British manufacturer of lightweight sportscars, Lotus, has decided to celebrate its participation in the pinnacle of motorsport by bumping up the appeal of its hardcore Exige S with a limited-edition model dubbed the LF1.
Only 81 examples of the Exige S will get the LF1 treatment, which commemorates the victories Lotus has notched up since founder Sir Colin Chapman started Team Lotus in the 1950s. The special-edition LF1 boasts bespoke black and gold livery with red detailing, model specific logos and matte-gold five-spoke 17- and 18-inch alloys wrapped in Pirelli P Zero Trofeo tyres.
The Exige LF1’s cabin also benefits from a combination of leather and cloth upholstery in black, with contrasting gold piping and stitching. Embroidered LF1 logos can be found on the head restraints and floor mats, while there are also Lotus F1 Team logos embroidered on the seatbacks.
The Exige LF1 is powered by a supercharged 3,5-litre V6 engine that produces 257 kW at 7 000 r/min and 400 N.m of torque at 4 500 r/min. Thanks to its low mass of 1 176 kg, the Exige LF1 should be capable of a zero-to-100 km/h sprint of just 3,8 seconds and a top speed of 274 km/h. Despite its performance potential, Lotus claims the Exige LF1 uses just 10,1 litres/100 km on the combined cycle.
Each of the 81 models will celebrate a specific Grand Prix win from #1 commemorating Lotus’ first GP victory at Monaco in 1960 to car #81 marking Kimi Raikkonen’s win at Australia in 2013.
