Go on, stare. You know you want to. After all, it's obvious, isn't it? I mean, that is one striking change. Women are going to swoon. Even little girls could spot this one from a mile away. What's that? You don't see it? What are you, some kind of heathen?
Of course it makes a difference. Why, it's on the new Lotus Exige S 240. There's twenty new horsepower in there. The front brakes are bigger, too - AP Racing four-piston calipers - and you get a heavy-duty clutch without even asking. Two hundred and forty ponies churn those rear wheels into a frenzy, compared with the Exige S's 220 hp. (That's where they get the name, see: Exige S 240.) Torque jumps by an unfathomable 5 lb-ft. (Go ahead. Try to remember the last time you weren't impressed by 5 lb-ft. I dare you.)
Here's the kicker: That little styling doodad you're staring at? It's mostly responsible for the power bump. (OK, so you also get an engine management remap and higher-flow fuel injectors. But you can't see those from the curb.) Sure, you'll pay four grand on top of an ordinary Exige S for the privilege, but at an abominable 4.1 seconds to 60 mph, that car couldn't outrun a dead walrus.
You wanna know how the 240 drives? I'll tell you how it drives: Like buttah. Better than that dog's-breakfast Exige S by leaps and bounds.... Read full article