Lotus-Exige-S-Club-Racer

The Elise 20th Anniversary isn't the only car Lotus has been carting out recently – it has also unveiled the new Lotus Exige S Club Racer, a lighter, track-biased version of the Exige S for those who think the regular model isn't quite light or track-biased enough.

Available only as a coupé, the CR weighs a little less than the already featherweight standard car – 15 kg less, to be exact, tipping the scales at 1,161 kg. The weight loss stems from a lighter battery, centre console, doors and sport seats, the latter upholstered in either leather or Alcantara with colour-coded stitching.

Elsewhere, the front splitter, rear wing, front access panel, roof panel, wing mirrors and rear fascia insert are finished in matte black, while "CR" decals can be found above the side indicators as well as on the dashboard and seats. The driving mode selector also now has a "Race" setting to complement the usual "Drive" and "Sport" modes.

Despite this, the rest of the car's specifics remain the same – the supercharged, Toyota-sourced 2GR-FE 3.5 litre VVT-i V6 (345 hp at 7,000 rpm, 400 Nm at 4,500 rpm) propel the CR from 0-100 km/h in four seconds flat and on to a top speed of 274 km/h. The 42 kg of downforce generated at 160 km/h by the front splitter, flat underside and rear spoiler is also unchanged.

As with the 20th Anniversary model, the Lotus Exige S Club Racer is also now on sale, priced at £56,900 (RM311,400), £2,400 (RM13,100) more than the base Exige S. The car can be specified in either Metallic White, Exige Orange or Metallic Yellow, with Matte Black being a £2,000 (RM1,090) option.

Lotus Exige S at Petaling Jaya showroom