998kg Lotus Exige Race 380 track model revealed

This is the Lotus Exige Race 380, a featherweight version of the roadgoing Exige Sport 380 that’s designed for track and competition use.

The Race 380 has the same supercharged 3.5-litre V6 engine as the road car, but the stripped-back model is 68kg lighter, weighing in at 998kg dry. This increases its power-to-weight ratio by 24bhp over the Sport 380's, up to a total of 376bhp/ton.

The Sport’s manual gearbox is also swapped for an Xtrac six-speed sequential transmission. Combined with the weight loss, this helps to trim the car’s 0-60mph time to 3.2sec - 0.3sec quicker than the road car.

Additionally, the Race 380 gets more aggressive bodywork, which includes a large front splitter, a wider rear wing and a more effective rear diffuser. All this works to increase peak downforce by 240kg at 170mph.

Underneath, the Race 380 gets two-way adjustable Öhlins dampers and adjustable front and rear anti-roll bars.

It also gets lightweight forged metal wheels, and although these are shod with the same tyres as the road car - Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s – the added aero grip and improved chassis helps the 380 Race to lap Lotus’s Hethel test track 1.5sec faster than an Exige Cup R racer.

The Exige Race 380 is available to order now, priced from £119,400. First deliveries are scheduled for May 2017.