First Drive: 2008 Lotus Exige S 240

Lotus has long been known as a pure enthusiast's car, but with its new 2008 Lotus Exige S 240, the company is showing it hasn't forgotten about taking these vehicles to the streets of your own neighborhood.

The Exige S 240 gets a power bump from 220 horses to 240, hence the name, and a torque increase from 165 pound-feet to 170. Along with this added oomph, Lotus upgraded the clutch plate cover to handle the extra twist, which is expected to be good for 0-to-60 in 4.0 seconds and 100 mph in just under 10 seconds.

Also new for Lotus are variable traction and launch controls. The traction-control system lets you choose from 11 different settings. One through 10 allow you to control slip, one being the least amount, 10 being a bunch, and the 11th setting being traction completely off. The launch control is a cool feature: You must follow a set sequence, like an astronaut preparing for lift-off, then it's foot to the floor, revs hanging at your set rpm limit, a clutch drop, some wheelspin, a bit of tire smoke, and you're gone. Knowing that these cars will see track time, Lotus has designed the suspension to break away/collapse in the event of a crash. This helps minimize if not prevent damage to the aluminum chassis.

The new interior-especially with the optional Touring package ($1600) that includes full leather, added sound insulation, full carpeting, an iPod connection, and a cupholder-is a welcome improvement. A restyled roof scoop now extends to the top of the windshield allowing more air to reach the intercooler, while the aero package on the S 240 creates nearly 100 pounds of downforce at 100 mph.

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