Is Lotus finally accepting the Litespeed run/Malaysian backed Lotus F1 Team as their own? It would seem so because Hethel has chose now to launch the Exige S Type 72, named after the Lotus Type 72 Formula One car which achieved 20 Grand Prix victories between 1970 and 1975. To commemorate a return of the Lotus name in F1 perhaps?
The Type 72 won three Formula 1 Constructors’ Championships (1970, 1972, 1973) and two Drivers’ World Championships (Jochen Rindt in 1970 and Emerson Fittipaldi in 1972). The Exige S wears the famous black and gold Type 72 livery and is finished by the same sign writer who painted the racing cars.
The 935kg Exige S sprints to 100 km/h in just 4.7 seconds, before maxing out at 233 km/h. It is a powered by a mid-mounted Toyota sourced 1.8-litre supercharged engine with 220 bhp/215 Nm and an 8500rpm redline.
The Exige S Type 72 comes with black micro fibre ProBax sports seats with gold stitching and a special build plate commemorating one of the F1 car’s 20 GP wins. The Sport Pack, which includes a steel main roll hoop, Lotus Traction Control, twin oil coolers and an adjustable front anti-roll bar, is standard.
Looks really good to these eyes. Gallery is after the jump.
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