Lotus Debuts New Exige S with 350HP

Among the many world premieres at the Lotus stand in Frankfurt is the new Exige series and more specifically, the street-legal Exige S, and the competition Exige GT with which the British company plans to make its comeback to the world of rallying.

The road-going Exige S somewhat deviates from Lotus' philosophy of making ultra-lightweight sports cars with small displacement engines as it brings in the Evora S' 3.5-liter supercharged V6 that produces 350-ponies.

While the new Exige S boasts an impressive 130HP increase over the previous model, it is also 145kg (310 pounds) heavier at 1,080kg (2,381 lbs).

The Exige S is fitted with high-performance Pirelli P-Zero Corsa tires as standard and comes equipped with a Lotus DPM (Dynamic Performance Management) switch that allows the driver to change between three driving modes: Touring, Sport and DPM off.

As an option, Lotus offers the Race Pack that adds a fourth driving mode setting along with a Launch Control and a more hardcore suspension tuning.

Commenting on the Exige S, Group Lotus Chief Executive Officer Dany Bahar said: “Anyone who has ever driven an Exige will tell you that it’s not for the faint-hearted. The new Exige S skips a few rungs on the ladder to give the driver the ultimate Lotus experience. Quite simply you can’t get more Lotus than the Exige S.”

Joining the Exige S is the R-GT competition model that ill participate in the newly formed FIA GT category of the FIA Rally Championship on asphalt in Monte Carlo, Tour de Corse and San Remo.

The R-GT sports the V6 3.5-litre engine as the new road Exige S, but features changes to the gearbox and the restrictors on the engine in order to control the power.

“With the new R-GT rules in rally, it’s a very interesting time for us to return to the sport," said Lotus’ Director of Motorsport Claudio Berro.

"Naturally our approach this time around will be different to when we won the championship three decades ago, but I think our philosophy is definitely the same, we want to compete and ultimately we want to win. Our new rally car, the Exige R-GT is a dream come true for those who are passionate about GT racing – this will be their car,” Berro added.

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2013 Lincoln MKS Grows

For many years now, Ford has been trying to transform its Lincoln brand into a credible contender in the luxury car market, though unlike its Cadillac foe, it just can't seem to get it right.

Set to make its world premiere later today at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show is the refreshed 2013 Lincoln MKS sedan. The first thing that you'll notice on the 2013MY is the reworked split front grille, though as Lincoln points out, every exterior surface from the A-pillar forward is new including the bumper, hood, headlamps and front fenders.

At the back, the 2013 MKS gets a new fascia, LED tail lamps, reshaped exhaust tips and a new decklid design that is said to improve access to the trunk, while the sedan also rolls on newly designed alloy wheels.

“The original MK vehicles were, in some ways, deliberately provocative,” said Max Wolff, Lincoln Design director. “The styling of the new MKS adds both refinement and elegance to the car while visually lowering and widening the front end. The continuous bright surround linking the grille and headlamps is particularly rich and adds something significant to what is already an expressive, balanced design.”

Inside, the cabin sports a new instrument panel and center console, higher quality materials and a revamped version of the MyLincoln Touch infotainment system.

Underneath the skin, the engine line-up stays the same, albeit with some power boosts: the 3.7-liter V6’s output has increased by 26HP to 300HP, while Lincoln claims that the front-wheel drive version returns 19 mpg in the city and 28 mpg (+3mpg over this year's model) on the highway.

The 355HP 3.5-liter Ecoboost V6 returns 18mpg city and 26mpg highway in the FWD model and 17mpg city and 25mpg highway in the AWD version.

On the hardware front, the revamped MKS gets an upgraded brake system with 13.86- (350 mm) front and 13.58-inch (340 mm) rear discs, as well as standard 19- or optional 20-inch alloys.

Perhaps the most important changes are the recalibrated steering and the addition of the Continuously Controlled Damping (CCD) system, which can adjust the suspension’s settings 500 times a second to offer both comfort and sportier handling.

Apart from the CCD, the 2013 MKS also features a torque-vectoring differential as well as the Lincoln Drive Control. This system has two modes, Comfort and Sport, which change steering, throttle response, shifting speed and traction control settings depending on the driver’s preferences.

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New R8 LMS Ultra for 2012 Season

How do you replace a racing car that has scored 115 wins and 12 international and national titles in just three years? The answer is simple: you don’t. You carefully update it so that it continues to be on top of its class.

This is the challenge undertaken by the engineers of Audi's quattro GmbH who had to develop an even more competitive version of the successful R8 LMS named Ultra.

The managing director of the department, Werner Frowein, says: "Our customer teams provided us with valuable suggestions and stated the wishes for the various fields in which the car is used. We analyzed them, and subjected the R8 LMS to further development in many details.”

First of the “to do” list was reduce the car's weight. The new doors made of CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastic) in combination with high-energy absorbing new crash foams shave pounds while at the same time, along with the new PS1 seat, increase the level of passive safety.

Next up was the chassis. The R8 LMS ultra has an inch larger front wheels (12- instead of 11-inches) along with wider 30-65/18 Michelin tires.

Bilstein has developed new, lighter compression- and rebound-adjustable dampers, while the silent rubber mounts of the suspension transverse control arms now have uniball joints, and the optimized cooling at the front wheels ensures better durability during the race.

The 5.2-liter, mid-mounted V10 that is based on the production car’s unit and, according to regulations, delivers up to 570HP, has been fitted with a new exhaust system that features race catalytic converters and increases torque at lower revs.

In the name of reliability, which is of the utmost importance in endurance races, quattro GmbH has updated the transmission as well as the cooling system. The R8 LMS Ultra sports larger coolers for the engine oil and transmission fluids, enlarged side vents for increased air flow to the engine and better air supply to the front radiator.

The tweaked aerodynamics complete the changes over the 2011 model. The R8 LMS Ultra has a wider front hood, which according to the homologation rules of every series, can be equipped with louvers.

Work in the wind tunnel has dictated a more efficient positioning for the larger rear wing to maximize downforce and minimize drag on the rear end, while at the front a new front plate helps achieve the optimal aerodynamic balance.

The new R8 LMS Ultra costs €329,900.00 plus VAT and deliveries will commence in March 2012. Audi can also retrofit the 2012 package to all existing R8 LMS racers.

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