2012 Lotus Exige S gets supercharged six and pays the price in pounds

Lotus may have gone off the reservation with its plan to be all things to all people (again), but at least a few engineers back in Hethel still seem to have their heads on straight. And here's proof.

The next generation Exige gets a reworked body and tweaked interior, but the real news is under the clamshell. Lotus has pulled the 3.5-liter, supercharged V6 from the Evora S and slotted it into the back of the Exige S to create a 2,380-pound, 346-horsepower track sled designed and engineered to be, in the words of CEO Dany Bahar, "the ultimate Lotus experience."

Although the 200-plus pound weight increase isn't something Lotus founder Colin Chapman could get behind, the performance should be more than enough to make even hardened Lotus aficionados temporarily forget the "add lightness" edict.

Specially-developed Pirelli P-Zero Corsas are fitted at all four corners, while the Lotus Dynamic Performance Management (DPM) system allows drivers to switch between Touring, Sport and DPM Off traction control modes. Option up for the Race Pack, and "Race" is included in the settings, along with Launch Control and a reworked suspension.

Two interior packages – Premium and Premium Sport – will be offered when the Exige S goes on sale next year, but Lotus isn't giving out performance figures just yet. But considering the current Exige S does 0-60 in 4.1 seconds, it's safe to assume the added grunt will bring that figure down deep into the threes, and have the handling chops to match. Details in the press release after the jump.

sursa:autoblog.com