This is Lotus’s latest addition to the ever-expanding Exige variant of the Elise, the 430 Cup which is even more hardcore than a standard Exige and more so than the 380 Cup which is seriously enough hardcore as you can get for a Lotus or any other car for that matter.  Lotus has taken the 3.5-litre Supercharged V6 (sourced from Toyota) and elevated the power to 430bhp and 440Nm of torque to a maximum rev range of 7000rpm. The 430 Cup is also wrapped in new aerodynamic elements which increases downforce by 220kg and in keeping with the Lotus mantra of lightweight they managed to shed 12kg, around 6kg was saved using hybrid carbon-composite body panel-elements. The dry weight of the Cup 430 is 1056kg, all combined this allows the little green monster to sprint from 0-62mph in just 3.2 seconds and reach a top speed of 170mph. These weight saving measures and aero-optimisation allows for the Lotus Exige Cup 430 to lap the Hethel circuit in 1 minute 24.8 seconds, the fastest production car to lap the circuit – 1.2 seconds faster than the Lotus 3-Eleven. Owners will be able to alter the suspension setup via the introduction of new Nitron three-way adjustable dampers and Eibach adjustable front and rear anti-roll bars, both as standard. Lotus also upgraded the brakes with forged, four-piston AP Racing brake calipers and new performance two-piece, J-hook brake discs. A close-ratio, six-speed manual open-gate transmission is fitted as standard in addition to the titanium exhaust, which also sheds 10 kg from beyond the rear axle. Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres (215/45 ZR17 front and 285/30 ZR18 rear) are fitted to ultra-lightweight forged alloy wheels, available in red, black or silver as standard. But wait for it… just wait until you get a load of the asking price… Its £99,800… phew! thankfully that’s including tax. That being so, this is a proper sports car not like that crappy VW R which is just for posers and losers. So yeah, the Lotus Exige 430 Cup is a fine way to waste money.