Lotus has used one of its models from the early 1970s as inspiration for a special edition version of its current Exige, designed to commemorate the start of Lotus production at Hethel back in 1967. The Exige Sprint honors the colour scheme of the legendary Elan Sprint, which entered production in early 1971, and is also fitted with a new performance pack and unique trim details.

The Lotus Exige Sprint rides on the same ultra-lightweight forged alloy wheels as the standard Exige and also comes with air conditioning and leather bucket seats. Performance remains as scintillating as ever with a 0-60mph time of four seconds and a top speed of 146mph.

Just 40 right hand drive Lotus Exige Sprints will go on sale in the UK and Ireland in a duo-tone paint scheme of Aspen White on the lower portion of the body and a choice of Solar Yellow or Persian Blue on the upper portion of the body. The two colours are separated by a gold stripe bearing the name ‘Exige Sprint’ on the doors on both sides of the car. Each car will also get a heritage pack containing a certificate signed by Lotus CEO Mike Kimberley and a book outlining all of Lotus’ most important models over the past four decades.