2006 Lotus Exige GT3
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Highlights
- Part of the 2006 British GT3 championship winning Team Lotus
- Number two of only three made and one of only two survivors
- Developed further for the 2007 season
- In storage for the last decade
- Starts and drives but would benefit from recommissioning and tailoring to its intended use
The Appeal
Born from a desire to take the Elise racing, Lotus’s Exige was designed as a racer first and engineered for the road later, which explains the road-going race car look. But when Lotus decided to get really serious, it developed an Exige GT3 car which, in its first season, gave team Lotus a win in the 2006 British GT3 Championship. For 2007, Lotus took the learning from their first season to further develop the cars which, in the face of broader competition, didn’t achieve quite the same result but they were still fearsome cars in their own right.
Looking for all the world like an Exige in its own bespoke Batman costume, this car is the second of the three Team Lotus cars that successfully contested the 2006 championship and was subsequently modified for the 2007 season. It’s now one of only two that remain after number three was sadly destroyed in a fire and, with a mouth-watering specification and having covered just 8,000 miles, this would be an unforgettable track day car.
It’s all in full working order, though having sat idle for around a decade now, it would be wise to invest in some recommissioning before going hell for leather. In theory, with the safety equipment updated, it would be possible to compete again and while it’s unlikely to be on the pace in a current GT3 race, it would be a hugely entertaining entrant at sprints and hillclimbs. So if you’ve been considering a dedicated serious track day car then why not go the whole hog and have a bona fide Lotus factory team GT3 racer?
The History and Paperwork
- Just 3 owners, the first being the factory team
- Competed up to 2010 and has been in storage since
- Engine believed to have covered fewer than 200km
- Gearbox rebuilt following last race
- New tyres and repainted bodywork in recent years
- Safety kit is as was, so no longer in date for competition use
- Not road legal, hence no V5 or MOT
The Interior
- 6-point HANS approved safety harnesses
- FIA approved 6-point roll-cage
- HANS approved FIA Recaro GRP Race Seat
- FIA approved ignition Master switch (cockpit and external switch location)
- Electrical fire extinguisher system (cockpit and external switch location)
- Removable steering wheel
- AP Racing Pedal Box
- AIM Dash and Data logging System (requires software)
Typically the race car variants of road cars vary most from their siblings in the interior, with all of the day to day niceties stripped out to reduce weight and to make room for the safety gear. But as the standard Exige is sparsely furnished in the name of low weight anyway, the key difference here is swapping the pair of thinly padded seats for a single more serious FIA-spec seat and the chunky roll cage. On the centre console is a bank of neatly labelled switches, and the fire extinguisher nestles in what would once have been the passenger footwell.
Once you’ve clambered in, aided by the removable steering wheel, ahead of the driver is a race-focused set of instruments and data logging equipment, while the sequential gearshift lever looms large to your right. The steering wheel has controls for pit lane speed, radio and the traction control system, not all of which are necessarily going to get heavy use for the next owner, but it’s a great talking point if nothing else. It’s all in ‘just raced’ condition which means that there is some wear to the alcantara steering wheel and some marks on the dash from improvised additions but then, given the car’s history, it would be a shame if there was no evidence of its hard work.
The Exterior
- Race front splitter
- Adjustable carbon fibre rear wing with adjustable end plates
- Quick release Front Clamshell, Rear Clamshell and Rear Wing (all in Carbon Fibre)
- Aerodynamic Engine Cover
- Slimline Mirrors
- Revised Aerodynamic Carbon Fibre Rear Diffuser
- Polycarbonate Side windows
- Lotus Sport Split Rim centre lock wheels, 16 inch front and 17 inch rear plus 2 further sets
- Strengthened rear subframe
- Structural undertray
- Air jack lifting system
With the Starlight Black paintwork providing reflective qualities reminiscent of a black hole, the distended Carbon Fibre bodywork, substantial rear wing and low stance combine to make this surely the most aggressive-looking Exige there has ever been. The bodywork has been repainted but the car still wears the patina of a life well lived on the racetrack.
It’s not thought to have ever suffered any significant impacts and while the bodywork has been subject to the usual rough and tumble of circuit racing, there’s no obvious damage and just a little fraying around the edges, with the front splitter in particular showing evidence of the car’s use.
There are 3 sets of wheels with the car and those fitted have seen the tyres replaced in recent years. Again, they show signs of use but we wouldn’t change a thing.
The Mechanics
- Supercharged and chargecooled 1.8 2ZZ-GE engine believed to have covered fewer than 200km and producing 320hp (but not limited to, and can be upgraded up to 400hp)
- Lotus Sport dry sump system and Laminova oil cooler
- Triple By-pass Radiator
- Hewland 6-speed sequential transmission, rebuilt after last race, with flat shift gear change facility
- Switchable traction control
- Lightweight Race Flywheel
- Limited slip differential
- Öhlins 4 way adjustable TTX dampers and adjustable ride height
- Adjustable front and rear anti-roll bar and uprated rear track control arm brace
- Lotus/AP-Racing 6 pot fixed aluminium alloy front brake calipers and 4 pot rear calipers
- Twin Master Cylinder with dial bias adjuster
- Bespoke Raychem race wiring loom
- Lightweight Battery
- 74L FIA approved Fuel Cell with additional 26L FIA Approved Fuel Cell including quick fill system
- Handling Sensor Pack (Includes Steering, Brake and Damper inputs)
- Tool Pack (Includes Wheel Sockets for Centre lock, Fuel Drain Pipe, Driveshaft torque tool, Datalogging download equipment and Beacon, 2x Dump Churns)
The car reportedly starts and drives but as it has been in storage for a considerable period at this point, it’s recommended that the buyer undertakes a full recommissioning. The engine and gearbox are both relatively fresh, and the brake pads are said to be only lightly worn but given that the next owner will likely be driving the car hard to get the most enjoyment from it, there’s much to be said for a full check over.
Although the safety equipment is no longer in date for competition use, the car should be perfectly usable as is but it’s likely that some configuration will be needed to suit its intended use, be that for track days, hillclimbs or whatever the buyer has in mind.
Although the safety equipment is no longer in date for competition use, the car should be perfectly usable as is but it’s likely that some configuration will be needed to suit its intended use, be that for track days, hillclimbs or whatever the buyer has in mind.
Summary
A rare opportunity to acquire a bona fide Lotus GT3 car which could make a fearsome track day car or be reconfigured for other motorsport use.
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Vehicle specification
- Year 2006
- Make Lotus
- Model Exige GT3
- Colour Black
- Odometer 8,324 Miles
- Engine size 1796
Auction Details
- Seller Type Trade
- Location Northamptonshire
- Country United Kingdom
16
bids
- se•••• £65,000 16/02/22
- Wi•••• £63,000 16/02/22
- se•••• £62,000 16/02/22
- se•••• £60,000 16/02/22
- NC•••• £56,500 16/02/22
- se•••• £54,000 16/02/22
- NC•••• £51,500 15/02/22
- se•••• £48,000 15/02/22
- Ma•••• £41,000 15/02/22
- se•••• £40,000 13/02/22
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