StudioGlyphic

Not that the engine is all that heavy itself, of course, being an all-alloy unit, but in conjunction with Toyota's six-speed manual gearbox it's the perfect companion for this latest Lotus - the company's engineers devised a new management system for the engine, making it better suited to trackday use with top torque of 133lbf.ft coming in at a massive 6800rpm and max power arriving even further up the rev range at 7800rpm.

One major difference is that Lotus has aimed to get rid of the thump-in-the-back difference between cam profiles that's so noticeable (and intoxicating) in the Celica. The company was keen to avoid upsetting the balance of the car; the high-speed cam comes in at around 6200rpm but stays working until you drop below 5800rpm, meaning you won't be bumped back down to standard output during gearchanges - though with a red shift light on the dash, you should always be able to change up at exactly the right moment.