Shifting gear

Despite their popularity in the sports and supercar sector, Lotus has never officially offered a dual-clutch automatic transmission for its road models, with both the Exige and Evora only being available with the ‘IPS’ torque converter system as an option. Though most purists prefer the simplicity and feel of a manual gearbox, the on-track advantage of a dual-clutch transmission (DCT) pushed Austrian Lotus tuning house Jubu Performance to develop its own 7-speed system – an evolution of its previous race-only 6-speed transmission.

Derived from the latest ‘DSG’ system of Volkswagen Auto Group origin, the new gearbox can be retro-fitted to any Toyota engined Lotus, from the Elise S2 up to the current range. The new box promises crisper, quicker shifts than the existing IPS system, while retaining the ease of driveability expected of an automatic transmission. The new gearbox will be supplied with a two-year warranty when it goes on sale via the official Lotus service centre soon, and is torque rated up to 650Nm from VAG – though Jubu’s own race cars have proven it to be capable of handling 800Nm or more.