Unlimited in every sense, the new series-production Exige Cup 430 is Lotus’ wildest incarnation of its fire-breathing, point-to-point two-seater sports car.
New to the Exige, the Cup 430 sees the introduction of a savage, high-performance engine installation, mated to a new supercharger and charge-cooler, designed specifically for the unique demands of this vehicle. A development of the powertrain recently used on the phenomenal Lotus Evora GT430, it’s perfectly paired with a newly designed body, which delivers enhanced aerodynamic performance to reveal the model’s true potential. The result is a strikingly different beast of pure performance, which is not for the faint of heart.
With 55bhp, or 15%, more power than the limited-production Exige Cup 380 model it succeeds, and 220kg of downforce, it’s a monster of a coupe. Compared to the Exige Sport 350, it has 24% more power and generates the same downforce at 160km/h as the Exige Sport 350 does at its maximum speed of 273km/h.
Lotus’ expertise in lightweight design has played its part in reducing the overall dry weight by 12kg to 1059kg, with the vehicle down to 1056 kg in its lightest configuration. This, combined with the dramatic jump in raw power, raises the Cup’s power to weight from 355bhp per tonne (Cup 380) to 407bhp per tonne.
Focused fairly and squarely on aggressive track performance and point-to-point supremacy, the new Lotus Exige Cup 430 is capable of covering the Hethel circuit in 1 minute and 24.8 seconds – the fastest production car to lap the famous circuit, and 1.2 seconds faster than the Lotus 3-Eleven. 
