Lotus Exige S Roadster launched in Malaysia
The Lotus Exige family today welcomes the fourth model of its line-up with the new Exige S Roadster officially joining a range that already features the Exige S, Exige Cup, and Exige Cup R.
Essentially a convertible version of the regular Exige S coupe, the Exige S Roadster is powered by the same Toyota-sourced 3.5-litre supercharged V6 that is also shared with the Evora, producing 345hp @ 7,000rpm and 400Nm @ 4,500rpm. The mid-mounted engine fits standard with a 6-speed manual transmission in the Exige S.
Weighing 10kg less than the coupe at 1,166kg, the Exige S Roadster matches its hard-top brother for pace, sprinting to 100kph from rest in an identical 3.9 seconds. Top speed, however, is capped much lower from the coupe’s 274kph to a ‘mere’ 233kph for aerodynamic purposes. Lotus reasons that above that speed is too much wind noise for the drive to be enjoyable.
“The introduction of this latest model to the Malaysian market is important as the company looks to remain relevant and competitive. As it is a very competitive market, it is pertinent for us to introduce more and more exciting products to our customers in the future with an improvement on the overall product quality. These products must be complemented with the best of quality, cost and delivery which is now a standard operating procedure at LOTUS and PROTON,” said Group Lotus PLC Chief Operating Officer, En Aslam Farikullah.
Aslam further points out that the introduction of the new Exige to the Lotus product range has provided a new opportunity for Lotus to expand and strengthen its production resource, generating new jobs and opportunities for skilled individuals who want to be part of the Lotus story.
“Since the [DRB-HICOM] takeover in 2012, Lotus has made great strides to reclaim its spot among the very best of the motoring world. The year 2013 marked a real turning point for the company with a 31% production increase. Additionally, LOTUS Engineering is working with more major OEMs than it did last year and now has 120 engineering projects in its books,” he added.
The Exige S Roadster is priced at RM452,030 before insurance and on-road costs. The vehicle is covered by a 3-year / 100,000km manufacturer warranty.
