Sept 06: Lotus Exige Mk II in depth

[TT]

Hello guys, here I am adding yet another "in depth" now I will take a break and should be back to regular pics for at least one or two updates

But for now, let's focus in this sexy lady!

Just 3 previews, but there are 25 high-res on the website




The car is owned by a new friend of mine and since I am putting together a little photoshoot day with some locals in October, he volunteer to go check out a couple of places with his car so yes, I've got a ride in this car too

Something I learnt only some months ago: you can easily remove the roof on the Exige and that's pretty damn cool.. yes, less hardcore and focused maybe, but you can always put it back in place when you go lapping some race track. On the road it is very nice and it lets you experience the engine sound much better.

The most shocking thing is how hard it is to slide inside.. yes, you SLIDE, inside and way DOWN. To step inside an Enzo or Murcielago isn't easy, beware, but the Exige was the "worst" I experienced to date. Especially because, no only you need to go across the wide part between you and the seat, but especially because inside it is sensibly smaller than the forementioned supercars. It's really tiny as you can imagine if you saw one in the metal, and inside you are basically touching the driver's arm. For the legs there is plenty of space, it's just not wide at all .
The seats are damn good.. racing seats obviously, supporting but very nice to be in them. On a long drive I was told they aren't that comfy actually.
Anyway, the car started, the engine is kinda quite.. it's still a Toyota unit afterall, the suspensions are very firm, every input on the wheel seem to instantly have an effect on the car you feel cocooned inside but it's pretty scary to be in town with SUVS or ppl carrier beside and above you.
Anyway once out of town, the engine can be revved and it was. At 6000 rpm you have some sort of VTEC/VANOS wathever effect, can't remember how it is called in the Toyota engine, but its the moment when everything goes mad and you are kicked in the ass with the needle climbing much faster, the soundtrack becoming crazy and so on
Intoxicating, I doubt I could avoid passing the magic mark on every gear all of the time!
The car really seems a great pleasure to drive and Alain the owner already racked 14'000 km on it in a few months!

We are used to see it in flashy colors.. orange:


yellow


or even lime green (sadly never seen one)

But I think it rocks in this dark grey and it's really a nice photogenic car.. looking cool from every angle!

I am sure somebody will moan about the muffler tip. It's actually just applied "around" the original double tips. A present of the owner's sons.. he couldn't just dump it so that's why it is there

Top stuff this little Exige, really amazing and even if this location wasn't perfect, it was a pleasure to shoot it!