Lotus Exige
If you have a penchant for sports cars and want something that delivers mind blowing performance for a comparatively low price, the Lotus Exige should be right up your street. it's a small 2 seat, 2 door, power mad auto that provides enough excitement to leave you weak at the knees. Devastatingly fast with razor sharp handling, it's the complete package for real drivers, and is just awe inspiring.
Introduced in 2000, the Exige is basically a coupe version of the hugely popular Elise. it's a mid engined rocket ship that can go the distance with heavyweights despite being tiny in comparison. The power to weight ration is simply astonishing and means it's not only fast but is supremely agile as well. Several upgraded and special edition versions followed the original, the most notable being the Exige S, S240, 265E, GT3 and amazing Cup 260. While many racing variants were lightened, stiffened, pumped up and generally configured for on track performance, the road going models were just superb.
The Exige bares a close resemblance to the Elise, but does feature some dramatic angular shapes and a rear spoiler. it's certainly an aggressive car, but has a lot of character too; think of it as a pocket F1 driver. The whole front end in particular is exuberant, but the small air intake on top of the roof is also a cool touch. Getting inside might be a challenge for some because it's so low, but once you're there it's actually quite comfortable. The cabin is almost naked with exposed aluminium everywhere, but it's tastefully styled which makes it attractive. Bucket seats, a sporty steering wheel and gear stick give it a racing feel too. There's a surprising amount of kit, but it's awful in terms of practicality. You wouldn't buy it for that anyway would you?
The performance and handling section are where the Lotus really stands out. it's probably one of the best cars ever made in terms of pure driving experience, and is really outstanding to take onto either the track or the road. With steering that provides so much feel it's like an extension of your body, there's a perfect balance and more grip than a fat kid on a cake. it's so rewarding to drive in any type of weather, and you'll get out with goose bumps and shakes of excitement. it's not great around town though, and car parks are best avoided as the turning circle is large. You do get supercar levels of speed though, the Cup 260 version going from 0-60mph in 4.1 seconds.
Given that all this performance is generally available for less than £50,000, the Lotus is an extremely good deal. However, if you don't have that kind of money but still want to get hold of this incredible car, buying a second hand one is your best and, to be honest, only option. Shopping at Motors.co.uk will uncover a huge range of bargains, and slashed prices as well as high quality mean you'll always get the real deal. A used Lotus Exige could just be the best thing you ever buy.
All things considered then, the Exige is one of, if not the, best small 2 door coupes around. You get race car levels of performance in a tiny package that doesn't cost a great deal, and while it's not at all practical, it's just epic to thrash around a track or dominate back roads on a weekend. The grip, the acceleration, the speed- it'll send you to new levels of happiness and make you feel totally alive. it's just awesome.
