Lotus has just released its latest Exige Cup 260 Car for the 2009 Lotus Cup race series. The Bristish automaker is continuing the tradition of going ridiculously light and has shed a further 36kg from last years model thanks to excessive use of carbon fibre.  This is teamed up with a 257-horsepower 1.8-liter Toyota-sourced mill force fed through an intercooler by an Eaton M62 supercharger, meaning a sprint from 0 to 100 in less than 4 seconds. Launch control and a 40kg downforce at 160kph make sure the car stays on the road.

There are many race-ready bits like forged wheels wearing Yokohama A048 LTS tires, Eibach springs over one-way adjustable Bilstein dampers and cross-drilled and ventilated discs at all four corners. Plus, a standard roll over hoop, dealer-installed full front roll cage and FIA compliant electronics are there to keep your track days safe.

The new Exige Cup is a serious machine, it’s road-legal within the European Union, but you might want to check if that’s true here in NZ before you order one over.