The Lotus Exige is a two-door, two-seat sports car which is
essentially a hardtop version of the Lotus Elise roadster. The
original Exige was launched in 2000 and had a 1.8 L engine.
It produced 170 bhp in standard form and 190 bhp in top spec.
Compared to the Elise, the Exige had wider wheel arches, a front
splitter, a large rear spoiler and a fiberglass roof.
In 2004, the Series 2 Lotus Exige was introduced. It features
a 1.8 L 16-valve DOHC Toyota/Yamaha engine that produced 189
bhp . The purpose of the aerodynamic modifications on the Exige,
as opposed to the Elise, was to create more downforce
(100lbs of downforce
at 100mph in the Exige versus 13 lbs at 100mph in the Elise).