2018 Lotus Exige Cup 430
Explore the 2018 Lotus Exige Cup 430: programme history, design, verified rarity scope, specifications and credited photography.
The Lotus Exige Cup 430 combines the V6 Exige with a strongly developed aerodynamic specification. Its earlier programme remains separate from the final-year Cup 430 edition.
History and verified programme identity
The inventory uses a 2018 reference, corresponding to the programme’s early sales context after its late-2017 announcement. The supplied photograph is a real Cup 430 exhibit from the 2018 Paris show. It therefore illustrates the earlier programme rather than a Final Edition vehicle. Lotus’s heritage table gives an approximate total for the wider 2011–2021 V6 Exige family. This figure supports screening the narrower Cup 430 programme, but does not count Cup 430 cars alone. The profile keeps introduction, exhibition and final-year chronology separate, with no exact completed variant tally assigned.
Engineering and design
Cup 430 belongs to the supercharged V6 branch, with a charge-cooled engine and six-speed transmission context. The prominent rear wing, diffuser and other aerodynamic parts give the photographed car a distinctive presentation. Published performance and downforce references apply to a stated factory configuration and speed. They are not measurements made from the image. The road-and-track role also differs from the R-GT rally-development archive. To compare these Exiges use their factory programme identity and original technical records, rather than assuming that any rear wing or Cup badge denotes the same equipment or competition approval. Model-specific factory parts documentation is useful when an original component has been superseded. Record the replacement and its date rather than assuming every current part was fitted when the programme began. This keeps an archive comparison tied to original identity while allowing a surviving or exhibited car to have its own maintenance and configuration history.
The physical car in the supplied photograph
Alexander Migl photographed the green Exige Cup 430 at Paris Motor Show in October 2018. The rear-quarter view shows its wing and open engine-cover area; the exact source title identifies the earlier Cup programme.
Identifying the original configuration
A current Cup 430 may have revised exhaust, suspension or body parts after delivery. Record those changes without altering the original model identity. Factory paperwork should also distinguish the earlier Cup 430 from a 2021 Cup 430 Final Edition. A later registration date alone is not sufficient to assign the Final Edition package. The original model and options remain important when comparing apparently similar cars. Keep the approximate V6-family volume in a family field, leaving the variant total open until a reliable completion record is available. This avoids presenting demand-led production as an invented numbered limited edition.
Collecting and chassis evidence
A useful Exige Cup 430 history starts with the original model identity and dated factory specification. Record the chassis number, delivery market, original engine and transmission, and any numbered edition plate separately. Preserve changes in a chronological record: replaced panels, altered suspension, remapped engines and revised aerodynamic parts can affect the present configuration without creating a second original factory vehicle. Early invoices and photographs help distinguish an original edition from a later cosmetic recreation. A specialist inspection should connect those records to the car, especially its structure, mounting points and model-specific parts. A low programme volume makes careful documentation more useful; it does not establish the condition or completeness of an individual example.
Related Lotus designs and meaningful comparisons
The earlier 360 Cup has its own fifty-car announcement. Sport 420 Final Edition provides a different final-year V6 specification rather than a renaming of Cup 430.
Reading the sources
The programme sources and the photograph answer different questions. Manufacturer and custodial records establish the original model, Type, category and published production scope. The creator’s file establishes the pictured subject, setting and image permission. An individual chassis history can then add ownership, competition entries and dated repairs without changing the scope of the original programme. Build references are not survivor counts, and a later specification does not automatically become an additional newly manufactured vehicle. Where primary evidence does not establish a complete fabrication census, that field remains unassigned.
Specifications and rarity evidence
| Programme reference year | 2018 |
|---|---|
| Model / Type | Exige Cup 430 — Exige V6 / Cup 430 |
| Body / competition role | Mid-engined road sports car |
| Reference year | 2018 inventory; late-2017 introduction |
| Engine context | Supercharged, charge-cooled V6 |
| Transmission context | Six-speed |
| Photo event | Paris Motor Show, October 2018 |
| Later derivative | Cup 430 Final Edition, 2021 |
| Published build / register reference | Family estimate approx. 2,700 |
| Independently audited completed tally | Not assigned |
| Count scope | Cup 430 announced in late 2017; workbook uses 2018. Later V6 Exige family reported by Lotus at approximately 2,700 for 2011–2021. Broader family estimate is not Cup 430 output. Original programme and 2021 Final Edition distinguished. |
| Original inventory status | LOT-171 — Verified |
Frequently asked questions
Is this 2018 show car a Cup 430 Final Edition?
No. The photographed exhibit belongs to the earlier Cup 430 programme. Final Edition identity refers to the separate 2021 final-year specification.
How is Exige Cup 430 classified?
This is a named original Lotus road-car programme. Its qualified source references fall below the 7,500 screening threshold. Completed production, announced allocations and survivor counts remain distinct, with any unresolved differences explained in the article.
Which technical details are established for the programme?
The primary record supports reference year: 2018 inventory; late-2017 introduction; engine context: Supercharged, charge-cooled V6; transmission context: Six-speed. These are programme or explicitly attributed photo references. A particular surviving car’s engine, chassis repairs and competition preparation require its own dated documentation.
Does the photographed appearance establish factory originality?
The caption records a real creator-identified Exige Cup 430 subject and its documented setting. It establishes the illustration’s scope, while original components, restoration work and individual race provenance require chassis-specific evidence. A competition number, current paint or museum display is not used as an originality certificate.
What rarity or archive scope is verified?
Cup 430 announced in late 2017; workbook uses 2018. Later V6 Exige family reported by Lotus at approximately 2,700 for 2011–2021. Broader family estimate is not Cup 430 output. Original programme and 2021 Final Edition distinguished.
Who photographed the supplied image?
Alexander Migl via Wikimedia Commons, under CC BY-SA 4.0. The original file and licence are linked with the image. Retain the creator, source and licence when uploading, exporting or reusing it; local retouching and synthetic enlargement have not been performed.
Related Lotus profiles
Sources and photo credits
Photograph: Alexander Migl via Wikimedia Commons original source, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source-provided thumbnail supplied without local cropping, retouching or synthetic enlargement.
Built in limited numbers
Cup 430 announced in late 2017; workbook uses 2018. Later V6 Exige family reported by Lotus at approximately 2,700 for 2011–2021. Broader family estimate is not Cup 430 output. Original programme and 2021 Final Edition distinguished.
Gallery
Specifications
Factory specifications may vary by model year, market and configuration.
Identity & production
- Official model
- Exige Cup 430
