UK vehicle statistics / Lotus

How many Lotus Exige cars are left?

At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 974 licensed and 749 SORN vehicles in the UK within the Lotus Exige generic-model group.

Is the Exige disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 1,360 in 2022 Q2 and stand at 974 in 2026 Q1, down 28%. That is down 10% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 749 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 1,723 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

A falling population is worth knowing before you buy: it usually means fewer donor cars, fewer specialists and slower parts supply, and it is why a good example of a scarce model can hold its price while a neglected one is hard to sell at any price.

Fuel

DfT codes every vehicle in the Lotus Exige generic-model group as petrol.

Exige MOT pass rate

In 2024, 89.8% of 1,108 Lotus Exige MOTs passed first time — above the 71.2% UK average. Pass rate moves with age: 91.4% of cars aged 3–5 years passed first time, against 86.7% aged 15–30 years.

• Headlamp Aim — 2.6% of tests. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
• Exhaust Emissions — 1.9% of tests. The car exceeded its emissions limits. Can be a sensor or a service, but on a diesel it can also mean an expensive filter or catalyst.
• Washers — 1.3% of tests. Empty or blocked washers. Trivial, but again a sign of the last owner's care.
• Tread Depth — 0.9% of tests. Tyres below the 1.6mm legal limit. Budget for tyres, and treat it as a sign of how the car was maintained.

Full age bands and failure notes are on the Lotus Exige MOT pass rate page.

Before you buy

• Headlamp Aim — 2.6% of tests in 2024. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
• Exhaust Emissions — 1.9% of tests in 2024. The car exceeded its emissions limits. Can be a sensor or a service, but on a diesel it can also mean an expensive filter or catalyst.
• Washers — 1.3% of tests in 2024. Empty or blocked washers. Trivial, but again a sign of the last owner's care.
• Tread Depth — 0.9% of tests in 2024. Tyres below the 1.6mm legal limit. Budget for tyres, and treat it as a sign of how the car was maintained.
• Ask why it was off the road — Of the 1,723 Exige vehicles still on the DVLA record, 1 in 2 is SORN (749 at 2026 Q1). A car that has been laid up needs a closer look at brakes, tyres and the MOT history.
• Budget for a shrinking fleet — Licensed numbers are down 28% from the 2022 Q2 peak of 1,360. Fewer cars on the road usually means fewer donor parts and fewer specialists.
• Check the actual Exige — These figures describe the model group. Enter the registration for that vehicle's free MOT, tax and mileage record before you pay a deposit.

Quarterly licensed and SORN counts

Every quarter DfT has published for this model group, newest first.

Other Lotus models

• Elise — 3,556 licensed. MOT pass rate
• Elan — 2,504 licensed
• Eletre — 2,610 licensed
• Esprit — 762 licensed
• Emira — 1,643 licensed
• Eclat — 335 licensed

See how many of every Lotus model are left

Common questions

How many Lotus Exige cars are left in the UK?

974 were licensed and 749 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.

How many Lotus Exige cars are SORN?

749 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 1,723 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.

Is the Exige disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 1,360 in 2022 Q2 and stand at 974 in 2026 Q1, down 28%. That is down 10% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 749 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 1,723 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

What fuel is the Exige coded as?

DfT codes every vehicle in the Lotus Exige generic-model group as petrol.

What is the Lotus Exige MOT pass rate?

In 2024, 89.8% of 1,108 Lotus Exige MOTs passed first time — above the 71.2% UK average.

What does the Exige fail its MOT on?

The most common initial failure categories in 2024 are headlamp aim (2.6% of tests), exhaust emissions (1.9% of tests), washers (1.3% of tests).

Does this say whether one Exige is a good buy?

No. These are population figures for the model group. Enter that vehicle's registration for its own free MOT, tax and mileage record.

Source and limitations

Source: Department for Transport and DVLA, df_VEH0120_UK. Released 2026-07-15 under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

DVLA make and model fields are administrative data and can contain omissions or inconsistencies. These statistics describe model groups, not an individual registration.

Confidential cells marked [c] represent between 1 and 4 vehicles and are treated as zero in aggregates, so totals can be slightly understated.