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Lotus Exige Roadster S: Roofless and fast

The Lotus Exige S Roadster takes the roof off the hardcore Exige and makes it a little more sane for road use. It's still pretty crazy, though.

Drew Stearne
For over 16 years Drew has been producing video content on technology, video games and entertainment but now spends his days looking at, talking about, or indeed driving, fast cars.
Drew Stearne
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1 of 27 Phil Feather/CNET
Without a roof, the Exige S looks a little less angry.
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2 of 27 Phil Feather/CNET
Its 3.5-liter V6 is on full display in the back.
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3 of 27 Phil Feather/CNET
The coupe's splitter and spoiler are absent here, giving the car a more restrained look.
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4 of 27 Phil Feather/CNET
We'd be fibbing if we said the wheels aren't a bit nice.
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5 of 27 Phil Feather/CNET
It may look very similar to an Elise, but it's actually longer, as Lotus needed some extra space to squeeze the engine in.
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6 of 27 Phil Feather/CNET
Likelihood is, you'll be seeing more of these than you will the front of the car...
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7 of 27 Phil Feather/CNET
Exige is Lotus-ese for "really, really fast."
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8 of 27 Phil Feather/CNET
The exhaust may look like a snout, but it fires out the most wonderful noise.
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And petrol. It also fires out petrol.
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10 of 27 Phil Feather/CNET
Despite its extra length, it's still pretty small.
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11 of 27 Phil Feather/CNET
The Exige S' 345bhp certainly makes it a giggle.
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12 of 27 Phil Feather/CNET
And it shoots the car from 0 to 60mph in around four seconds, depending on how committed you are.
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13 of 27 Phil Feather/CNET
On the road with roof off, you get to hear its glorious engine at full chat.
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14 of 27 Phil Feather/CNET
Unlike its hardtop brother, it's less at home on the track. It'll still be a laugh, though.
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15 of 27 Phil Feather/CNET
Being a Lotus, it's built to handle the UK's awful roads.
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16 of 27 Phil Feather/CNET
Still, on the smooth stuff it feels awesome.
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With a top speed of 145mph, it's certainly quick.
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18 of 27 Phil Feather/CNET
Though not as quick as the coupe, which can hack 170mph. If you're brave.
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19 of 27 Phil Feather/CNET
You sit low to the ground, which means that even at low speed, it feels quite fast.
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20 of 27 Phil Feather/CNET
Its interior is quite sparse, as there's not much space there.
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21 of 27 Phil Feather/CNET
That said, the less that's in there, the lighter the car will be.
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22 of 27 Phil Feather/CNET
There's also quite a bit of boot space on offer...
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...if you don't want to go anywhere for too long.
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The Exige S comes with parking sensors, as it's not the easiest to see out of the back.
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25 of 27 Phil Feather/CNET
As names go...Exige S is pretty awesome.
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26 of 27 Phil Feather/CNET
The Probax seats are very, very comfy.
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27 of 27 Phil Feather/CNET
The engine may be sourced from Toyota, but we prefer it in a Lotus.

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