Lotus Exige vs. Ford Mustang | Top Gear | BBC Studios

[@ChiragSaraswati]

A 144p video with almost 2 MILLION views. That's Clarkson's Top gear for you.

[@davidtomkins4242]

Cameras are Time Machines that’s the Lotus Exige for you...

[@TheCj71984]

Even in 2022

[@andrewyoung9892]

A guy named lil pump has over a billion. That’s America for you.

[@javierbalcazar3378]

"The Stig must be fluent in irrelevant Italian by now" Best Top Gear line ever

[@3dgar7eandro]

Lol🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂

[@LCdrDerrick]

a scalpel against an axe

[@NeurodivergentSuperiority]

More like a hammer or a chainsaw aganist a scalpel

[@insatiableTy]

ever since i saw the esprit when i was younger I have always wanted a lotus

[@Atlasworkinprogress]

The point of the test was not to show how a Lotus could beat a Mustang. The point was to show how much more efficiently the Lotus used it's displacement than most modern sports cars. And for those of you complaining that it was not raced against a GT500, the new Exige is powered by a supercharged 3.5L v6, and has a 0-60 of 3.7 seconds. That's Corvette Z06 territory. These little Brit cars are not something to laugh about.

[@barraged999]

Uh.. okay. Well the new GT500 does 0 - 60 in 3.6 seconds.

[@ByakuyaReborn]

Awesome Austin oooooh a .1 second difference with almost twice a bigger engine

[@SuperCookieGaming_]

Enisei the lower you 0-60 the harder it is to get there. its an exponential curve. just like top speed.

[@ThorOdinson-zc2kq]

Mine is twin charged , 671 hp . The 6 speed couldn’t handle the power so it’s a modified celica 5spd

[@MustangMedic]

Agreed!

[@NicolasCageisGod]

How did they only get 300hp out of a 4.6 litre v8?

[@GiulioImparato]

The philosophy for American cars is: bigger engine equals more power plus almost all the time their engines are naturally aspirated while on the other side Japanese and European engines are smaller but have turbochargers

[@NicolasCageisGod]

Giulio Imparato still doesn't add up

[@blainy-o93]

Nicolas Cage is God 'MURICA

[@blainy-o93]

Nicolas Cage is God Also, 3 valves per cylinder and SOHC.

[@asamyers4572]

Don Clout I know this is an old comment but I just want to say the Ford went for the philosophy of mass production and reliability. Yes the car could’ve gotten more power, but that would’ve increased the price. And the fact that more power is less reliable. They did the same thing with the Panther body’s (the police cars) 4.6L v8. And those things are touted as indestructible.

[@Oldbmwr100rs]

Honestly,I'm impressed with how well the 'Stang actually did,especially against the Lotus. A big difference with both is that the lotus is small,very small,and expensive. The Ford is at least something you can get some actual use out of. If I could fit in the lotus though,as well as afford one,I wouldn't say no to one.

[@joshuac4772]

20 years later and that Lotus is still a thing of beauty. Honestly, that early S197 mustang did better than I thought it would against the Lotus.

[@richmichnatenoah6937]

It looks like a hennsey venom gt from 2010

[@abbadonthedestroyer3792]

Richmichnatenoah Aro Well considering the Venom is literally a customized Lotus, I would be surprised if it didnt look like one.

[@richmichnatenoah6937]

Oh

[@ryancalhoun7456]

all these people saying shit like "put it against the super snake and see what happens!" yea it would take fords greatest mustang to beat the 1.8l lotus! haha stop being so butt hurt damn...

[@prosincr]

ryan calhoun comparing a sports car with a muscle car doesn't make much sense.

[@qwertykonrad]

Then compare comfort and reliability of 5.0 vs 1.8. It's not a problem to put 1000HP to 1.8, problem is reliability.

[@2003AudiS3]

@@qwertykonrad A toyota 4 cylinder will basically always be reliable

[@qwertykonrad]

@@2003AudiS3 not with 500 HP

[@2003AudiS3]

@@qwertykonrad but the exige doesn’t have 500 hp

[@jerseyboycustoms]

the stock 4.6 is, but you start getting the performance mods from the factory its a fighter. 5.0L stang is good, and its the 5.0L black thats supercharged but supercharging it required some mods and diff heads so that brought its displacement up. the only down fall is the solid rear axle which doesnt bother me one bit but tune a stang right and they kick ass

[@BrookNBones]

I'm a car lover in general, but comparing a Mustang GT to a Lotus is like comparing a Prius to a Porsche. Put it against a Vet, they're similar in price, HP, weight, and seats. And even though the Vet has more HP it's HP to toneage ratio is about the same as the Lotus. It's a sports car like the Lotus. The Mustang is frankly a hulked up family car weighing way more than either of the other two and has a lower HP to toneage ratio than either of the other two.

[@stupidburp]

Vettes are not as good at cornering as a Lotus Exige. It would be a more fair comparison though as long as you use models of similar price range.

[@buzzcrushtrendkill]

The point was to make the Lotus look ok, hence pitting it against an entry level Mustang that is less than half the price of the Lotus and a track that is all tight cornering. Top Gear couldn’t be fair and objective if their lives depended on it.

[@paryudisaditya8845]

@@buzzcrushtrendkill well that's the point isn't it. The segment itself isn't about comparing mustang and the lotus, it is to demonstrate the lotus exige strong point

[@buzzcrushtrendkill]

@@paryudisaditya8845 Then why not demonstrate it by itself, or if another car is needed then use one in its similar price point and class.

[@ownedbymeeee]

did they actually have a concorde doing a flyover at 5:19??

[@garydempsey8083]

TheJ Man no

[@jm036]

that's not a concorde is it

[@bikelifewill6483]

That's a fucking V bomber you spacj

[@alexc7864]

Imagine thinking thats the Concorde

[@satanic66688]

My civic has 250 hp, no turbo, it has a 3 inch magna flow exhaust, koni yellow shocks and ground control springs, its fast, id love for it too be on top gear, jeremy would enjoy it

[@MrGnarman]

sushi vs a hamburger? I forgot that lotus was japanese... and the mustang was german...

[@bikelifewill6483]

Idiot

[@fred2796]

Devil's Island dumbass

[@ztm454]

should of done a cobra terminator vs the lotus that would be interesting

[@dunti21]

@bernman1000 I didn't compare the cars, I just said that the rear wheels slide, squeal and get worn down by going under 50km/h around a largish roundabout, which shouldn't happen to any car. I've pushed my Audi harder around that roundabout and hardly notice a thing. Doesn't seem like the suspension functions that well does it?

[@n3rdbear]

The Exige needs an automatic transmission so when I finally buy one, I can use it as a daily driver with its 20 mpg fuel economy.

[@greghill118]

Top gear is always comparing 20,000 cars to 100,000 cars america makes cars for the masses not for nose in the air aristocrats

[@greghill118]

You must be English

[@greghill118]

Notice its not a gt

[@supercarsanders5480]

+Greg Hill 2:42 it clearly says gt in fact its the only image on the screen. im not tryin to be a douche cause theres nothing worse than a pointless internet argument but its kinda funny lol

[@TheRealLeonidas300]

Few years ago, I remembered a local dealer was selling a brand new Exige for 87K.Yes, Mustangs are great for straight lines and I am big a fan of them. I also like watching mustangs getting tuned out and be put out on the Nurburgring. However, a lighter car will always beat a tuned car in those rally race types. Ford are stepping up now and building a lighter version of the mustang - the RTR. So how much does the exiges cost then? & i'm talking about the latest model.

[@dk7541]

buying a mustang is cool if you like sleeping with your sister.

[@bikelifewill6483]

Hahahahahha

[@Daytona426x]

yes like i said the body is the only thing that resembles a lotus but when it was elongated and had a heavier engine put in it, the suspension had to be re-done because it wasent meant for that kind of power-to-weight that the car now had. Hennessey re-worked the chassie and components himself

[@JDTeevee]

I agree, same with the corvette, the only corvette I would want is the ZR1 and I still might have the lotus over that

[@johnwight6041]

Lotus Elise/exige is so much fun. Lotus is such an awesome company

[@Seqtopus]

It depends on where you live in the USA. I live in New Jersey and yes the roads there are incredibly boring. In fact the had to make a law that after a certain distance they had to put a turn in so drivers wont fall asleep at the wheel. But a few weeks ago i went to Delaware and the roads there went up and down and were incredibly curvy. The funnest part of being there was driving around.

[@wd1000]

@hunkgod "No, for what you get they are way better....." Ahhhhh. You have rekindled my will to live. Thx.

[@03Z400RIDER]

I'd like to see them try with the new stang.

[@torbenmichelsky4241]

you are absolutely right my friend :)

[@MustangMedic]

Ford Mustang did a very respectable job, good job racer X.

[@ddfh01]

Atleast the stangs interior held together, i was embarrased for all of north america when jeremy tested the z06...

[@n3rdbear]

@joeirl I just found out there are custom shops that could rig it with power steering. As for the auto trans, Lotus should seriously consider it. They'd pull in a lot of buyers.

[@josephlewis9237]

That Lotus is a brilliant car and very, very impressive. It should have been put on the cool section on the cool wall. It has to be one of, if not the best handling car they've ever had on Top Gear.

[@DiamondPilotDan]

I own a black 2005 Ford Mustang GT. It is the best machine i have ever stepped in, and thats saying something, considering the cars and planes I've driven/flown. the Mustang GT (talking about just the 4.6L v8, not even the new 5.0L) is INCREDIBLY powerful. pair that with it's 5 speed manual, and its like a dream. There's something that a V8 has that no other car can reproduce. Even the stock exhaust turns heads. my car is 7y/o and I still often find kids taking pictures of it or staring. USA.

[@APBGrrl]

I love the Exige... was considering an Elise last year but I probably would not drive it too much anyways. I honestly do not know how this is any comparison between these two cars-- they are in a different class in my opinion.

[@BashMonkeyRC]

To be fair he said the Mustang has a 4.6L V8, which would be the ford modular engine found in standard models like the thunderbird and crown vic cop specials. They're mostly reliable engines with some pep to them, but not exactly what I'd call a performance engine. Maybe if it was a 5.0 or 5.4 it'd be a little closer, but hey at least it's not an ecoboosh

[@SWatchik]

would love both cars tbh

[@sportjester]

It's a fun segment, but I'd love to see a rematch with a closer priced Boss 302 Laguna Seca.

[@clowntrooper61]

actually the gearbox was was done by Ricardo plc not hennesy and the body updates where done and designed by Steve Everitt

[@blueydsniper]

Should do the test again. Only with the new 5.8L SC SHELBY GT500

[@BasVroone]

there's nothing I hate more than the commercials popping up at my face every time I click a Top Gear clip... which is quite a lot of times

[@geoffk777]

That generation of Mustang had a solid rear axle and "only" about 300 Hp. A newer model with independant rear suspension, track tuning and more than double the horses would leave the Exige in its dust. It's easier to make a comfortable car more powerful and agile than it is to make a super-light car even lighter.

[@Xiphactinus]

If my grandma had wheels she would be a bike

[@tvrsurferguy]

I love the people from my country who sit around talking about how "amazing" mustangs are. I tell them about cars like the Lotus and Caterham, and a magical track with right AND LEFT turns called the Nurburgring, and they call me idiots. I have yet to so them this video.

[@croxley3000]

wow i didnt realise how small the car was untill he got out of it at 5:03

[@MrSamuraiSuey]

yeah, they are unique

[@n3rdbear]

@MrRectalRanger yup it is and it also needs power steering. I know the Evora has all the stuff I'm talking about but that thing is more expensive than the Exige and is a gas guzzler.

[@Redmailnet]

LOL "Stuff sold by the gram is always going to be more exciting than stuff sold by the pound!"

[@gnolhsobners]

@Casen2004 thats like saying put the exige against a ferrari and put 200,000 of mods into the exige. You pay more for limited production cars, as they are not nearly as automated as mustangs are, you also have to pay much more for lightweight materials and a car that doesnt look like a minivan.

[@beaudjangles]

@bandit11114 that is one of the best arguments i've heard. in australia our favourite family car puts out 200kW, the slightly better stuff pushes 270kW, our roads too are mostly straight. these are cars are pretty much your run of the mill cars, they don't cost a fortune, are easy to service and find parts, will last 20+ years at least and tow a boat and carry 5 adults. our cars are much more american than european for the same reasons, our cities are grids and our highways are straight

[@1SaG]

Having driven an Exige with performance pack as an everyday car, I can think of quite a few more drawbacks. The trim and certain bits of switch-gear are a bit bargain bin - especially for the price of the car. The roof wasn't 100% rainproof (at least on my example it wasn't). The noise in the cabin is unbearable at higher speeds - you'll seriously want to have ear-plugs in this car if you want to take it up to 180 kph or above. The rear view mirror is completely useless and since there were no parking sensors and the rear clamshell is quite expensive to replace, parking is a bit of a nightmare. The boot is tiny. All that said: I absolutely loved that car and was quite sad when I gave it back to Lotus. I don't think I've ever driven anything that felt this responsive and direct. You really feel like you're connected to the road - something that's seriously lacking in modern cars IMO. As good as, say, a 911 or Boxster are to drive, the Lotus has them licked when it comes to feedback and to the sheer sensation of driving.

[@huskyblues]

@alex14469 i agree man...wasn't really a comparison. Clarkson is fond of doing that. He compared a gsxr600 to a car before(i forget which one) when he should have used the gsxr 1000cc.

[@skilzed]

Was that a concord at @5:15, I think we all know how well that "Triumph of British engineering" went...

[@samin90]

Doubt it, whenever I race my (dad's) NSX against a friend's GT500 Super Snake I almost always win. The trick is to much as much distance between her and me before we reach the main straight. 170 BHP versus 700+ BHP, I really don't stand a chance there. We have switched cars a few times and they're both brilliant in their own ways, just drives whatever makes you happy and stop hating on other people's choices.

[@motanelustelistu]

4:46 Love how he uses a deep English accent when he says "manure" :P :))

[@FatKid4Lyfe]

I love how he said Michigan. Mitch-a-gen

[@moist_ointment]

@seanmarshall1983 **4.6 liter and the mustang was never designed for handling - hence the live rear axle. it was designed for an affordable car that can easily be a great drag racer

[@neonmike1000]

@Usouffrir Thanks. Did you see how hard it was for him to get out of the Lotus. Who wants to have a car that uncomfortable just because it can be quick on a track day that won't count during normal highway driving.

[@CemetaryGatesML]

@Jarolion they tested the old GT500... the one with 500hp... not the new one with 650hp stock

[@cmp2nite2]

Lotus is a beautiful car take it over a u.s car anyday. Coming from an american they are my favorite brand and cant wait to get one 1 day

[@d0ntr4p3m3]

Anyone else smile when Clarkson said 'Michigan' as "Mitchigan"?

[@Jimpank90]

A You can easily fit in a BMW M3 or M5, Audi RS4 or RS 6 Mercedes C class AMg or E class AMG B all of those cars can carry as much as you need C They are all safe in crashes D they sound nice E they go fast and can take corners fast Any questions?

[@PureVolume707]

I wasnt thinking of saffron when he said "stuff sold by the gram is more exciting than stuff sold by the pound."

[@Weasel65]

wow 5:18 Concorde! was worth just seeing that.

[@Jimpank90]

on a circuit like the top gear i think not, but on a normal circuit like silverstone or spa it will win on the long straights.

[@photobiker7364]

I wish they would say what model year the cars being shown are. Sure, I could probably figure it out eventually, but sheesh!

[@N0XI0USB4C]

Yeah this is one episode I didn't the comparison. Let's see which car wins carrying 4 people.........................Plus that the lotus is in vette range pricing and that's a much better comparison.

[@cwilliams3567]

@MultiJakeyboy No doubt. I love the Muscle Car era. The GTO, Chevelle, Road Runner, Challengers etc..The looks and sounds and unreal power is awesome. But, they were not always the best cars to drive or own. A lot of them were notoriously bad. They are their own complete subset of cars. They cant be compared to any other cars made. The issue with the relaunch of the "New" Muscle Cars now is they haven't changed them. The same problems 30-40 years ago are the same problems now.

[@TheHardcoreArtist]

i think they are too different to compare. one can turn,one cant. one goes straight, one goes crazy

[@aFlamingTaco]

Now the do the Boss 302 vs Lotus Exige S!

[@osirisvb]

hi, I am thinking by this comment you have not heard what the normal 2013 Shelby GT 500 will have in terms of horsepower, for your information it is 650hp for 2013 shely GT500, the supersnake has over 750hp. The 2013 shelby GT500 starts at 65k dollars, now how much does Ferrari charge for 570hp? 250k?

[@halflife103]

i think that the mustang would have a higher tops speed... but i would like to see the two on a drag track. since we already know which has better handling.

[@destinynoon]

I played Aphex Twin-Nannou over this video. Sounds about right to me. The sounds are from the Lotus Factory working away at making this little machine.

[@Abraxes911]

Top speed 148? NO WAY. My 1985 635CSi can nearly do that. No need to make the 148 sound amazing, Jezza.

[@bowtiepower4275]

I love front engine, rear wheel drive, big V8 American cars... But you just don't mess with a Lotus Exige on a track.

[@OmGhostable]

@wd4000000 depends on the car..example:this lotus has a 1.8 turbocharged engine so if it was made of steel or something like that its performance would be very decreased then again steel is much safer when crashing..so if you have a powerful car and steel body you got it all..i am not saying plastic is bad but for a car you would drive everyday (with that i dont mean lotus obviously) i would prefer to have a steel body

[@RedfishCarolina]

No limited slip diff? So this thing has a spool in the rear?

[@marshknute]

@YomammaPSN BMW is German. It stands for Bavarian Motor Works. Bavaria is a German state, while the BMW headquarters is in Munich, Germany.

[@CuriousBoyGeorge]

@The4x4life Hate to break it to you, but the Shelby GT500 did it in 1:30 flat, nearly 5 seconds slower. The Roush Mustang, however, pulled nearly the same time as the Exige. Proper suspension and a limited slip diff are more important than a bigger engine when you are throwing a few thousand pounds of car around a power circuit.

[@excabilus1]

I agree with with Jay Leno who you probably know, the new 2013 Mustang shelby with over 670 HP and a really good technological improvement costs around 50-55.000 dollars, now tell me, how much would you pay for any equal European brand with that amount of horse power? wrx sti? please...

[@rr12003]

It's been over 13 years and I'm still looking for the song that plays starting at 3:25. I believe its fair use as I've heard it in the background of many things from the mid 2000s. If anyone has any information, please pass it on.

[@McBeamer94]

''Rear-Wheel Drive at the back''. I'd be surprised if it were at the front, tbh!

[@DocHolidaysteve]

Where are you from? An Exige in the Uk is about 35K

[@TheAGSTube]

And just for the record I don't own a Mustang. I prefer my all wheel drive WRX for the handling and regular snowy winter commute.

[@505197]

@Zerak1990 I got 28mpg the last time I checked on a road trip, not bad for a car that'll plaster your back into the seat. Combined it almost always averaged 22 mpg, and that was with a fairly heavy foot.

[@frigginjoe]

Yank here, Clarkson and Top Gear are awesome.

[@shaunreinson]

Nice review, shame TG never showed their film of the 200606 Lotus Europa S - I understand it was in the can but they thought it was too boring and never broadcast it. Mines not in the same league as the BBC, but I created a brief one to show what the ride was like in one and you can see it on my channel

[@HelimanZ06]

The Exige S is approximately $75,000. The Mustang is about 1/3rd the price. Me thinks there is some bias there somewhere. One has to wonder how a $55,000 Mustang Shelby GT500 with $20,000 of tire and suspension mods would compare or even the $41,000 Boss 302 with $34,000 of modifications.

[@EVERLIVERPOOL]

anyone realised that the normal exige do 1.26.9 in the damp with semi slick tryres and the exige did it in 1.25.1 in the dry it means that the normal exige is faster than this

[@MaximRecoil]

The Bel Air and Impala were chunky and bubbly compared to the Belvedere/Fury. The late '50s Belvederes/Furys were the only mean looking cars from that decade. Maybe you need to watch Christine (1983) to get the full effect of that grille/bumper and body style. As a bonus there's a '68 Charger in that movie too (briefly). I love the look of older Lamborghinis (e.g., Miura and early Countach [LP 400]), but I don't think any of them look mean. '60s muscle cars set the bar too high.

[@jamesnicol9810]

This has been on here for a few years now and the same old comment keep getting said. Unless you own an exige you can never know or understand why people love the little car. I had a lotus Elise 111r for a year sold it then got the Exige 190 N/A there is only one car I would ever swap it for at that's the Exige 260 cup.

[@ekrantzlotus06]

agreed, i own an exige, they rock. Mustangs are slow and handle like mud

[@Membrane556]

Apple to Oranges comparison. The Lotus is a spartan no compromise sports car while the Mustang is meant to be a daily driver and only cost a third as much as the Lotus. A more fair competition would be the Lotus vs a Z06 corvette. I suspect the Lotus would beat the Z06 in turns because of it's light weight but the vett would stomp it in the straightaways. It would be an interesting race.

[@Nagooshy2]

A Boss 302 isn't what you expect, a Shelby on the other hand would be the real deal.

[@joachimbeirens]

Ferrari* ( and if i'm correct the Ford GT was developed in part by lotus, the steering rack is from an Aston Martin and the brakes are from Brembo)

[@Se7ensinsxJtag1]

@peddaz cheers mate! Your a legend

[@myScooterchannel]

I just love the exige!!

[@031films8]

I would like to see the new for mustang boss 302 Leguna seca version vs. this lotus

[@R6VIIshooter]

@alex14469 not really. they're both 2 door, 2 seater cars. they're just made using different principals. the mustang has a huge engine, weigh a lot, has basic suspension, a ladder chassis and many luxuries. the lotus had a small supercharged engine, has no luxuries, a very good chassis and really good suspension. couple that with the lack of weight, and you have yourself a fairly even match, on paper at least

[@doobcraft]

Right, which explains why the Corvette Z06 was so slow around their track. Their bias against American cars does not extend to their track times. They're also biased against Japanese cars, but again, it does not extend to their track times.

[@ososaxo]

perdon me di cuenta muy tarde, y cuando quise corregir ya lo habia publicado , mil disculpas.