Sport Exige Cup 255

The Lotus Sport Exige Cup 255 is a track-focused variant of the Series 2 Lotus Exige, developed by Lotus Sport (Lotus's motorsport division) for serious track day enthusiasts and club racing. The Cup 255 features a supercharged 1.8-liter inline-four engine (2ZZ-GE with Lotus supercharger) producing 255 horsepower (190 kW) at 8,000 rpm and 184 lb-ft (250 Nm) of torque at 5,500 rpm. Power is delivered through a close-ratio 6-speed manual transmission to the rear wheels.

Performance figures include 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds with a top speed of 150 mph. The Cup 255's defining characteristic is its ultra-lightweight construction with an extruded and bonded aluminum chassis, fiberglass body panels, and minimal interior appointments achieving a weight of approximately 1,950 pounds, resulting in an extraordinary power-to-weight ratio of 285 horsepower per tonne. The Cup 255 includes track-oriented equipment including race-specification suspension with Öhlins dampers, 4-piston AP Racing brake calipers, lightweight wheels, aggressive aerodynamics with front splitter and rear wing, polycarbonate rear window, and stripped interior with racing seats. The mid-engine layout provides near-perfect weight distribution and exceptional handling balance. The Cup 255 embodies Lotus founder Colin Chapman's "simplify, then add lightness" philosophy, delivering extraordinary track performance through minimal weight rather than maximum power, making it popular among track day enthusiasts and club racers seeking pure driving engagement and lap time capability in a lightweight, analog sports car.