Thursday, November 20, 2008

The first Skip Barber High Performance Driving Schools to utilize the Exige S will be held at Road Atlanta, Laguna Seca and Sebring, beginning in December.

LOS ANGELES – The Skip Barber Racing School and Lotus Cars USA, Inc., today jointly announced that the Lotus Exige S will join the fleet of high-end sports cars used in Skip Barber’s popular High Performance Driving School. Using the same base engine as the new Elise SC, but with a unique supercharger and intercooler, the Lotus Exige S produces 218 bhp and 156 lb. ft. of torque from a high-revving (8,500 rpm) 1.8 liter Toyota 2ZZ engine.

With a power-to-weight ratio of 10.5 h.p. per pound, the Exige S rockets to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds and hits 100 mph in 11 seconds.

All six Skip Barber Exiges will also be equipped with the Lotus Track Pack: adjustable Bilstein dampers with remote front reservoirs and threaded spring perches, stiffer front anti-roll bar with 5-hole adjustment, and rear suspension chassis brace kit.

Skip Barber President and COO George Ayres said, ”It’s actually a bit of an understatement to say the Exige S is a perfect car for the High Performance Driving School, isn’t it? Super-light weight, incredible braking and handling, and even quicker than some pure-bred race cars, we’re thrilled to have this race-car-for-the-street join the fleet.”

“There’s probably no purer sports car driving experience than a Lotus Exige S,” commented Lotus Cars USA, Inc. Director of Operations Arnie Johnson. “With its incredibly direct, responsive and communicative handling dynamics, we know it will be an exceptional tool for Skip Barber High Performance Driving School attendees to learn their driving craft. We’re thrilled for Lotus to become part of Skip Barber’s fleet of exceptional performance cars.”

Rolled out in 2006, the Skip Barber High Performance Driving School is offered in one- and two-day formats at four Skip Barber base locations (Road Atlanta, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Sebring International Raceway and Lime Rock Park) and incorporates many of the lessons taught in the first two days of a racing school. Students drive and compare a variety of sports cars and performance sedans that include the Porsche 911, Cayman and Boxster; BMW 330i and M3; Lexus IS F; and now the Lotus Exige S. It’s a great way for a driver to compare these premium cars in their natural environment.

The first High Performance Driving Schools to utilize the Exige S will be held at Road Atlanta, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and Sebring International Raceway, beginning in December.

Lotus Cars builds world class high performance sports cars for sale in 37 countries. These include the iconic Lotus Elise, Exige and Europa. Lotus is a global high-tech company, expanding and committed to driving forward technology for both Lotus Cars and its Engineering clients, spearheading research into such areas as hybrids, electric vehicles and renewable fuels. Together, these two enterprises are a powerful team, committed to changing the rules that define automotive excellence. Lotus Cars USA is the North American distributor of Lotus sports cars based in Duluth, Ga., just outside of Atlanta. More information can be found at www.lotuscarsusa.com.

Rick Roso