Road and Track 1st Test Drive of Lotus Elise
 

damn it i just ruined my pants :D

The one they test drove is NOT the US spec.

man... that car is sick with 160hp... add on another 30 (that's a huge percentage increase) and this thing is going to rock the US sports car market like the FD RX-7 did back in '93... all i have to say: it's about time. :D

I love that car... but imagine this now.....






Put a RENESIS into it instead of the Celica engine..

*drool*

BUT, will they sell them in Canada? :( I wish they would have used one of the Honda 2.0 powerplants.. more hp/torque and smoother power delivery.

Re: Road and Track 1st Test Drive of Lotus Elise
 

You are so excited that you couldn't even write anything, except pasting the link?! :D

So, did you sign up for it? your better come down to TX for a test drive, man!

Re: Re: Road and Track 1st Test Drive of Lotus Elise
 

I was feeling like Supercharger today, you know sort of like a robotic android. :o


Well, I'm not going to be on board for the first year, but perhaps in a couple of years.

I'll take an F20C. :p

I thought that was pre-production 190 HP VVT-I powered version?

I could live with that too :)

That's what I was about to say. Imagine a K20A2 in that sucka! The motor can't be much more $$ than the inferior Celica GT-S piece.

The Toyota engine is 190bhp, but weighs a lot more than the Uk K series engine:(

There is a company (in US and UK) that does honda F20C conversions, is about £10k here in UK, on a £10-12k second hand elise S1, makes a beast of a car.

Lotus couldnt use the honda for a few reasons, probably if honda would supply it it would be way to expensive.

Theres also a 13b conversion somewhere in Germany, goes well aparently :)

It'd be the ideal car to mount the renesis in, very light, I think it is probably similar weight to the 1.8k in the UK car, but twice the power. And that flat torque curve, high reving renesis would be superb in an elise. Ruin its great MPG figures tho :)

"front: 16x5-1/2 w/ 175/55-16
rear: 17x7-1/2 w/ 225/45-17"

That looks bad. Waaaaay to safe, understeer hell on an elise, know the S1 was good for backwards cornering but thats just way to safe.


Also 1975llbs? The UK spec is 1650. I know the engine is 100llb's hevier than Uk car. Wheres the rest from? 200llbs for air bags n stuff?Far to heavy for the car. not what chapman would have liked.

I read the article and it says it is not the US version.

The car had to get permision to be marketted with no bumpers, so I suspect it won't be available in Canada :( Just like the MR2

One concern is that the Elise also comes with the Toyota's 6-speed transmission. On the Celica, reviewers have complained about it.

Example from Edmunds
"Even the six-speed transmission is problematic. It's quick-shifting, but the action is notchy and it's easy to select a wrong gear unless extra concentration is applied."

I wonder why they didn't go with the latest Integra Type-R engine? Sun International did with their version of the Elise (Series I) using an Integra Type-R 200 hp engine.

The new Elise is 200lbs heavier than the Sun version with less power but does cost about 15k more.

http://www.caranddriver.com/article....rticle_id=3417

Lotus probably would have liked to go with the honda, having 3rd party proved honda conversions already running.

It'll be supply or cost that stoped the deal, most likely cost, knowing lotus, those river K's are cheap as chips.

The toyota in the Elise will be the UK/euro spec close ration gearbox, different to the US supplied one I think.

Saying that though, the K series gearbox has always been bad, and hasnt stoped sales of the car.

Federal elise should come in at under a ton (1000kg) , but barely. I guess the Toyota engine (and ancilery extra oil coolers etc), AC, airbag etc adds on the pounds.

here is a link to a site with a few elise videos.

http://www.furiousgeorge.co.uk/elise/

the car sam mitani tested is *essentially* the us version. the only differences are that the exhaust will have twin center outlets so the rear lower valance will look slightly different, and our wheels might not be black. mechanically it's identical to our version, w/ the toyota 190-hp engine and 6-speed tranny, as well as comfort stuff like a/c and radio. so, it's pretty much what we're getting, unless they make some changes b/t now and april :D

so I guess no Elise in Canada then.. fuk.. just like the EVO and MR2.. :mad:

nice videos
fishsauce

well...I got the link from www.elisetalk.com . They have a lot of info on elises because a number of them live overseas and actually own that fantastic little car.

Great car, but
 

I read somewhere in either CAR, EVO, or Top Gear at B&N last month where some former F1 drivers drove a bunch of cars including the Elise and some other really pricey "unobtaniums" to try to determine the best handling car in the UK. If my memory isn't failing me, I swear they picked the Miata!!!!

Maybe some UK posters can confirm/deny this???

The miata won its class, I dont think it was in the same class as the elsie or any of the exotica.

Results were in part posted on here somewhere, try a search.

The miata wont beat an elise round a track (stock for stock - or modified likewise). But its handling is safer and more predictable.

Especialy with the series 1 elise (they tuned out some oversteer with s2) a lot of people, even experienced elise drivers, wrote them off at very low speeds on bends. There great cars, but can be very snappy if theres poor traction, and with that ali tub, any serious damage to suspension and the whole tub needs replacing - i.e. writeoff. Its not a quick or cheap fix either, tub is £6k, total deal is around £12k for a complete rebuild, goo dnews is once done it'll be better than it came out of the factory.

Re Elise
 

The article I read wasn't talking about "winning a class". Simply, the drivers agreed that the Miata was "the best handling car in the UK", not the fastest, pulled the most G's, etc.. They said some things like it was the most fun to drive, easiest to drive, can live with it, etc., ergo, the "best handling." I don't think you saw the same story I did. I'm sure there are op opinions. This was just one article in one mag, albeit the testers were former F1 drivers. I have no doubts that the Elise will prove a superb handler and "muy mucho rapido", but it won't be good as a daily driver on our crap-ass roads!