| First Drive | Hethel, England | Lotus Exige S Roadster |
Key Facts
Model tested: Lotus Exige S Roadster
Pricing: £52,900
Engine: 3.0-litre V6 supercharged petrol
Transmission: rear-wheel drive, six-speed manual
Body style: two-door roadster
Rivals: Ariel Atom,
Porsche Boxster SCO
2 emissions: 236g/km
Combined economy: 28.0mpg
Top speed: 145mph (electronically limited)
0-62mph: 4.0 seconds
Power: 345hp at 7,000rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 4,500rpm
In the Metal: 
It's not just the roof that Lotus has removed from
the Exige S to create the Exige S Roadster. The large rear wing and jutting front splitter have been binned too, and for all but those wanting the driven-straight-from-the-track look it's arguably better for it. The Exige S Roadster is aimed at a slightly different customer says Lotus, though that's a small subset of an already infinitesimal one, as the Exige S Roadster is unlikely to be a big conquest model.
Without its protuberances it's a neater-looking car. Lotus has revised the suspension to make up for the slightly different aerodynamic characteristics that come as a consequence. The cabin remains the same, which is to say disappointing. The starkness is not really the issue; the material qualities, off-the-shelf-at-Halfords stereo and instruments were all disappointing enough in an Elise, but even more so given the Exige S Roadster's £52,900 list price (before options). That removable roof does bring with it the benefit of easier access - assuming the top is off, that is.
Driving it:
Using the same 3.0-litre supercharged V6 petrol engine driving the rear wheels via a six-speed manual transmission, the Exige S Roadster is just as fast as its coupé relation. Although not in outright speed, as that roll-up canvas roof means a 145mph electronic limiter (the coupé manages 170mph), but in acceleration its 4.0-second 0-62mph time matches its closed-top relation. It has searing pace, feeling even quicker thanks to the air rushing into the cabin as the speed rises. The engine and exhaust are more obviously vocal too, the removal of the roof improving access more than just physically.
Our complaints with the coupé remain: the gearshift isn't the most precise and the instruments could be clearer, though the rest of the drive is so accomplished that they're minor irritants rather than dominant features. Over the engine's relentless acceleration the two over-riding elements that make the Exige S Roadster such an intense driving experience are the ride quality and the steering.
The suspension has been tweaked to suit the roadster's slightly differing characteristics. The marginally more compliant set-up gives the Roadster a quite incredible ability to cope with the uniquely challenging surface that is a UK country road. The ride is remarkably composed at any speed; it's firm, but not unyielding or uncomfortable, allowing the Exige S Roadster to carry its easily gained pace with disregard for the surface rolling under its wheels. If the ride is brilliant then the steering is exceptional, the wheel busy and loaded with information. Writhing in your hands it's initially unnerving if you've become used to the remote, anodyne systems on virtually every new car on the road, it requiring serious willpower not to hold onto it tightly.
Do so and you'll find the Exige S tiring to drive, but loosen your grip and trust the steering's ability to track straight and true, all the while letting you know the quality of the surface and levels of grip. It's a reminder of how good steering can be, its weighing perfectly judged, its response never anything but faithfully accurate and quick to respond to input. Push too hard and there's understeer, though fiddle with the Lotus DPM system, which offers Tour, Sport and Off modes for the various electrical traction and stability systems, and there's neutrality or oversteer on demand. What's particularly enjoyable though, for all its raw speed and ability, is the enjoyment to be had at saner, ordinary road pace, the purity of its response, the rich information it delivers and the incredible ride quality adding up to a remarkable driving machine.
What you get for your Money:
Unusually, Lotus hasn't bunged on a premium for removing the roof, so the Roadster costs the same as its coupé relation. Seduced by its purist driving perspective it's difficult not to consider its price entirely acceptable, yet it does pitch it up against some rarefied company - specifically
Porsche's Boxster S. Like the Porsche that list price is a starting point, and it's easy to add £5,000 on top for basics, Lotus cheekily charging £1,100 for air conditioning, for example. Whereas that Porsche could be a useable daily driver the Exige S Roadster, for all its qualities, lacks real day-to-day usefulness.
Worth Noting
The Roadster loses its roof, but in typical, trend-bucking Lotus fashion the Roaster actually weighs in at 10kg less than the coupé. Still considerably more than the previous Exige, but then the supercharged V6 does push out almost double the power in compensation.
Summary
By removing the roof Lotus has added considerably to the Exige S's appeal. Access to the cabin is better and it arguably looks neater too without the extrovert aerodynamic additions, while the slightly more compliant quality of the suspension makes it a more useable road car. Marginally, though; for all the deeply impressive driving characteristics of the Exige S Roadster it'll always be an indulgence - and an extravagant one given the list price. If you can live with the compromises it brings, it'll deliver huge thrills every time you drive it.
