A YouTube review by Michael Chuang of a 2007 Lotus Exige S (Krypton Green, #13 of 13). The presenters (Speaker A and Jason) discuss the car’s uncompromising, visceral driving character, minimal luxury (touring package adds power windows, stitched leather, radio), and spartan interior with fixed seating and non-adjustable steering. Key specs and performance numbers are given: 220 bhp, 165 lb-ft, supercharged 1.8L I4, curb weight 2,077 lb, 0–60 in 4.98s, 0–100 in 11.99s, quarter mile 13.45s @106.14 mph, 40–100 in 8.69s, 60–130 in 18.117s, standing half-mile 21.31s @123.97 mph. The video compares the Exige to competitors (Ariel Atom, Porsche 911 GT3, Alfa Romeo 4C) and emphasizes the Exige’s track-focused handling, lack of electronic aids, and strong aftermarket support. Factory tires are Yokohama semi-slicks (195 front / 225 rear); weight distribution ~35/65 front/rear. The host values the car’s rawness, manual gearbox, and Toyota 2ZZ engine’s serviceability.
A lot of emphasis is put on the term best driver's car. But I'll let you in on a little secret. It doesn't exist. That's because every driver is different and each of us have different expectations. For me, the perfect driver's car has to be uncompromising, visceral, inspiring. Something that makes me want to get up at 5 o' clock in the morning and set a course with no destination. But I haven't felt that way in a long time. Until now. Because this is the 2007 Lotus Exige S in Krypton Green. Lucky number 13 of 13. It's got 220 brake horsepower, 165 foot pounds of torque, and a supercharged 1.8 liter Line 4 that revs to hell and back. And honestly, I can't think of a better way to spend $50,000. Well, I can, but. You know what I mean. But this is 2020 and there are a bunch of great sports cars out there today.
Yet somehow I still feel like this.
Is one of the most hardcore street legal track toys you can buy. Why do you ask? Well, for starters, this is the most luxurious trim. And what that gets you is the touring package. And what the touring package gets you is power windows, a few stitches of leather and a radio. But let's take a look at that interior. Amazing, right? It's got no power steering, they only come in six speed manual. I think there's a cup holder back there somewhere. Plus traction control is an optional extra.
But it's such a primitive system that.
You might as well not even have it at all. Plus this thing is crazy light. It's listed at 2,077 pounds. That's like half the weight of the Stinger GTS we just drove. Now, you can argue that the Ariel Atom is more hardcore, and that's Pretty true. The 3S is based on an F1 car in disguise. But the truth is that they're only street legal in a handful of states. And registering one kind of depends on which side of the bed your DMV agent woke up on. And then there's the 911 GT3Rs, which is arguably a better and faster car in every way. But it costs four times as much. It comes in dual clutch pdk. It's got a bunch of electronics helping you out. And if we compare the interior on the 2, And that's even if you can control yourself past these giant door sills, at which point the Porsche will feel like a Maybach on the inside. And that brings me to My next logical competitor, the Alfa Romeo 4C, which I feel I can give the Exige a run for its money in terms of value, driving feel and track worthiness.
But I still feel like the Exige is more hardcore.
And that's because in the Lotus, your seating position is fixed. You can only move front to back. Your steering wheel is not adjustable. Plus these sun flaps here are hilariously small. This rearview mirror is a complete joke because your intake tubing blocks your entire view. The good news is the hazard lights work sometimes, but that's kind of what we expect from Lotus, right? It's like early British engineering.
I will, however, say that I expect.
A little bit more out of these seats.
It's not that they're not good, there's.
Just not enough lateral support. They're better than the 4C though. The benefit of having these giant oversized sills is that they kind of brace you in this almost perfect driving position. Speaking of driving, let's actually drive it. I'll start with the acceleration test. I don't think there's any launch control, and even if there was, I can't imagine it'd be any use. So we'll just take it easy and do a light launch from about 3000 revs. Here we go. Here's a second run for the purpose of showing the acceleration.
Make no mistake, there's absolutely no substitute for this car, period. I mean, they just don't make them like this anymore. They barely even make manual cars anymore. The closest competitor to this thing is the alpha 4C, and I think it's.
Nowhere near as visceral. I mean, just listen to this exhaust.
That's the factory exhaust. Listen. I'm all about making a dramatic entrance, but I'm scared to even think what a race exhaust would sound like on this thing.
I love that this car is manual.
I mean, Lotus does give the Evors the option of having a six speed automatic, but there's absolutely no reason to.
Buy a Lotus in auto.
Although this gearbox isn't exactly the best. The throws are long, there's a bit of slop in the gears, and the factory cables are known to fail. It just doesn't have that satisfying pulse action feeling that you would get in a gated Gallardo or a C7 06 or even like one of those newer Mustangs. You could fix it with aftermarket cables, but it's still not as satisfying. This pedal box is interesting, though. There's not a lot of space down there and everything is pretty close together. It's a bit annoying for anybody with big feet or if you're not wearing racing shoes. But if you can do it, it's a joy to heel toe. You know what's crazy? I've been in this car like four or five hours now and you know, I haven't really left the car. And these seats, they're a lot more comfortable than they actually look. And don't even get me started on that handling. Sure, when I drove the 4C, I was blown away by how it handled. But this thing is simply on another level. There is no body roll at all. It is completely composed. Through a corner, the turn in is precise. You point the wheel and it just goes in that direction. The lack of power steering can be annoying at times. And even at speed it feels slightly less refined than the steering in the 4C. Strangely, it takes less effort to turn in at low speeds, but a little more effort at higher speeds. The brakes are tiny on this car, but you don't need six piston brembos to stop something this light. Pads, rotors fluid. It should all last a pretty long time. I do wish that I had a little bit more punch and stability after 120, but that exotic looking body does give it pretty functional downforce. It comes with Yokohama semi slicks from the factory. 195s in the front and 225s in the rear. The mid engine layout gives it a weight distribution of 35 in the front and 65 in the rear. The suspension isn't overly harsh either. It's pretty comparable to the alpha 4C. And even without the track package, it's just plain scary how potent this platform.
Is around the corner.
But what's more scary is when this car actually lets go. Because the wheelbase is so short and all that weight is in the rear, the snap oversteer is notorious for many shit stained pants. If you can't react quick enough, you'll probably find yourself on the other side of the road. That said, if you do figure it out, there's nothing more rewarding than driving.
This thing to the limit.
Let's go check out those times on the fast list.
Just to be clear, I know this car isn't meant for straight line stuff, but it's the dead of winter right now and I've got nothing better to do. So bear with me here. I'll start with every keyboard racer's favorite. The real life 060 which happened in 4.98 seconds and 0100 in 11.99. Nowhere near as fast as the manufacturer claims. But then again, I'M not dumping the clutch at six grand and power shifting a redline, so keep that in mind, knowing that this car is potentially a few tenths faster all around. Now the quarter mile is a little bit more normal. 13.45 at 106.14 miles per hour. The trap speed shows me that I could probably get a better time if I launched the car properly. A higher trap of 107 mph is not out of the question either, but here's our own 40100 test. 8.69 seconds, which is marginally slower than an Alpha 4C and really that could be a driver's race. Still impressive for a 12 year old car though. Sadly I don't have any 60130 data on the 4C, but the Exige S did an 18.117 seconds which is painfully slow and I suspect that to be the result of a ridiculously long fifth gear. However, based on the numbers, the Exige is extremely quick up to the top of fourth gear, which is about 115 miles per hour. But basically it hits a wall once you upshift. If you're a cool kid and you like racing past a quarter mile, here's the standing half mile. 21.31 seconds at 123.97 miles per hour. Could be worse, I guess. You could be driving my wife's Mazda CX3. At the end of the day, these numbers are pretty conservative. And what really matters though is a lap time and hopefully I'll get that when the weather warms up. Honestly, I could stare at this thing all day. But aside from being a flashy color and relatively rare, the Exige doesn't have a tremendous amount of road presence when you put it next to a modern sports car. At 150 inches long, it's 7 inches shorter than a 4C, 10 inches shorter than my Abarth 124 and it looks like a toy next to my C7Z06. But I don't care because it's the uncompromising nature of the car that attracts me to it. It's not the car that you buy to flex on your friends or drive on a night out. That's what Lambos and Ferraris are for. This is the car you buy for yourself to truly experience the joy of driving. And the beautiful thing is that the engine isn't some fancy quad overhead cam Super Duper turbocharged W16. It's a Toyota 2ZZ. And that's what makes it so appealing to me. There's no exotic tax on the parts. The consumables on the track are significantly cheaper than a Porsche GT3. Plus, aftermarket support is fairly strong despite the car no longer being made. There are so many things that make this the perfect driver's car for me. It looks exotic, it sounds amazing, it handles like a go kart, and it makes you feel completely connected to the inputs. On top of that, it has almost limitless potential. Driving all these different cars on the channel has made me jaded in a way. You might be faster In a Porsche GT3, you'll probably be more comfortable in a Nissan GTR, and you could carry more stuff in a BMW M3, but those are all compromise cars. The Lotus Exige doesn't conform to anything except for being a raw track car that you can put plates on. See, I got my license right around when the Exige came to the US And I've been infatuated with them ever since. It only took me about 12 years to finally drive one, but it was damn well worth the wait. I can only imagine the consequences if I accidentally bought one. Hey guys, if you're curious about that NEDC sticker on the top of the windshield, that stands for Northeast Drivers Club. And that's the car club that I'm in. One of the founders, Jason, is the one who hooked me up with this gorgeous Lotus. So thanks for that opportunity. First time on the channel. Don't forget to check out some of my other stuff. I produce all sorts of cool content with performance cars and acceleration tests. So if that's your jam, be sure to hit that subscribe button and ring that bell icon for new episodes every Thursday. Thanks for watching.
