2006 Lotus Exige S kicks it up a notch

To me, Lotus has always been a brand that gives an exotic car look without an exotic car price tag. Sure, their vehicles have never been in big in stature as say a Ferrari, but Lotus vehicles are always head turners, and rightfully so.

Don’t let the small 1.8-litre Toyota engine under the hood of the Lotus Exige S fool you, because this puppy puts out 218 horsepower and, more impressively, does 0-60mph in a mere 4.3 seconds. This puts it right in the league with the beefier Aston Martins and Lamborghinis out there. The engine is the same as that found in the base Exige, but with the addition of a supercharger.

They’ve clocked the top speed of this aggressively-styled two door coupe in the 150 mph range. Look for the Exige S to go on sale next month, but, unfortunately, likely not in an American showroom.