Love the Lotus Exige S but can’t manage a manual transmission? Fret not. Lotus has just launched an automatic variant of the Exige S, mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission.
Under the hood, the familiar Toyota 3.5-litre supercharged V6 produces a total of 345 bhp. From standstill, the new automatic Exige S lurches to 100 in just 3.9 seconds, a whole 0.1 second faster than the manual variant. At Lotus’s Hethel track, it laps it as fast as the manual Exige S.
The automatic Exige S comes with Sport mode as well, which sharpens throttle response and the the Lotus Dynamic Performance Management (DPM) that allows for more traction slip threshold. Upshifts takes only 240 miliseconds, and downshifts are complemented with throttle blipping (only in Sport mode). The automatic Exige S also comes with paddle shifters.
Jean-Marc Gales, Chief Executive Officer of Lotus said, “Expanding the Exige range, with a new automatic gearbox, opens up a new market for those who prefer using a paddle shift with the alternative of an automatic gearshift. We expect that the Exige S Automatic will account for over a third of the total global sales for the Exige S range as many drivers will appreciate the involvement of a manual paddle-shift and the convenience of an automatic.”
The automatic transmission will be offered to the coupe and roadster variants of the Lotus Exige S, and it is a £1,667 (RM9,116) cost option.
