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It’s no secret that the Elise/Exige saved Lotus from collapse. However, without the Opel Speedster, Lotus most likely wouldn’t exist today.
The first generation Elise was a sensation, a pure drivers’ car that spawned the hardcore Exige. But trouble was looming in the form of stricter crash regulations that Lotus were not in a position to rectify. In 1999, an unexpected cash offer from former owner General Motors led to the Elise/Exige S2 in exchange for what would become the Speedster.
Built alongside the Exige, you’d reasonably expect the two to perform similarly. However, the differences are more than cosmetic. General Motor specified a number of changes that were not on Lotus’ radar at the time. Forced induction made an appearance two years ahead of the Exige S. Even then, Lotus and Opel used a different approach, the latter adopting a turbocharger, with Lotus preferring the lag-free delivery of a supercharger.
Which of the sports cars is best? We’d be sorely tempted by the explosive power delivery of the GM Ecotec turbocharged engine, but the Exige in any generation is the more focused. A legend the world over for handling and performance, the Exige is the one we’d rather own.
10 Why We Love The Opel Speedster – Unique Styling
When was the last time Opel produced anything so dramatic as the Speedster? Aside from the Vauxhall VX220 that was the same car with different badges, the Speedster was unique among its peers.
Credit for the sharp edge bodywork goes to Niels Loeb and Martin Smith for cleverly disguising its Elise Origins. Despite the flared arches and shared underpinnings, the Speedster is fractionally narrower, at 67.2 inches.
9 Why We Love The Opel Speedster – GM Ecotec Engine Options
The Speedster, produced between 2000 and 2005, spanned two generations of the Lotus Exige. In both S1/S2 guise, the Lotus first used Rover and then Toyota sourced engines. General Motors had other ideas for the Speedster, specifying a 2.2-liter naturally aspired Ecotec motor cranking out 145 hp.
However, in answering gearheads’ calls for more performance, GM revised the Speedster’s engine line-up. Adding a smaller 2.0-liter turbocharged unit dramatically increased both output and performance. The Opel (Vauxhall) Speedster Turbo launched in 2004 with 200 hp on tap and could hit 60 mph in 4.9-seconds.
8 Why We Love The Opel Speedster – Top Down Thrills
The Speedster’s roof might have been a flimsy canvas-style affair borrowed from the Elise, but its inclusion is one of the reasons we’d take the Opel over an Exige.
The Speedster, like its Elise cousin, isn’t our idea of spacious nor is it even luxurious on the inside. Added to that, a certain amount of gymnastic dexterity is required to climb in and out of the cockpit. Retaining a removable roof makes gaining access a little easier. However, for us, the simple adrenalin buzz afforded by the wind in your hair is a win.
7 Why We Love The Opel Speedster – Opels Last Proper Sports Car
The Speedster is incorrectly identified as a badge-engineered Lotus. While the two shared a common aluminum tub, the number of interchangeable parts is believed to be as low as 10%. Opel’s best and last proper sports car to date, is one every gearhead should experience.
Since production ended, Opel has shied away from building a direct replacement. Instead, choosing to offer gearheads re-branded GM products that are both heavier and slower. The Opel GT of 2007, despite sporting a 260 hp 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, is a full second slower to 60 mph.
6 Why We Love The Opel Speedster – Overlooked Bargain
Overlooked or just poorly received, the Speedster is a bargain find if you stumble across one. Remember, with the arrival of a turbocharged engine, you get all the handling prowess of a Lotus with a bigger bang. While the Exige S1 might set you back $50+, a well-maintained Speedster is going to be half the price.
Despite higher performance and cheaper sales prices, the Speedster never captured the attention of gearheads in large numbers. By the end of production in 2005, Opel had managed to find 7,207 buyers. The added bonus of rarity makes the Speedster an obvious choice if you want to stand out from the crowds.
5 Why We’d Rather Have The Lotus Exige – Exige S1 The Warm-Up Act
For the Exige, Lotus extensively modified the Elise S1 body, only to then drop the Elise in favor of a newer model. However, the changes were extensive enough you couldn’t swap panels between the two Lotus. At both ends, the Exige runs a wider wheel track necessitating new clam-shell bodywork giving the Exige a more aggressive stance.
The Exige might have started life as an Elise, but by the time Lotus engineers had tweaked and fettled the suspension set-up, it was an entirely different beast. Just as gearheads were getting reacquainted with how a sports car should drive, Lotus canned it and built a better version.
4 Why We’d Rather Have The Lotus Exige – Exige S2 Time To Get Serious
All-new for 2004, the Exige underwent a major overhaul adding softer touches to its nose and rear with more curves. Those smoothed-out-lines were not a sign of Lotus dumbing down the Exige; quite the opposite. Under the rear deck, Toyota’s 1.8-liter 2ZZ-GE engine cranked out 190 hp.
Combining more power in a streamlined body with minimal weight is just another day for Lotus engineers. The evolution of the Exige from S1 to S2 didn’t greatly improve top speed; that has never been a Lotus priority. However, on the track, and in an experienced hand, few cars can live with the Exige over a hot lap.
3 Why We’d Rather Have The Lotus Exige – Simplicity Is The Key To Reliability
“Lots Of Trouble, Usually Serious,” plagued Lotus for decades. Founder Colin Chapman was an advocate of performance through lightness at the expense of reliability. The Exige, while not perfect, is a reliable sports car able to withstand any punishment gearheads care to throw at it.
In-house, Lotus manufactures the bonded aluminum chassis and glass-fiber body. The rest of the Exige is sourced externally. A growing number of Toyota-sourced components including engines and transmissions, inspire a level of confidence that even the Elise S1 frequently omitted.
2 Why We’d Rather Have The Lotus Exige – Better Long Term Residual Value
Whichever Exige piques your attention, they represent a better long term investment. The S1 lasted barely 12 months in production, resulting in 604 cars sold. The second time around, the Exige fared better in terms of longevity, remaining in production through to the end of 2011. But the numbers are not significantly higher, with the base model shifting a total of 1,117 cars on U.S. shores.
For a low volume, small sports car, residual values are on a slight upward trend. An early S1 at auction is around $44,000, while the later and improved S2 regularly fetches $50,000 and upwards.
1 Why We’d Rather Have The Lotus Exige – Continued Development
Jumping ahead several years and dozens of special editions, the Exige goes from strength to strength. One of Lotus best-selling models of all time, the Elise gave rise to the Exige Cup 430. Instantly recognizable but different, the 430 Cup is about as fast as any gearhead could need in such a small package.
Handling was, as ever, Lotus’ number one priority. In 2018, that all changed, thanks to a beefed-up supercharged Toyota 3.5-liter V6 chucking out 430 hp. In one fell swoop, the Exige had joined the supercar elite, with a top speed of 180 mph.
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