Every so often a car crosses the auction block that reminds you just how small and hand-built Lotus really was in the late 2000s, and this Ardent Red 2009 Exige S 260 Sport is exactly that kind of machine. Listed with no reserve on Cars & Bids, it is a track-focused, supercharged featherweight that ranks among the rarest street-legal Lotuses ever sold in North America. For enthusiasts who love this era of lightweight sports cars, it's the sort of find that belongs right alongside the other exotics and collectibles we cover in our Buy section and Research guides here on Motorious.
The Exige S 260 sat at the very top of the second-generation, S2 Exige family, and it was never a common sight even when new. Lotus built these cars in tiny numbers, essentially assembling them by hand as parts became available, which means almost every surviving example carries its own small quirks and variations. This one is said to be number three of just twenty-six produced for its model year, a claim echoed in the auction's lively comment section by longtime Lotus owners who remember these cars arriving in the country.
Motivation comes from a 1.8-liter supercharged inline-four rated at 257 horsepower and 174 lb-ft of torque, sent to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox. Those numbers sound modest until you remember the Exige weighs almost nothing, giving it the kind of darty, immediate responses that made these cars legends among track-day regulars. Finished in Ardent Red over a black interior, this example wears carbon fiber sport seats, a carbon fiber roof intake, and a carbon fiber rear spoiler, along with a Torsen limited-slip differential, AP Racing front calipers, and adjustable Ohlins dampers.
The seller has clearly used the car as intended while looking after it carefully. The showing mileage is roughly 1,100 miles on a replacement AiM Sports MX2E digital instrument cluster, with the true total documented in the included history report. A long list of thoughtful modifications includes a BOE Fabrication oil pan, an RLS intercooler with additional cooling ducts, a Sector 111 catch can, upgraded toe links, and an InoKinetic shifter. Just as notably, the sale includes the original gauge cluster, dashboard, shifter, radiator, and toe links, plus a spare set of factory wheels, a Lotus soft top, racing harnesses, and an Alpine CarPlay head unit.
Buyers should go in with eyes open, as the seller is refreshingly candid about the car's history. The rear clam has been repainted, the tires carry a 2020 date code, and there are the usual small chips and steering-wheel wear you would expect from a car that has seen real road and track use. None of that changes the essential appeal here: this is one of the purest driver's cars Lotus ever exported, offered with a deep spares package and no reserve.
At the time of writing the high bid sits at $75,500 with several days left to run, and given how rarely a documented Sport 260 comes up for public sale, it will be fascinating to see where the number lands. If a raw, analog, supercharged Lotus is your idea of the perfect weekend toy, keep an eye on the full listing over on Cars & Bids, and browse more of the standout classics and modern collectibles in our Auctions coverage and For Sale listings right here on Motorious.