior and Race pack are standard. Option pack consisting of an Alpine radio, USB charging port and NVH pack is available.

Exige 360 Cup: August 2015

Replaces the Exige V6 Cup early models based on Exige S later models Exige 350 and limited to 50 units all come with a numbered Lotus Motorsport build plate. Choice of 4 colours Metallic White, Metallic Grey, Metallic Black and Metallic Silver all with the rear wing, roof panel and rear transom in Matt Black along with a new matt black louvered front access panel and louvered tailgate panel. Motorsport Red alloy wheels and highlights on the front splitter, front access panel, side air intakes, rear wing supports and diffuser. Increased power of 10 PS by fitting a High Flow Air Filter and Lotus Sport exhaust (dealer fit, post registration where market legislation allows). 2-way adjustable suspension, two-piece grooved brake discs and 4-mode DPM as standard, with a variety of options available.

Exige Sport 350: February 2016

From ‘16MY VIN GHC10579 Onwards
Replaces the Exige S and is available as a Coupe or Roadster with manual or automatic transmission. Weight reduction of 51 kg compared to the previous Exige S

A new louvered tailgate panel replaces the glass screen. ‘Black Pack’ is fitted as standard which includes a matt black finish to the front splitter, louvered tailgate panel, rear aerofoil wing & end caps, front access panel, roof panel, rear transom panel & diffuser and the door mirror covers & plinths, although there is the option for these to be body colour.

Other changes include; Gemini 7590 alarm system. Revised suspension geometry with race spec springs & dampers. Revised switchgear for the DPM, lights and starter switches. Air conditioning pipes and hoses are replaced with ‘PAD’ type adaptor ends. Optimised use of sound insulation. Centre console with exposed gear shift mechanism which has also been revised. Coolant pack assembly carried over from Exige S automatic transmission models. Revised trim includes the new Heritage Tartan design in Red or Yellow with leather or Alcantara trim finishes also available.

Damping mats are fitted to the foot wells as standard, full carpets and sound insulation available if ordered as part of the radio & NVH option package.
Satin Black ten spoke forged wheels available as an option
Refer to Technical Service Bulletin TSB 2016/08 for further information

Lotus Exige 350 50th Special Edition: October 2016

Commemorating 50 years of the Hethel factory. 50 cars in Essex Blue, Old English White, Dark Metallic Grey and Motorsport Black, all with racing stripes. the front splitter, rear wing, front access panel, roof panel, door mirrors and rear transom are finished in matt black. Black or silver forged alloy wheels, red brake calipers, floor mats and cruise control are standard. Revised front access panel, manual transmission with weight saving from the lithium battery, carbon seats and two piece brake discs. Options NVH carpet and ICE.

Exige Sport 380: April 2017

From ‘17MY From VIN HHC10503
From VIN FHC20502 Onwards
VIN character 7 Engine: B = 2GR-FE Supercharged (279.5kW)

A new derivative to the current Exige Sport 350 model range. The power to weight ratio is increased to 338hp/tonne (342 PS/1000kg) using the base Exige Sport 350 engine.

Engine: Carried over from Exige Sport 350 but with increased supercharger performance and revised engine management program.

Exterior: Optional fitment of Carbon Aero Pack consisting of carbon fibre replacements for composite tailgate and roof. Optional fitment of titanium exhaust silencer. Standard fitment of revised carbon fibre front access panel, front splitter, rear wing side floor extensions, twin pairs of front canard wings and rear diffuser surround. Revised composite rear transom and rear light configuration.

Colour: A Black Pack is fitted as standard, which includes a matt black finish to the rear transom panel, door mirror covers & plinths, rear clamshell side air intake pods, canard wings, wing uprights and rear bumper fins. Also available is an Exterior Colour Pack option pack including red colour finished brake callipers, mirror caps, rear wing uprights. Also included with the Exterior Colour Pack option are red highlights on the front splitter, front access panel, side extensions (barge boards), rear bumper fins and rear diffuser finisher.

Interior: An Interior Colour Pack is available with either full colour or partial colour highlights to the HVAC (Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning) surround, gear lever surround, seat bezels, seat back hoop trims and window switches. Fitment of carbon fibre race style seats, optional revised interior sill panels, produced in carbon fibre.

Electrical: TPMS (Tyre Pressure Monitoring System) is fitted as standard for all markets. New fuel pump (modified version of the Bosch fuel pump fitted on the Evora 400), fuel pump drive controller module and revised rear light configuration (the inboard LH & RH rear lamp clusters are replaced by single operation reverse and rear LED’s. The same SB12V25P-SC lightweight lithium battery as fitted on the Evora Sport 410 is also the standard fitment on the Exige Sport 380.

Wheels: Lightweight satin black forged alloy wheels (7J x16” front and 8J x 17” rear) are fitted as standard with silver forged alloy wheels available as an option. The 434MHz or 315MHz TPMS transmitter/valve assemblies (as required by market) currently fitted to the Evora 400 wheels are carried over to the Exige Sport 380 wheels.

Tyres: Michelin® Pilot® Sport Cup 2 tyres are fitted

Brakes: AP Racing 2-piece grooved brake disc assemblies and yellow coloured brake calipers are fitted as standard.

Suspension: The Race specification springs and dampers are carried over from the Exige Sport 350, with a Track Pack (Nitron springs with two-way adjustable dampers, Eibach front and rear adjustable anti-roll bars) available as an optional fit.

Manual Transmission Oil Cooling: The manual transmission oil cooling system as fitted to the Evora Sport 410 and Lotus 3-Eleven is carried over to all manual 380 models.

Exhaust: The 3-inch rear silencer and engine protection valve assembly fitted to the Evora 400 is carried over to the Exige Sport 380, (with a full titanium version also available).

Fuel System: The 48 litre fuel tank, pump, fuel line and breather system fitted to the Elise Cup 250 is carried over to the Exige Sport 380.
Refer to Technical Service Bulletin TSB 2017/03 for further information.