Lotus Engineering has developed a bioethanol E85 version of the Lotus Exige as a technical demonstrator. The vehicle is described as a true Lotus (it weighs just 930kg unladen) and is called the LotusExige265E (Fig.4).

Key to its performance is a 264HP, slightly modified version of the 2ZZVVTL-i supercharged and intercooled four-cylinder engine from the standard LotusExige S. This gives an astonishing estimated set of performance figures: 0–60mph in 3.88seconds, 0–100mph in 9.2seconds and a top speed of 158mph. Lotus claims that its Exige265E is probably the world’s quickest road-legal E85 bioethanol car.

Key changes have been made to the fuel system and the engine calibration, and the four fuel injectors have been enlarged. In addition, two extra fuel injectors have been fitted at the supercharger inlet to increase the amount of fuel injected under higher engine loads and to further cool the charge air prior to combustion.

Remarkably, the final sign-off test drive took place just five weeks after the project was instigated, which serves to illustrate that the modifications required to an engine and fuel system for running on E85 are relatively straightforward. The next stage of the project is to upgrade the calibration to flex-fuel specification, but Lotus says there are no plans to market the car.