Lotus ‘Exige Scura’

Lotus are determined to out-do Porsche’s record with the 911 by producing the most versions of any single car in production. This new ‘Scura’ is their latest effort in a long-line of Exige models.

Translated as ‘dark’ from Italian, the name ‘Scura’ reflects the stealth character of this uniquely presented Lotus borne from its soft-feel matt black paint finish.

The result is a most ‘serious’ looking Exige, and to match its stealthy appearance Lotus will be producing only 35 cars worldwide, so you really are unlikely to ever see one (unless of course you’ve got your name down on the order-books already).

Continuing the dark ‘Scura’ appearance into the interior, carbon fibre is used extensively to compliment the exterior theme and reduce weight. The seats and centre console are crafted from carbon fibre and the handbrake and gear knob have a special anodized treatment which leaves the metal with an anthracite colour finish. All carbon fibre components have been beautifully finished in high-gloss clear lacquer allowing the weave to remain exposed which gives the cabin a raw and racy feel.

Whilst there is no doubt that this is a visually stunning car, the Exige Scura is not just about its looks – it begs to be taken on track, and it comes equipped with the most powerful engine in the Exige range – generating 260PS, the Exige Scura is claimed to achieve a top speed of around 153 mph and reach 0-62 mph in just 4.1 seconds.

Orders for the Lotus Exige Scura will be accepted from 21 October 2009 in Europe, South Korea, Australia, South Africa, Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, New Zealand, Indonesia and Malaysia. It will also be available in Japan known as the ‘Lotus Exige Stealth’, presumably because obscurity conveys negative connotations about its owners.

Interestingly Lotus publishes a disclaimer regarding its paint warranty on the Exige Scura..

“The Lotus Exige Scura is painted in a ‘soft feel’ water borne matt black paint finish that is resistant to most normal forms of atmospheric attack provided the special cleaning and maintenance requirements as specified by Lotus are strictly adhered to. However due to the textured matt finish, fading or discolouration of all or part of the matt paint finish may occur during the early life of the vehicle and this is considered normal and is specifically excluded from any warranty given by Lotus. The special matt paint finish utilised on the Lotus Scura is provided with a limited warranty of the earlier of 12 months or 12,000 miles/20,000 km from the date of first registration of the vehicle. Please consult your Authorised Lotus Dealer for full details.”

Price in the UK is a little over £45,000, which means you’d better quickly reserve yours before it becomes over-subscribed.