Lotus Exige S Type 72 - Click above for high-res image gallery
After a 15-year hiatus, Lotus is coming back to Formula One, and to commemorate its return to the top tier of motorsport, the Hethel crew is creating yet another special Exige inspired by the Type 72 that dominated F1 in the Seventies.
Like nearly every other limited edition Lotus released in the last few years, the Exige S Type 72 is little more than a repainted, kitted-up version of its midship masterpiece. The supercharged, 1.8-liter inline four remains unchanged, putting out 220 horsepower and allowing the two-tone coupe to sprint to 60 in 4.5 seconds and on to a top speed of 145 mph.
A set of carbon fiber ProBax sport seats swathed in black microfiber with contrast stitching ties in with the exterior's gold wheels and emblems, while standard twin oil coolers and an adjustable front anti-roll bar round out the mechanical upgrades.
Lotus has slated 20 Type 72s for sale in the UK, with another 20 destined for markets outside of the mainland (no word on U.S. distribution), each carrying a price tag of £35,995 or 40,332 euro. Not cheap, but then again, how do you put a price on nostalgia?
The agent with VVTL-i (Variable Valve Timing and Lift - intelligent) is akin to a Roots-type Eaton M62 supercharger with air-to-air intercooler to accord a best ability achievement of 243 bhp at 8,000 rpm and a best torque of 174 lb-ft at 7,000 rpm. On assembly versions, an entry-level naturally-aspirated VVTL-i agent will additionally be accessible with 190 bhp at 8,000 rpm and 138 lb-ft at 7,000 rpm. Agent administration ascendancy is provided by the bespoke - mapped Lotus T4 arrangement and a drive-by-wire cyberbanking throttle.
