New Elise Sprint

[mwmackenzie]

http://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-brit ... rint/35939

Mild face lift and -40KG while I do like it I feel the front clam needs more definition to the vents, to me they look kinds melted? Good to see them stripping weight back off the Elise though! Although looks like most of the weight savings are cost options so just a facelift for an extra £5K?

[rawsco]

Goes round hethel so fast it finishes before it starts.

[tut]

They have taken 40kg off the Elise 250 Cup, that should please buyers who have just bought one.

tut

[rawsco]

Their release cycles are getting shorter than their delivery times. Would I buy a new lotus right now? Probably not as as soon as I stuck a deposit down a new model would launch!

[campbell]

I like it, generally.

And if you priced up my 1999 S1 at 2% inflation p.a., you'd come out around £38k.

So the 1.6 is spot on, in real terms

[Corranga]

Looks good and aiming for weight reduction is a good thing too.

[SAJ]

I like it.

[j2 lot]

less is more

[Jam_s160]

They have taken 40kg off the Elise 250 Cup, that should please buyers who have just bought one.

tut

Always been the same issue year on year tbh. It will be interesting to see if current Cup owners are able to purchase the upgraded light weight parts? I'd be interested in the rear screen for example. I have the Freno carbon discs and pads on order saving 15kg over OEM. Just fitted a 2bular which saved 5kg over OEM. So have 20kg saved. The aero kit when not in carbon weighs a fair bit tbh (rear diffuser is 7.6kg alone). Tony was wise to hold out for the carbon aero kit on his Cup.

the other bits I have such as carbon seats, lighter battery etc. Don't have carbon access panel or roll over cover.

[Jam_s160]

I like the sprint too

[scott_e]

I like the Sprint too , only complaint would be I dont find any of the 1.6 variants appealing.

[campbell]

At 40-50kg less than previous, the 1.6 might just feel a little peppier...

[ryallm]

It is a measure of how relatively little enthusiasm there is left for the existing model Elise that a new variant gets only a few responses on here where the independence debate runs to many pages. I remember when every new S2 Elise tweak would get pages and pages of discussion and everyone poring over the minutiae of the spec. These look like worthwhile updates and I'm sure it will still be great to drive, but as I have said before you can't help feeling Lotus really is flogging a dead horse. In today's market the 1.6 Elise model is woefully underpowered for a 37k car - it wouldn't see which way a Golf R went on road or track . The all new Elise can't come soon enough.

[Scuffers]

LOL!

Lotus reduced to quoting dry weights now?

and just to recap, it's new 1.6 engine is 134Bhp and 118Lbft.

So, compared to the 1996 S1 with it's 1.8K engine, it's +100Kg's (14%+) heavier, +16Bhp, -4Lbft, and £37,300 (+19,300)

and yes, I am a grumpy old man these days....

[Corranga]

LOL!

Lotus reduced to quoting dry weights now?

and just to recap, it's new 1.6 engine is 134Bhp and 118Lbft.

So, compared to the 1996 S1 with it's 1.8K engine, it's +100Kg's (14%+) heavier, +16Bhp, -4Lbft, and £37,300 (+19,300)

and yes, I am a grumpy old man these days....

That's not terrible though is it. 14% more weight and meeting modern safety regulations. and 14% more power.
Money isn't quite the same due to inflation of course.
I mean, I guess you could apply inflation to weight, I certainly weigh, probably 14% more than I did in 1996, but using a randomly selected via google inflation calculator, 18,000 in 1996 is 31,860 today - though from what I gather, it wasn't 18k for long, and 18k would only be buying you a base spec one with cloth etc - I suspect this does better..

The real question is equality (or such a similarity) good enough in today's market - and how does it drive