Car statistics

Lotus Exige statistics

How many Lotus Exiges are still on the road in Great Britain, how many are declared off the road, how new registrations have changed and which fuels they use. Built from DVLA licensing records.

Last updated
Records analysed
1,696 Exige records (licensed and SORN)
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed in Great Britain 961 −1.2% on a year earlier
  • Declared SORN 735 Off the road, not taxed
  • Rank by number licensed No. 697 of 1,159 models we cover
  • Peak year 2008 1,056 licensed
  • New registrations in 2025 1 registered for the first time
  • Most common fuel Petrol 100.0% of those licensed

How many Lotus Exiges are left in Great Britain?

There were 961 Lotus Exiges licensed in Great Britain at the end of March 2026, and a further 735 declared off the road (SORN). That is 9.0% fewer than the peak of 1,056 in 2008.

Lotus Exiges licensed in Great Britain

The highest year-end count was 1,056 in 2008.

Lotus Exiges licensed in Great Britain at the end of each year
Year Licensed
2000 126
2001 245
2002 212
2003 205
2004 364
2005 618
2006 817
2007 992
2008 1,056
2009 1,048
2010 1,003
2011 896
2012 773
2013 788
2014 862
2015 909
2016 975
2017 992
2018 1,030
2019 1,049
2020 1,013
2021 1,052
2022 989
2023 935
2024 873
2025 880
2026 961

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Fuel type

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Lotus Exige MOT reliability

There were not enough MOT tests of Lotus Exiges in 2025 to publish reliable figures: we need at least 1,000 tests of cars aged three and over. Cars have their first MOT at three years old, so newer models appear once they reach that age. How we work out MOT figures.

Lotus Exige registrations over time

Registrations of Lotus Exiges for the first time in Great Britain peaked at 281 in 2005. In 2025, 1 were registered. With almost none registered new, the number on the road is likely to keep falling.

Registered for the first time, by year

Lotus Exiges registered for the first time in Great Britain, by year
Year First registrations
’01 175
’02 2
’03 2
’04 169
’05 281
’06 280
’07 231
’08 178
’09 113
’10 146
’11 20
’12 9
’13 101
’14 112
’15 138
’16 136
’17 104
’18 102
’19 109
’20 77
’21 93
’22 40
’23 4
’24 2
’25 1

Source:DfT / DVLA 2001 to 2025 Updated

Lotus Exige engine sizes and fuel types

Of the 893 Lotus Exiges licensed in the UK at the end of 2025, 56.7% have an engine of 3,401cc to 3,500cc, and 42.8% have an engine of 1,701cc to 1,800cc. The share with an engine of 3,401cc to 3,500cc has grown from 21.6% in 2014 to 56.7%.

Engine sizes, end of 2025

DVLA records engine size in 100cc bands.

Lotus Exiges licensed in the UK at the end of 2025, by engine size
Engine size Share of those licensed
3,401cc to 3,500cc 506 licensed 56.7%
1,701cc to 1,800cc 382 licensed 42.8%
Other sizes 5 licensed 0.6%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of 2014 to end of 2025 Updated

Engine size and fuel together, end of 2025
Engine size Fuel Licensed Share
3,401–3,500cc Petrol 506 56.7%
1,701–1,800cc Petrol 382 42.8%

Engine sizes, 2014 to 2025

Share of those licensed at the end of each year, for the most common sizes.

Lotus Exiges licensed in the UK by engine size, share of each year’s total
Year 3,401–3,500cc1,701–1,800cc
2014 21.6%77.2%
2015 29.0%70.4%
2016 37.5%61.5%
2017 42.3%56.9%
2018 47.0%52.4%
2019 49.7%49.8%
2020 55.3%44.2%
2021 56.5%42.9%
2022 56.6%42.8%
2023 55.1%44.1%
2024 54.7%44.6%
2025 56.7%42.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of 2014 to end of 2025 Updated

United Kingdom figures from DfT table VEH0220 (licensed cars at the end of each year, SORN excluded), so they differ slightly from the Great Britain counts elsewhere on this page. How we use engine sizes.

Lotus Exige fuel economy and CO2

The Vehicle Certification Agency’s new car data lists the Lotus Exige from 2004, and still lists it. On the WLTP test (listings 2019 to 2026), official combined fuel economy for its petrol versions ranges from 27.4 to 28.2 mpg, with CO2 of 225 to 230 g/km. On the older NEDC test (listings 2004 to 2018), official combined fuel economy for its petrol versions ranges from 27.2 to 33.2 mpg, with CO2 of 199 to 242 g/km.

Official WLTP figures by engine and fuel, listed 2019 to 2026
Engine and fuel Combined mpg CO2 g/km Listed Euro standard Versions
3.5 petrol 27.4–28.2 225–230 2019–2026 Euro 6d‑TEMP to Euro 6d 5
Older NEDC figures, listed 2004 to 2018 (2 engine and fuel groups)
Official NEDC figures by engine and fuel, listed 2004 to 2018
Engine and fuel Combined mpg CO2 g/km Listed Euro standard Versions
1.8 petrol 31.0–33.2 199–216 2004–2012 Euro 4 to Euro 5 6
3.5 petrol 27.2–30.0 219–242 2013–2018 Euro 5 to Euro 6 10

Source:VCA July 2000 to 15 September 2026 Updated

  • Official figures from laboratory type-approval tests. VCA says they may not be achieved in real-world driving, and should not be used to rank cars with similar figures.
  • NEDC figures (in VCA’s data until September 2018) and WLTP figures (from the 2019 guide) come from different tests, so they are shown separately and should not be compared.
  • Engine sizes are rounded to the nearest 0.1 litre. A version is one line in VCA’s data (description, gearbox, engine and fuel), counted once however many years it was listed. Matched from VCA’s model names “Exige”, “Exige S”. How we use VCA’s figures.

Lotus Exige safety recalls

DVSA lists 5 safety recalls for the Lotus Exige since 1992, the first in 2001. The most recent was launched on 15 November 2014.

Risk of fire

Launched 15 November 2014 DVSA recall R/2014/066 Manufacturer ref. 2014/02R

Defect
The oil cooler pipes may detach from their fittings and deposit oil in the engine compartment on the road/tyres which can lead to increased risk of fire and loss of vehicle control. Only the pipes with the smooth bore ferrules are affected.
Remedy
Elise Exige and 211: Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected and repair or replace the oil cooler hoses. Evora: it is proposed that the oil cooler hose assemblies will be replaced with hoses that incorporate the current production released end fittings in accordance with Lotus workshop procedures.
Vehicles affected
1,258 across everything the recall covers
Built
23 Sept 2004 to 17 Jan 2011
Also covers

All 5 Lotus Exige recalls, with defects, remedies and build dates

A recall applies to cars built on particular dates or with particular VINs, not to every Lotus Exige. The details come from manufacturers through DVSA, which says they may be delayed or incomplete. To check a specific car, use GOV.UK’s vehicle recall check or ask the manufacturer or a dealer. How we match recalls to models.

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis January 1992 to September 2026 Updated

Compare the Lotus Exige with other Lotus models

Lotus Exige compared with other Lotus models
Model Licensed Change on a year SORN Rank Main fuel
Lotus Exige 961 −1.2% 735 697 Petrol
Lotus Elise 3,528 −2.5% 3,816 478 Petrol
Lotus Eletre 2,581 +24.4% 26 520 Electric
Lotus Elan 2,486 −2.9% 2,080 525 Petrol
Lotus Emira 1,591 +7.4% 138 592 Petrol

Data sources and methodology

Datasets used on this page
Figures Source Period Records Updated
Licensed and SORN counts Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 1,696 Exige records (licensed and SORN) 15 September 2026
Registered for the first time Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport 2001 to 2025 15 September 2026
  • Figures cover Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales). Northern Ireland is not included.
  • Licensed counts are vehicles with a current tax or exemption at the end of each year (or the latest quarter). SORN counts are shown separately.
  • First registrations count vehicles registered in Great Britain for the first time, including used imports.
  • Models are grouped by DVLA’s generic model name, so every generation and trim counts together.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.