AN extreme high performance two seater has been announced by Lotus in the form of the Exige Cup 430.

Priced from £99,800 it has been dubbed the wildest model the company has produced with a 0 to 60 acceleration time of 3.2 seconds.

The Exige Cup 430 is powered by a development of the engine set up used on the Evora GT430.

Developing 430 horsepower, the car has a top speed of 180mph and has lapped the company's test track at Hethel in Norfolk in 1:24.8 seconds - the fastest lap time set by any of its production cars and 1.3 seconds quicker than the Lotus 3-Eleven.

Lotus describes the Exige Cup as a ‘monster of a car' and compared to the previous Cup 380 it replaces has 15 per cent more power and an aerodynamic body which delivers 220kg of downforce.

Its carbon structure gives it a dry weight of just over one tonne resulting in an astonishing power to weight ratio of 407hp per tonne.

Lotus chief executive Jean-Marc Gales said: "This is the car that we have always wanted to build, and I am sure that all Lotus enthusiasts will be delighted with the end product.

"As well as a significant power hike, the Cup 430 has benefited from extensive development in areas essential to Lotus' DNA, in order to ensure that the full potential of the Exige's incredible chassis can be exploited. This car has no rivals - inside or outside of its price bracket - and it's no exaggeration when we say that nothing can keep up with this Exige on the road or track.

"The Exige continues to push the boundaries of what is possible in terms of performance, agility, aerodynamics and rapid covering of ground from A to B in a production road car.

"There isn't another car on sale that can match the new Exige Cup 430. It will go down as a ground-breaking car in the history of Lotus."