What’s missing from the Lotus Exige S? If you said ‘an automatic,’ you’re in luck

By Andrew Hard Published June 15, 2017

The Lotus Exige S may be the best overall car inthe company’s lineup. This is both great and terribly sad.

The Exige name is synonymous with the road-going track car class, and it has the specs to back it up. Weighing in at just 2,592 pounds, the Lotus has a righteous, 345-horsepower supercharged V6 providing thrust, which translates into a very confident and precise machine. Previous generations were powered by a Toyota-sourced inline four, so they were even lighter at around 2,000 lbs.

The sad part is, after dual-stage ‘smart’ airbags became required in road cars in 2012, Exige production ground to a halt in the United States. The lightweight sports car did not meet the law’s demand, and was thus exiled (except on racetracks).

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To increase saturation in the markets it still occupies, Lotus has announced a six-speed automatic version of the dynamic Exige S.

The auto offers “the involvement of a manual paddle-shift with all the convenience of an automatic,” says Lotus. The auto is actually a hair faster than the manual too, with 0 to 60 mph coming in 3.9 seconds as opposed to 4.0 seconds.

Lotus Exige S

Lotus Exige S

Lotus Exige S

“By introducing a paddle-shift, we have expanded the Exige product range to make it more accessible to customers worldwide,” said Jean-Marc Gales, Lotus Chief Executive Officer. “Now, customers who are more accustomed to two pedals and automatic transmissions can enjoy the unbelievable performance and handling of the Exige S without compromise.”

Related: Need to evade some baddies? James Bond’s Lotus Esprit submarine is on eBay for $1 million

The auto option is available on both the Exige S and Exige S Roadster for €2,185 ($2,768) in Europe.

We can probably guess the answer to this, but which would you prefer?

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Andrew first started writing in middle school and hasn't put the pen down since. Whether it's technology, music, sports, or…

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