Evo magazine describes Lotus's limited-edition Exige 240R as being a combination Mitsubishi Evo (coincidence?) and, er, Lotus Exige. That's about as jealosy-inducing a statement as can be uttered outside of "Ferrari-powered '67 Camaro." But seriously, the 240R is the product of work by Lotus Engineering's Powertrain Research Team to get the power of a supercar out of an engine that could have powered our grandma's Singer sewing machine (we mean in size, naturally; the Toyota 1.8-liter powerplant is a fine mill.) The team tweaked the "characteristics of a 3-liter," in terms of power and torque, out of the sub-two-liter inline four, such that it could turn a car as light as the Exige into a high-revving screamer with a "solid wall of thrust." (If you look closely at the picture, you can see the goofy grin across the driver's mug.) Sadly, all 50 of the cars Lotus built have already been sold.
Lotus Sport Exige 240R [Evo]
Related:
Tuner Lotus Elise; Lotus Exige: Coming to America