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Lotus Exige 265E

August 28, 2006 on 3:28 am | In Sports Cars |

This is the Exige 265E - the fastest ever Exige and the first bio-ethanol Lotus. The digits 265 denote the 265PS power output, or 261bhp in old money – up 46bhp over the standard car. The ‘E’ informs people that this car runs on ethanol, alcohol made from the fermentation of crops, mixed with petrol. Using this greener fuel results in a claimed 70 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.

The Exige 265E is a development prototype created by Lotus Engineering, the Norfolk firm’s fiendishly clever consultancy arm. In only five weeks between July and August 2006, its engineers completely re-engineered the Toyota engine powering the standard Exige S to run on the wheat-derived fuel.

The result is the fastest road-legal bio-ethanol car (and the fastest Exige) ever built. Performance is sensational - 0-60mph flashes up in only 3.88 seconds before running out of puff at a mind bending 158mph.

Modifications include changes to the fuel system, recalibration of the engine management system, larger fuel injectors, and the addition of two fuel injectors at the supercharger inlet which provide the dual benefit of extra fuel under hard acceleration and cooling of the intake air before combustion.

Geraint Castleton-White, Head of Powertrain for Lotus Engineering says of the Exige 265E research vehicle, “We wanted to prove the point that green sportscars can also be very high performing sportscars.”