The flurry of announcements is heating up prior to the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show. Details on the 2010 Lotus Exige Stealth or 2010 Lotus Exige Scura (depending on what market you are in) have just been released and my heart is aflutter. But let me take a step back and explain the excitement. When the Lotus Exige first emerged on the scene, there was an individual in LA who immediately took his car to a custom shop and got the body repainted in matte-black along with carbon-fiber highlights. Strangely enough, I came across this Lotus quite often and it was this particular Exige that got me pumped about these fierce urban racers. I remember searching far and wide to try and find out whether or not Lotus offered this as an option and was disappointed with the answer. However, that is all about to change.

Scura actually means ‘dark’ in Italian. And as such, this special edition Lotus Exige features matte black paint, contrasting glossy black stripes and carbon-fiber accents. The 260-hp supercharged and intercooled 1.8-liter engine from the Exige Cup 260 is used as the powerplant. This lightweight dynamo sheds an additional 10kg with massive amounts of carbon-fiber strewn inside and out. Sprints from 0 to 60 mph take just over 4 seconds with 100 mph surpassed in under 10 seconds. Top speed is rated at 152 mph.

This nifty Lotus comes with launch control, traction control as well as adjustable Ohlins dampers. Pricing and availability has been announced but sadly enough it doesn’t look like the 2010 Lotus Exige Scura is destined for the states. Only 35 models will be built in total. In Britain, pricing has been set at £45,000, while those customers in the EU will have to cough up close to €61.000 on average (depending on country).

Source: Lotus