New Elise Sprint

[ryallm]

I've said this for many years over on Seloc, but I still wish Lotus would follow some sort of easy remove / modularity approach (sorry my LEGO heritage/back bone coming through) to it fast road / track specific cars. Nobody is doing this... On a number of occasions ive removed all the unnecessary bits for track days such as battery cover, stereo head unit, plastic trim, carpets, engine cover and even the passenger seat... just for track days usually. The minor weight saving is noticeable & inconvenient to do currently. I’m sure other things could be plug/play removed but I have not explored. Have a handy bag to slot it all into / store either on track or at your garage before leaving. Then put it all back in for the weekly drive or commute or Sunday drive in comfort. Don’t mind weight as long as it can be removed for track fun.

.[/quote]

Interesting idea, but you have to ask this: can you honestly tell the difference in handling between the start of a track day when you have a full tank of fuel and the end when it is near empty? I am not sure I could - a full tank of fuel in an Elise must be about 30kg.

[Jam_s160]

I've said this for many years over on Seloc, but I still wish Lotus would follow some sort of easy remove / modularity approach (sorry my LEGO heritage/back bone coming through) to it fast road / track specific cars. Nobody is doing this... On a number of occasions ive removed all the unnecessary bits for track days such as battery cover, stereo head unit, plastic trim, carpets, engine cover and even the passenger seat... just for track days usually. The minor weight saving is noticeable & inconvenient to do currently. I’m sure other things could be plug/play removed but I have not explored. Have a handy bag to slot it all into / store either on track or at your garage before leaving. Then put it all back in for the weekly drive or commute or Sunday drive in comfort. Don’t mind weight as long as it can be removed for track fun.

.

Interesting idea, but you have to ask this: can you honestly tell the difference in handling between the start of a track day when you have a full tank of fuel and the end when it is near empty? I am not sure I could - a full tank of fuel in an Elise must be about 30kg.[/quote]



Totally understand / share your thoughts... my thinking / feedback would be as follows. I most certainly feel the difference with a passenger (weighing 65-90kg). So from a product concept point of view I would suggest the car needs to target that area of weight saving when removing components for track days. Pretty tough target tbh... Aside from weight saving, its simply a very different way to develop and create a new experience thats different from competitors. So "might" create other innovations that benefit this area or add value not thought about. The added value is not just in innovating with light weight but experience around owning such a car. Such as... i could buy a car with both the race/track day kit alongside comfort/commuting kit. Two bags of components to swap over. Creating a "fun" sense of occasion where i can change the car experience myself.

Currently I have to specify such choices at order and end up with a blurred mess being torn on whether to be more comfortable commuting/sunday runs or hardcore track day fun. Why cant i have both as I want both? and pick & choose when needed?

I see our cars as not just performance & light weight, but fun sense of occasion too. Im missing the latter part to the offer...

all good fun...

[woody]

Mark...Seeing which way a Golf R went in an Elise 1.6 is not really the point IMHO. The Evora NA is a brilliant car and bought 2nd hand, amazing VFM. It wouldn't see which way a Golf R went either. Especially in the rain...

Of course you are right in some ways - the Elise has always been more about handling delicacy and driver involvement than outright pace. However, the point is that the whole market has moved on massively in performance but the base Elise really hasn't. In 1996 the hottest hot hatches had about 160bhp - now there any number of 300bhp+ hatchbacks, with Audi and Merc taking the game on to 400bhp. I expect the all new Elise will have at least a turbo 1.6 in the base car with over 200bhp, possibly with a hotter 2 litre turbo further up the range. It will be interesting to see where the engines come from though - any number of suitable lumps from GM, Ford or VW, but I am not sure what Toyota has available?

Not sure I could ever see a turbocharged powerplant in a lotus. TC cars require an intercooler, intercoolers need piping, ducting and moved in a good air stream, something the current platform struggles with. All in its not really worth it as you end up lugging round a heavy hot heatsoaked mess that isn't making anywhere near the power it should. That's without going into how the power is deliverd, TC gives a peak to output which in a lightweight, mid engined sports car with limited/no driver aids is less than ideal.

The current SC Elises are charge cooled.

[111Robin]

Nothing has changed since the early days of the S1. After buying mine (12 month wait) rumours started going around that a VVC version was on the cards. When i asked Murray's they categorically said it wouldn't happen as Rover wouldn't release the VVC engine to them. A few months later........ Again when i bought a 111R Lotus said they wouldn't be able to release an SC version due to the intercooler location. So a year later i was in an SC. Those days are gone for me now though but i can understand their strategy in trying to persuade owners to keep "upgrading". When all is said and done, I'd rather be driving an Elise with 118bhp than a 300+ hot hatch any day.

[BiggestNizzy]

Nothing has changed since the early days of the S1. After buying mine (12 month wait) rumours started going around that a VVC version was on the cards. When i asked Murray's they categorically said it wouldn't happen as Rover wouldn't release the VVC engine to them. A few months later........ Again when i bought a 111R Lotus said they wouldn't be able to release an SC version due to the intercooler location. So a year later i was in an SC. Those days are gone for me now though but i can understand their strategy in trying to persuade owners to keep "upgrading". When all is said and done, I'd rather be driving an Elise with 118bhp than a 300+ hot hatch any day.

That was my thinking when as I watched top gear last night, Why have a 2 seater gold when you could have an elise

[Rosssco]

Mark...Seeing which way a Golf R went in an Elise 1.6 is not really the point IMHO. The Evora NA is a brilliant car and bought 2nd hand, amazing VFM. It wouldn't see which way a Golf R went either. Especially in the rain...

Of course you are right in some ways - the Elise has always been more about handling delicacy and driver involvement than outright pace. However, the point is that the whole market has moved on massively in performance but the base Elise really hasn't. In 1996 the hottest hot hatches had about 160bhp - now there any number of 300bhp+ hatchbacks, with Audi and Merc taking the game on to 400bhp. I expect the all new Elise will have at least a turbo 1.6 in the base car with over 200bhp, possibly with a hotter 2 litre turbo further up the range. It will be interesting to see where the engines come from though - any number of suitable lumps from GM, Ford or VW, but I am not sure what Toyota has available?

Not sure I could ever see a turbocharged powerplant in a lotus. TC cars require an intercooler, intercoolers need piping, ducting and moved in a good air stream, something the current platform struggles with. All in its not really worth it as you end up lugging round a heavy hot heatsoaked mess that isn't making anywhere near the power it should. That's without going into how the power is deliverd, TC gives a peak to output which in a lightweight, mid engined sports car with limited/no driver aids is less than ideal.

Don't forget the Europa / VX220T were TC from the factory, and work pretty reliably in standard to lightly tuned specification (~250bhp) so there's no reason a more modern TC drivetrain could not do the same, or even better. Desirable power delivery is of course open to debate, but modern TC engines employing the latest technology and engine control features can provide very smooth torque curves and are very 'drivable'. Of course they may not give the absolute response and aural pleasure as a N/A engine, but the traditional view of TC engines having power response and 'on/off' torque delivery is quite a few years off.. Who Lotus would buy such a drivetrain package from (Toyota have went down the petrol hybrid route) is another question.