Lotus introduces the wildest incarnation of the Exige - the Cup 430

Unlimited in every sense, the new series production Exige Cup 430 is Lotus' wildest incarnation of its fire-breathing, point-to-point two-seater sports car. New to the Exige, the Cup 430 sees the introduction of a savage, high-performance engine installation, mated to a new supercharger and charge-cooler, designed specifically for the unique demands of this vehicle. With 55bhp more power than the limited production Exige Cup 380 model it succeeds, and 220kg of downforce, it's a monster of a car.

Compared to the Exige Sport 350, it has 24 percent more power and generates the same downforce at 161km/h as the Exige Sport 350 does at its maximum speed of 274km/h. Lotus' expertise in lightweight design has played its part in reducing the overall dry weight by 12kg to 1,059kg, with the vehicle down to 1,056kg in its lightest configuration. This, combined with the dramatic jump in raw power, raises the Cup's power to weight from 355bhp/tonne (Cup 380) to 407bhp/tonne.

With 430bhp at 7,000rpm and 440Nm of torque from 4,000rpm, 0-100km/h is dispatched in 3.3 seconds with a top speed of 290km/h. Focused fairly and squarely on aggressive track performance and point-to-point supremacy, the new Lotus Exige Cup 430 is capable of covering the Hethel circuit in one minute 24.8 seconds - the fastest production car to lap the famous circuit - 1.2 seconds faster than the Lotus 3-Eleven (Road).