the lotus exige cup 430 is the british automaker's finest iteration

unlimited in every sense, the series production lotus ‘exige cup 430’ is the british-automaker’s wildest incarnation of its two-seater sports car. the ‘430’ spec sees the introduction of a savage, high-performance engine installation, mated to a new supercharger and chargecooler. a newly developed powertrain, is paired with a newly-designed body, which delivers enhanced aerodynamic performance to reveal the model’s true potential — the result is a strikingly different beast, that’s not for the faint of heart.

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with 13%, more power than the lotus ‘exige cup 380’ model it succeeds, and 220 kg of downforce. compared  with the ‘exige sport 350’, it has 24% more power and generates the same downforce at 100 mph as the its predecessor does at its maximum speed of 170 mph (274 km/h). the manufacturer’s expertise in lightweight design has played its part in reducing the overall dry weight by 12 kg to 1,059 kg, with the vehicle down to 1,056 kg in its lightest configuration. this, combined with the dramatic jump in raw power, raises the ‘cup 430’s’ power to weight from 355 hp / tonne, to 407 hp / tonne.

with 430 hp at 7,000 rpm and 440 Nm (325 lb ft) of torque from 4,000 rpm, 0-60mph is dispatched in 3.2 seconds (0-100 km/h in 3.3 s) with a top speed of 180 mph (290 km/h). the two seater also benefits from a comprehensive range of new aero elements. a new ultra-lightweight front clam with unique carbon fiber ducts has wider radiator apertures and a new mesh pattern grille to provide a more combative aspect and to allow for a new front splitter and air curtain mechanism to reduce drag. the lightweight rear clam panel supports the larger, straight motorsport wing to increase downforce without impacting upon the car’s overall drag coefficient. the new design front and rear clam panels are 6.8 kg lighter than those on any other ‘exige’.