Lotus has announced a new version of its Exige sports car called the Sport 350, set to hit certain global markets early next year.

The Lotus Exige Sport 350 is largely based on the Exige S, but developed to deliver an unrivalled experience for the driver, being sharper and more direct than previous models. The Sport 350 uses a lighter battery, lighter engine mounts, lightweight centre console, lighter ducts for the HVAC system, optimised use of sound insulation and a louvered tailgate panel. As a result, it is 51kg lighter than the S.

Power for the Exige Sport 350 is provided by a supercharged 3.5-litre V6 delivering 345bhp and 400Nm of torque. With less weight to haul around, the car can sprint from 0-100km/h in 3.9 seconds, and to a top speed of 274km/h.

Jean-Marc Gales, CEO of Group Lotus plc, commented, "The Lotus Exige is already regarded as one of the world's best sports cars and a benchmark for performance and handling both on road and on track. With the Exige Sport 350 we took an already phenomenally quick car and made it even faster, more dynamic and more pure, perfectly demonstrating our Lotus design philosophy of 'lighter and faster'."

The Lotus Exige Sport 350 goes on sale in Europe in February 2016 and will be available outside Europe, excluding North America from March 2016. It will also be available as a Roadster from March 2016.