cars news 10: Video: Watch the Lotus Exige Sport 350 Slide Around a Race Track

We’ll have to wait several more years before a new Exige makes it to the U.S. market, so for now we’re salivating over the European-market Lotus models. Our latest taste of forbidden fruit comes in the form of a new video showing the Lotus Exige Sport 350 being put through its paces on winding British back roads and on a damp racing circuit.

The Lotus Exige Sport 350 is said to the be the fastest production Exige to date, having shed 112 pounds compared to the standard Exige S. That brings the car’s mass to a featherweight 2,480 lb, a diet achieved with tricks like a louvered engine cover, redesigned heater piping, a lighter battery, lightweight engine mounts, new sound insulation, and even a pound-saving exposed shifter mechanism in the cabin.

Behind the Spartan cabin, the Lotus Exige Sport 350 continues to use a supercharged 3.5-liter V-6 engine that directs 345 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels. It will slingshot the skinny sports car to 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds and on toward a top speed of 170 mph.

The aggressive weight-loss strategy, along with firmer suspension dampers and other handling tweaks, allows the Lotus Exige Sport 350 to lap Lotus’ test track 2.5 seconds quicker than the Exige S, the company says.

To get an idea of just how aggressive the Lotus Exige Sport 350 is, take a look at the clip below, as the high-performance coupe is put through its paces on public roads and on the track.