Most retirements come with a watch; Roger Becker's departure was marked with an epic Exige.
Not so long ago, it was very hard to keep track of all the Lotus special editions. From Cup this to Essex that and then 10 more horsepower here and some new suspension there, it often felt that the rarest ones available were actually the standard models. But even if it was hard to keep up with, some great sports cars resulted from the strategy, because they were all Lotuses under whichever colour scheme, wheel option or engine output they were getting that month. So they were all brilliant.
The old Series 2 Exige wasn’t short of a special or two, either, from the British GT Edition to the Scura and Matte Black Final Edition to the Espionage. All fantastic, too, but even by the exalted standards of the second Exige, a few specials really stand out.Named in honour of legendary test driver - or Director of Vehicle Engineering, to give him his proper title - Roger Becker, the RGB was launched just after the great man’s retirement in 2010.
Not only did it have the most powerful version of the 1.8-litre engine available, using the 260hp supercharged derivative from the Cup 260, the RGB also borrowed other useful upgrades from that circuit special, including a stiffer rear subframe. That was in addition to a Performance Pack and a Sports Pack, upgrading things like brakes and seats.
Naturally, everybody loved the RGB, bringing together all the best bits of the S2 package into one greatest-hits compilation. Many still look back very fondly on the 2ZZ era for Elise and Exige as a high point for both, so it stands to reason that the best of the bunch is still revered over a decade later. Especially given how rare they are, with just 55 believed to have been madelooks especially good, completely standard and as Hethel intended as well as boasting fewer than 50,000 miles.
As a result, and because of the RGB’s hallowed status, the asking price is higher than most other S2s, at £39,750. An impressive display of residual strength after all this time. Such is the fondness around this particular Exige, however, that its desirability isn’t going to wane as the years pass; there wasn’t another Lotus like the RGB after this car, and there’s certainly not going to be now.
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