What is the point of a Lotus these days?

[PJT]

I have recently changed my Daily from a dirty diesel to an electric.  It struck me that the 0-60 times were almost identical, possibly quicker, to the Exige so my thought was, if comfortable family cars with suitcase room are now performing so well, are our cars becoming obsolete?

Has the acceleration potential of EV’s made traditional sports cars meaningless?

In an era where electric motor torque is rewriting the rules of straight‑line acceleration, it’s easy to forget what “fast” used to mean.  A question has been swimming around in my head for a while now, as I imagine it has in others too.  When a “nothing special” electric family car can leave my “performance car” for dead, has the game moved on so radically that our cars now have lesser relevance?  Having recently placed a BMW i4 M50 as a daily on the driveway and keeping a Lotus Exige 350 tucked away in the garage, I thought I’d face these worries head on.

Two Very Different Kinds of Fast: BMW i4 M50 vs Lotus Exige

The BMW i4 M50 and the Lotus Exige sit at opposite ends of the performance spectrum, yet both deliver an experience that can leave you breathless. One is a 2.3‑tonne electric missile with space for five in the cabin and a large chest of drawers in the boot; the other is a featherweight scalpel honed for purity and precision which I barely fit in on my own.

Drive them back‑to‑back and you quickly realise something: they’re both fast, but in a completely different language.

The Hit: The i4 M50 Feels Like It Bends Physics!

The first time you floor an i4 M50, it’s hard not to laugh. The shove is instant, violent, frightening, and relentless in a way combustion cars simply can’t replicate. There’s no rev‑building, no clutch bite, no traction drama. Pressing the pedal to the floor is like flicking a switch labelled “speed surge“ and the horizon instantly jumps towards you.

The numbers tell part of the story:

• 0–60 mph in 3.5–3.7 seconds (depending on conditions)
• Instant maximum torque from 0 rpm
• All‑wheel drive traction

But the sensation is what stays with you. The i4 M50 doesn’t accelerate; it explodes. The mass actually helps it hook up, planting the rear tyres and letting the motors dump their full force into the tarmac. For the first 40 mph, it feels like a starship.

This is why so many owners say it feels quicker than the figures suggest. It’s the immediacy — the lack of mechanical delay — that tricks your senses into thinking you’re in something far far more rapid.

The Truth: Why the Exige Is Faster Where It Matters

Then you get into the Lotus Exige, and everything is different, the Exige is in a different universe when it comes to travelling the road at pace.

The Exige doesn’t hit you with the same gut‑punch off the line. It doesn’t need to. Its magic lies not in the first 30 metres, but in everything that happens after. Once you’re rolling, the Exige becomes alive with flow and feel in a way the i4 has no hope to match.  The BMW has effortlessly acceleration, the Lotus has effortlessly speed.

Here’s why:

The Lotus weighs literally half as much. That transforms every dynamic input: braking, cornering, direction change, throttle modulation. The Exige dances where the i4 stomps.

Steering feel

The Exige’s is a Lotus, so it’s steering is a masterclass in communication. Every ripple, every shift in grip, every ounce of load is transmitted to your fingertips and rear. The i4’s electric rack is accurate but numb — it tells you where the wheels are pointing, not what they’re feeling.

Chassis balance

The Exige pivots around you. The i4 wallows around its mass. One is a precision tool; the other is a very fast, very heavy object being rushing into corners to be persuaded to change direction.

Braking confidence

The Exige’s brakes are consistent, predictable, and unfiltered. The i4 blends regen and friction, which is fine on the road but less confidence‑inspiring when you’re pushing.

Power delivery at speed

EVs hit hard early and taper. The Exige builds, climbs, and rewards commitment.

Two Philosophies of Speed

The i4 M50: Effortless increases in speed, addictive, explosive

It’s the kind of car that makes everyday driving feel both easy yet dramatic. You get to choose which by how you feel on that day.  Overtakes are instant. Gaps in traffic disappear. You can be doing 30 mph, squeeze the throttle, and suddenly you’re at licence‑losing speeds. It’s intoxicating.

But at pace, the weight becomes the dominant character. The i4 is capable, but it’s never playful. It’s fast in a straight line, secure in corners, and devastating in short bursts — but it’s not a car that invites you or give you the confidence to explore near the edge.

The Exige: Engaging, communicative, alive

The Exige is the opposite. It doesn’t gift you speed; it demands that you earn it. And when you do, it rewards you with a level of connection that modern cars — especially EVs — simply can’t replicate.

It’s not about numbers. It’s about sensation. It’s about the way the chassis loads up, the way the steering weights, the way the car rotates under throttle. It’s about trust, feedback, and flow.

When charging down a country road, the Exige is simply in a different league.

 

Which One Is “Faster”?

It depends on what you mean.

In a drag race:

The i4 M50 will launch harder and feel more dramatic. The Exige will keep up once rolling, but the EV likely wins the first 60 mph.

On a B‑road:

The Exige will run rings around the i4. It’s lighter, sharper, and infinitely more communicative.

On a track:

It’s not even a contest. The Exige is built for it. The i4 will overheat its brakes and tyres long before the Lotus breaks a sweat.

In daily life, the commute:

The i4 M50 is the better car by a mile. Quiet, comfortable, practical, and if needed devastatingly quick, but most of the time it’s a very pleasing, gentle passage from A to B.  The reason you don’t see EV’s tearing around all the time is because it’s simply just not that much fun!

In terms of driving purity:

The Exige is one of the best cars ever made. Full stop.

The Verdict

Comparing the BMW i4 M50 and the Lotus Exige is like comparing a heavyweight boxer with a world‑class gymnast. Both are extraordinary athletes, but their strengths lie in completely different disciplines.

• The i4 M50 is a modern performance car: silent, instant, brutally quick, and astonishingly capable for its size.
• The Exige is a distilled driving experience: light, communicative, and alive in your hands in a way few cars today can match.

One gives you speed. The other gives you driving. At speed, the Exige encourages you to push; the i4 M50 reminds you it weighs as much as a small moon. The Exige tells you everything — grip, slip, weight transfer. The i4 tells you… “you’re going fast and you’ll soon have to reign it in”.

Both are brilliant at the job they are given— it’s just that they have entirely different remits.

[Guido]

Fantastic Pete.  Really enjoyed reading this.

[Elisemadray]

Great review Pete  

[martenr1975]

Brilliant Pete 👏

[Robert lamb]

I think that's the most eloquent review I've ever read .Great work Pete 

[Luke Seagrave]

Hi Pete,

               That was a great read, very well written and nicely balanced. 

Thanks,

Luke

[docdunc]

Totally agree with your sentiments Pete- my daily is a 455 hp  Volvo V60  T8 PHEV

It is just too heavy , despite all that power , I reckon I can corner faster in my wife’s 1 litre Ford Puma😁

Great write up and eloquently explains why our Lotuses are magic!

[Phil Hutchins]

Great review Pete…you should get that off to a magazine or two!
It would be interesting to see what lap times you could do at your favourite track day in the BM, compared to the Exige. 

[Bird]

If I owned the Exige it would be my daily 😅 Very well written piece though 🫡

Edited Saturday at 09:25 by Bird
extra

[winthattt]

I think that’s a pretty good summary. I was very impressed by the i4 m50 but, as much as I hate to say it, I think the Tesla 3 HP even better (apart from the looks and build quality).  In the end I purchased an m3 comp, maybe not better (whatever better means) but more engaging. 
 

An i4 m50 could live on the drive, not the Tesla. 
 

Meanwhile, I’m getting urges towards a P*%€che.  

[collieek]

Great write up Pete like you say as an everyday car the BM wins no problem.

BUT as a car that is interesting to own, the sound and sensation you get when driving the Exige gets my vote.