exige

The UK Garage (based in... Italy) and its Lotus Extrema has taken Colin Chapman's philosophy to a level the old man never could have imagined. Built atop a Mark I Exige, UK Garage widened the track, stretched the wheelbase and created a custom Mark II body kit to fit more rubber and make room for a range of mid-mounted engines.

"What is it?" people will ask. They'll keep going. "It's fast, huh? How fast does it go?" The answer will disappoint them. Yes, it is fast, but when driving the Lotus Exige S240, its 150-mph top speed is not at the forefront of one's mind. Lotuses are more classically described as accurate weapons of destructed mass; light cars that handle as an extension of the driver's body. True to the roots laid down by the Europa, the Exige is a composite monocoque, carrying 1800cc of supercharged Toyota fury admidships.

Click above for a high-res gallery from the Lotus Challenge Series.

Jack Fried is barely audible under the stentorian sound of the supercharged four behind our heads. With two helmets worth of plastic and padding between his strained, soft-spoken voice and my assaulted ears, I'm only able to make out a few words of every other sentence. When we finally line up in the starting grid, Jack shuts off the engine on his Lotus Cup 255 and turns in my direction. "I've sold most of my track cars," he says, "This is all I need."

I hear that.

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Click above for a high-res gallery of the Lotus Exige GT3.

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Lotus Exige 270E Tri-Fuel