Hethel, England - The British sports car maker Lotus has cut fuel consumption and emission figures for the 2010 Exige and Elise models by about 9 per cent.

Fuel consumption for the Lotus Elise S is down by 0.7 litres to 7.6 litres per 100 kilometres which translates to a carbon dioxide emission figure of 179 grams per kilometre, compared to 196 g/km for the predecessor model.

The more powerful Exige S has an emission figure of 199 g/km.

According to Lotus, the savings have mainly been achieved by using weight-saving materials and optimizing the engines.

"The Lotus philosophy of performance through light weight is even more relevant in today's emission focused ecological world," according to Lotus CEO Mike Kimberley.