Lotus is resurrecting its famous black and gold livery for an F1 celebratory special edition. The Exige S Type 72 takes its name from the Type 72 F1 car that was driven by Jochen Rindt, Emerson Fittipaldi, Ronnie Peterson and Jacky Ickx. A hugely successful racing car, the Type 72 won three Formula One Constructors' Championships (1970, 1972 and 1973) and two Drivers' World Championships (the first being won by Jochen Rindt in 1970 and the second by Emerson Fittipaldi in 1972).
The Exige S Type 72 wears the same distinctive black and gold colours of the race cars and it is finished by the same sign writer who painted the racers for Team Lotus. The performance might not be quite in the league of the F1 car, but the special edition remains true to Lotus's philosophy of low mass with a kerb weight of 935kg.
Reaching 62mph in just 4.7 seconds and a top speed of 145mph, its light weight aids not just performance but also economy and emissions. The Exige S returns 33.2mpg and 199g/km of CO
2 on the official combined consumption cycle. It comes as standard with a Sport Pack that includes lightweight ProBax seats finished in micro fibre and highlighted with gold stitching, a roll hoop, traction control, twin oil coolers and an adjustable front anti-roll bar.
No changes have been made to the 1.8-litre supercharged engine's 217bhp output, but among the options list is a Performance Pack that ups the output to 237bhp, adds a larger roof scoop, launch control, AP brakes and variable traction control.
Just 20 cars will be produced for the UK with a further 20 for mainland Europe, Lotus also building a handful for selected markets around the world. Priced at £36,945 on-the-road it's likely Lotus collectors will have already snapped them up, but you might be lucky if you speak to Lotus quickly...
Kyle Fortune - 24 Dec 2009
