First Drive: Lotus Exige Sport 410

As evidence, between now and 2022 we’ll see not only the continuation and improvement of familiar models, but also the introduction of two all-new sportscars and the long-mooted Lotus SUV. Tantalising prospects all, but in the here and now it’s the arrival of the Exige Sport 410 that you need to know about.

This car sits above the road-biased Exige Sport 350 in terms of performance and price, but below the track-oriented Exige Cup 430, marrying the philosophy of the former with the parts of the latter. The result is an extremely fast car, but not one that will punish you with a rock-hard ride or impractical aerodynamic upgrades – or at least that’s the promise. 

In reality, the V6-powered Sport 410 still has the appearance of a car that could slap on some sponsorship and ascend the FOS hillclimb in the Le Mans batch without looking at all incongruous, what with its slatted carbon-fibre engine cover and giant rear wing. However, there are still numerous aerodynamic changes compared with the Cup 430 that have been implemented with usability in mind, such as the omission of the front splitter’s lower trim to stop the car catching on speed bumps.

It’s as a result of such alterations that this is the lightest V6-engined Exige there’s ever been, although the difference between it and the Cup 430 is only 2kg.

Don’t let Gales hear you saying "only 2kg", mind. This, after all, is the man who deleted the sun visors from the Elise in order to save a few grams, so every little bit really does count. The same attention to detail can be seen everywhere, from the supercharged and charge cooled 3.5-litre V6, to the fully adjustable Nitron suspension, AP Racing brakes and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres. The result in performance terms, says Gales, is that “no car under £100,000 can compete.”

That’s a bold claim, but with a 0-60mph time of 3.3 seconds, a 180mph top speed (for the coupe. The roadster tops out at 145mph) and 150kg of downforce at Vmax in a car that weighs just 1,054kg dry you’d certainly need to have one hell of a Top Trumps card to beat it.

Going by those bare stats the Sport 410 should feel intimidating to drive, but in reality, the opposite is true. In fact, rather than the outright speed of the car, what impresses most is how accessible it makes the performance. Obviously, on the public road, it is alarming fast when you use the accelerator’s full travel. But there’s also a huge amount of traction (in the dry at least) and the suspension is beautifully calibrated for bumpy British B-roads, ensuring the car feels planted rather than skittish. The flow of information from the unassisted steering is a reminder of just how bland most modern systems have become, while the sharp bark of the V6 as it zips up and down the rev counter (helped by a single mass flywheel) is almost addictive.

Of course, for £85,600 you’d expect something special, particularly when you think of the Porsche 911 or BMW M4 CS that might grace your driveway for a similar sum of money. But those are very different kinds of cars, inferior in some ways but far better in others. What the Exige does – indeed what it has always done – is excel when it comes to the pure, stripped-back driving experience. That applies equally on track too, where it is extremely quick but also easily adjustable and completely unflappable, all of which instils a huge amount of confidence. Obviously, a Cup 430 will ultimately be quicker, but you’d have to be very serious about your track days to make the most of it, not to mention put up with a much less accomplished road car.

The net result of all this is surely the best Exige of the lot, at least for anybody with ambitions of enjoying it on both road and track. So while the future for Lotus might well be full of promise, let’s not wish away the present just yet.

The Numbers

Engine: 3.5-litre supercharged V6

Transmission: 6-speed manual, rear-wheel drive

PS/Nm: 410/420

0-60mph: 3.3sec

Top speed: 180mph

Price from: £85,600