It's an exciting day for me today, as I get to write about my favorite car company and one of my favorite cars: the Lotus Exige S.

While they appear similar, the major difference between the Exige S and its brother, the Elise 111-R is the Exige’s supercharged 4-cylinder pumps out about 30 more ponies, and is a demon on the track with 218 horses pulling its 2,000 pound frame.

The Exige is, in layman’s terms, a coupe version of the Elise and uses a similar 6-speed manual transmission mated to its Toyota engine. The Exige S runs 0-60 in a flash, at 4.7 seconds and hugs corners better than far more expensive coupes.

Lotus says the Exige S is the fastest car they’ve ever produced but when you drive one in SHIFT, the interior may look like you’ve gone back in time. Manual-crank windows, optional air conditioning – to cut down on weight – and plain-looking controls make the Exige a true drivers’ car, but devoid of the creature comforts one would expect in an expensive vehicle.