2008 Lotus Exige Road Test Ratings

The Exige is built to be tossed around a track for hours on end. And it will not disappoint in that regard. Those expecting to use it as a daily driver will be disappointed.

Excellent! The steering, handling, and braking of the Exige S are unparalleled. And because the car weighs only 2,050 pounds, the relatively small 1.8-liter supercharger engine makes this one accelerate very quickly. The 240-hp S 240 is even faster. It's all very raw and racecar like. This machine is very fun to drive hard.

Let' face it: the Exige S is not a comfortable car. The cockpit is hard to get into and is cramped for six-foot plus drivers. It's noisy in there and the ride is unsympathetically stiff. The experience is as close to an authentic racecar as a street car can get.

The Exige is very bare bones. The Lotus philosophy of extreme light weight means that some common functions simply aren't present. For example: the passenger seat does not move at all. It's hard to see behind, as the rear window is completely blocked. There isn't any storage inside, and the A/C and audio systems are bare-minimum affairs. The headlight switch is a puzzle, and the starting procedure a hassle. Still, the functions related to the act of driving fast work well.

While the exterior design is very racy and draws plenty of jealous stares, the interior is deliberately stark and mechanical. This is a low-volume hand-made car, so dubious panel fits and squeaks and rattles are part of the game.