Was invited to take a tour of most of southern Indiana today with 4 Elise drivers. Had a BLAST. Unfortunately, it was raining pretty much all day (reason why the cars became so filthy...). But, it was still an amazing drive. I actually had no trouble whatsoever keeping up. :D We did have a couple of mishaps, though. I hit some sort of large animal carcass which ripped up the plastic undertray, and put a dent in the radiator fins... And, the guy in the red Lotus ended up hitting a nasty patch of road and caught a guardrail. Only caused superficial damage (thankfully), but tore up one light and most of his hood. Everyone's perfectly fine, though.

Anyways, here are some pics...

:confused:

The Elise did not do too well here in California on the track. Too slow.
And this was with a regular track guy.

Still a great car just not one that will kick ass over the 8 and others.

the elise will easily kick the 8's ass, I have no idea what you are talking about. Unless in california they are not making the same power for emissions reasons, but I don't ever recall reading anything like that.

Anyways, very nice pics man, looks like fun.

Love that orange one! No stripes thank you :D It's clean and looks great!

Does anyone else think these look like cheap kit cars...?
Anyone...?

they ain't cheap there freakin nice.they will rape on the track. i just can't see myself driving one though. but i would love to drive it on the weekends.

Check Road and Track and other stats. They are about the same in handling but have a small engine. It's like a Miata I do believe. Something like 160HP

Correct me if I'm wrong.

Edit, OK Ok so it's 190. but that's only about 140 RWHP.

it's 190 hp and only 2000 lbs I think, maybe a bit more.
0 to 60 mph: 4.9 sec
0 to 100 mph: 12.6 sec
1/4 mile: mid 13's

Galls me that they'd take a Toyota engine, slap a plastic "Lotus Performance" plaque on the cam cover, and sell the car for that much. Beautiful body, though.

Check Road and Track and other stats. They are about the same in handling but have a small engine. It's like a Miata I do believe. Something like 160HP

Correct me if I'm wrong.

Edit, OK Ok so it's 190. but that's only about 140 RWHP. You make my head hurt bud........ its a 2000lbs car, stop listening to joe sixpack and start looking at more than HP numbers. Were you kidding?

It does, however, look like something the next Gen Rx7 can shoot for in the performance category!

I can assure you first hand the Elise handles much better then an 8. I had one of the first deposits on one in Tampa and after waiting over a year for it to come in the dealer let me out of the deal cause the check engine light would not go off and it took them over a month to get a program from England. Anyways I bought an M3 instead...but my dealer at the time let me take the demo out often while waiting for my car to be fixed and the elise is stuck to the ground like glue. It is almost impossible to send it out of control. I mean you can take this thing around curves as fast as you dare and it just turns. The Elise however gives you a ruff ride and of course it is not the most comfortable car. Get up and go is almost llike a sport motorcycle, the power is always there... But when it is said and done the Rx8 takes my vote over the Elise that I almost owned and the M3 that I do own and selling for the Rx8.

As far as the post stating that they took a toyota engine and slapped a Lotus plaque on it, that is not right...Lotus is famous for improving on current engine types....The engineers remapped the electronics of the engine and it does not perform like a regular toyota engine. Its power curve is dif.

Does anyone else think these look like cheap kit cars...?
Anyone...?


I think they look great...nice clean look to the interior.

I like the red and black one

Does anyone else think these look like cheap kit cars...?
Anyone...?

you must be smokin some good crack!

Lotus Elises are freakin' nice. I'd take one. 40k base is a lot for me though.

Super light gives them super speed. I like. Lucky man vectorwolf.

Hot looking cars! I kinda like the red with the black stripe. Looks classy. Those size of those cars make the rx8 look like a hulking ogre. Great pics ... sorry to hear about the dead carcass damage.

Check Road and Track and other stats. They are about the same in handling but have a small engine. It's like a Miata I do believe. Something like 160HP

Correct me if I'm wrong.

Edit, OK Ok so it's 190. but that's only about 140 RWHP.

It actually has ~160-168 rwhp, or about 10 more than the 180hp Celica GTS. That much power in a 19xx lb car is enough to propel it through a 1/4 mile in the low 13s if it's driven well, which makes sense considering an RX8 with 10-15 more rwhp and ~1000lbs more weight runs the same distance in the mid-high 14s. The Elise is no slouch in the acceleration department, despite what it's somewhat meager power numbers may lead you to believe.

It actually has ~160-168 rwhp, or about 10 more than the 180hp Celica GTS. That much power in a 19xx lb car is enough to propel it through a 1/4 mile in the low 13s if it's driven well, which makes sense considering an RX8 with 10-15 more rwhp and ~1000lbs more weight runs the same distance in the mid-high 14s. The Elise is no slouch in the acceleration department, despite what it's somewhat meager power numbers may lead you to believe.
Agreed. It may even be higher output, as I've seen dynos from stock Celicas within that whp range.

Nice pics btw, it's funny that the 8 looks so big in those pics.

i love my car, but the elise would kill a rx-8. all the car mags say the thing is ridiculous on a track

Was invited to take a tour of most of southern Indiana today with 4 Elise drivers. Had a BLAST. Unfortunately, it was raining pretty much all day (reason why the cars became so filthy...). But, it was still an amazing drive. I actually had no trouble whatsoever keeping up. :D We did have a couple of mishaps, though. I hit some sort of large animal carcass which ripped up the plastic undertray, and put a dent in the radiator fins... And, the guy in the red Lotus ended up hitting a nasty patch of road and caught a guardrail. Only caused superficial damage (thankfully), but tore up one light and most of his hood. Everyone's perfectly fine, though.

Anyways, here are some pics...


Jay and you didn't share?? I think I saw the red one with the black stripes on I-69 this morning. Hope your car is ok...

Galls me that they'd take a Toyota engine, slap a plastic "Lotus Performance" plaque on the cam cover, and sell the car for that much. Beautiful body, though.
Maybe they realised that the 2zz engine is a really good engine? Not MANY engines can produce 100hp per liter stock. Even though the 2zz engine is gutless in the low rpm's until it reaches lift (lift = when the cams switch over to a more aggressive set), in a car that weighs around 2000lbs, it makes for a fun car. The 2zz engine was developed by yamaha and toyota uses them. The early engines (2000 - 2002) had weak lift bolts (when you get to a higher rpm, oil pressure presses these lift bolts up letting more air/exhaust come in and out of the engine. The 2003 - 2005 engines had stronger lift bolts, but many complained due to these engines having Drive By Wire which made it impossible to put an aftermarket Chip in the car.



It actually has ~160-168 rwhp, or about 10 more than the 180hp Celica GTS. That much power in a 19xx lb car is enough to propel it through a 1/4 mile in the low 13s if it's driven well, which makes sense considering an RX8 with 10-15 more rwhp and ~1000lbs more weight runs the same distance in the mid-high 14s. The Elise is no slouch in the acceleration department, despite what it's somewhat meager power numbers may lead you to believe.
Actually, though it has 10 more hp, that is crank hp. So it relates to having about 1-2 hp more to the wheels I believe. Also, the 160-168hp is correct for the FWD celica, but in a RWD vehicle more horsepower is lost from crank to the wheels.

Jay and you didn't share?? I think I saw the red one with the black stripes on I-69 this morning. Hope your car is ok...

I told OnRails to PM you and let you know about the drive. I think he said he never received a response. Hope you got the message?? Could've used another 8 out there. :D

And I can assure everyone that the elise is quite noticeably faster in a straight line, at ANY speed. ;) The driver of the red/striped car brought a DVD-camcorder along, so I may be able to post some video if some of it turned out ok.

Maybe they realised that the 2zz engine is a really good engine? Not MANY engines can produce 100hp per liter stock. Even though the 2zz engine is gutless in the low rpm's until it reaches lift (lift = when the cams switch over to a more aggressive set), in a car that weighs around 2000lbs, it makes for a fun car. The 2zz engine was developed by yamaha and toyota uses them. The early engines (2000 - 2002) had weak lift bolts (when you get to a higher rpm, oil pressure presses these lift bolts up letting more air/exhaust come in and out of the engine. The 2003 - 2005 engines had stronger lift bolts, but many complained due to these engines having Drive By Wire which made it impossible to put an aftermarket Chip in the car.
<snip>


I'm not anti-Toyota. I'm sure it's a well-built 4-banger. I'd just have more respect for a Lotus7/Caterham Super 7 rip-off with Toyota badges and that engine in it (at a Toyota price).

I told OnRails to PM you and let you know about the drive. I think he said he never received a response. Hope you got the message?? Could've used another 8 out there. :D


No PM, oh well...next time perhaps, at least these guys want to go driving! It wasn't raining up here like it was down there.

Actually, though it has 10 more hp, that is crank hp. So it relates to having about 1-2 hp more to the wheels I believe. Also, the 160-168hp is correct for the FWD celica, but in a RWD vehicle more horsepower is lost from crank to the wheels.
Technically the drivetrain loss would be similar to FWD because there is no driveshaft to leech power in a MR setup even though it is RWD ;)

chop 1,000 lbs out of an rx8 and see what happens. elsie/exige are nice but they are stripped, totally barebones. they feel like a go cart more than a car.

yeah, they're pretty close to a no nonesense sports car. That's what a lot of people want, including myself at some point.

chop 1,000 lbs out of an rx8 and see what happens. elsie/exige are nice but they are stripped, totally barebones. they feel like a go cart more than a car.
That's pretty much the point of them.

Next time you go send me a pm. It's been too quiet around here. We need to get something lined up.

I don't post much in the forums, since I don't have an RX-8 yet, but since the topic touched on the 2ZZ-GE engine my Matrix has in it, I thought I could say something. :D The engine's not gutless before 6200 RPM, it just has a noticable kick when lift comes in. But the Elise' CPU has been retimed so lift comes in lower and more smoothly, as well as dropping lower during shifting so you don't have to spin the wheels or slip the clutch to stay in lift on the 1-2 shift.

The Matrix runs 15.7ish stock, and the Elise lops 1,000 lbs off of that.

There is no driveshaft, as it uses the same transmission as the Matrix, and simply moves the entire engine/tranny assembly into the rear to drive the rear wheels.

It'd be a cool car if I wasn't taller than 5' 5".

I like the Elise although I like the 2007 models shape better they look like they are getting rid of all the crap that is going on all over the front end, it's too cluttered for me. The 2007 looks more sleek it is a simpler design.

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=43201&highlight=2007+lotus+elise

That is a photoshopped VX220 not the 2007 elise.

EDIT: I just read that thread, I guess m477 was right :p
http://www.pistonheads.com/fastcars/images/vx220-17.jpg

Did I miss read was this in the speed magazine as a photoshop, I'm not challenging your pic but I haven't seen the pic you just showed until now so I'm curious if I didn't read the entire article in the mag. I'm going to look for it now. I'll let you know what I find but I scanned that pic that's why it's grainy.

Here I knew I wasn't imagining things. Why do they look so similar though. I just scanned this out of the mag "Speed" that debut the white supercharged RX8 why would they lie? Do mags usually do that lie just to get hype for their articles, remember I'm asking not being sarcastic, it's hard to tell sometimes on the internet what emotion someone is expressing.

That Opel has been used for years to start rumors. There was talk that it might show up as a Pontiac over here to replace the Fiero.

I can see what your saying! Wow, but do you think that the "Speed" magazine had anything to do with it, I mean they did have the spied Mazdaspeed article on the front cover and this vehicle is a real car.

If I were too get an Elise (which I was thinking about... when they finally get things straightened out her in Canada), theres only one color for me... british racing green.

It'd be a cool car if I wasn't taller than 5' 5".

I actually had a chance to ride in one about a month or two back, and found it quite comfortable (keeping in mind, I had a Miata for 2 1/2 years before purchasing the 8). And I'm 6'3". :D Small frame, but ample seating space. Just INSANELY awkward to get in and out of if you're not in good shape. ;)

Kit car ..........

True it looks like the Bradley GT's that I sold over 20 years ago.


That's one reason I don't like the looks.

Gee if they made it any cheaper you might have to prop the drivers door open with a stick to get in and out.

Kit car ..........

True it looks like the Bradley GT's that I sold over 20 years ago.


That's one reason I don't like the looks.

Gee if they made it any cheaper you might have to prop the drivers door open with a stick to get in and out.

hahah your so brutal! I still like it just too busy on the front end for me.

Ya, that's what I thought of the front end of the 2007.

Still looks nice, but busy.

Interior looks cool, but those things are ugly

An Elise may be in the future for me too, although probably about 10 years in the future. Maybe then I'll have enough money to buy one and a daily driver if I need one of those too. Those Ariel Atoms are looking nice too though.

Interior looks cool, but those things are ugly

they don't have an interior.. you should see what they look like under the dash and down by the pedal etc. it's bare metal.

An Elise may be in the future for me too, although probably about 10 years in the future. Maybe then I'll have enough money to buy one and a daily driver if I need one of those too. Those Ariel Atoms are looking nice too though.


I fully expect to have one of these in 10 years... www.moller.com

I'm not anti-Toyota. I'm sure it's a well-built 4-banger. I'd just have more respect for a Lotus7/Caterham Super 7 rip-off with Toyota badges and that engine in it (at a Toyota price).


Havent had the chance to take out an Elise for a drive but however I do often get to take a Lotus 7 out once in awhile. My friends g-pa has one and we just took it out of his storage garage. Possibly a buildup project for this summer. Ill come back with updates when we find out.

the lotus will pull an 8 on the straight, however with a decent sent of tires the 8 will stay with it in the turns. I know there are some at road atlanta .But look how much money we save! Plus the practicallity. etc. It's just a differant type of car.
olddragger

vectorwolf, I think you blue 8 snuggles in pretty nicely with those guys without looking out of place. I know that was a blast tooling around with em.

I watched an Elise chase a RX8 (rxeightr) around Road Atlanta for about 5 laps before it was able to take it. Maybe it is faster but not that much. I guess you could also blame that on the driver. Actually I have video of it.

sweet car, but good luck with having one as a daily driver, the Elise would be awesome to have as a weekend play/track car but after seeing and sitting in one in person, driving it in traffic every day would wear me out. The 8 may not have the numbers, but the difference is not earth shattering, and we get 4 doors, a/c etc.. in a more livable chassis. Still a sick car though, would love to have the means to own it as a second car or weekender. :)

vectorwolf, I think you blue 8 snuggles in pretty nicely with those guys without looking out of place. I know that was a blast tooling around with em.

I watched an Elise chase a RX8 (rxeightr) around Road Atlanta for about 5 laps before it was able to take it. Maybe it is faster but not that much. I guess you could also blame that on the driver. Actually I have video of it.

Thanks! And yes, it was incredibly fun. :D

The Elise is just a hair faster in a straight line, but I really had no trouble whatsoever keeping up in the corners (even with my worthless front tires...). I'd really say, on a track, that the winner would be decided by the driver. They're both amazing machines. :cool: