Old thread expired: http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=565446Car and Driver Lightning Lap 2009:http://www.caranddriver.com/features/09q4/the_lightning_lap_2009-feature/ll3_3a_2009_lotus_exige_s_260_sport_3e_3_3a05.0_page_18Lotus Exige S260 bests both the 911S and the Cayman S at VIR. Not bad, considering they could have used the 9k cheaper S240 and had the same results.Good to see the car mags using the non-base models for comparison shootouts. I was still pretty amazed how well both Corvettes did in the article, and it's good to see the new M3 still holds it's own as well.
1/18/2010 6:00:55 PM
because a mod can't bump it
1/18/2010 6:02:29 PM
beats them on grand west, sure. There's decided nimbleness sections that the heavier and wider cars just can't manage as well. I'll pull up the video later and see what a 167k mile miata w/ basic suspension and street tires pulled. Lack of power (and skill) probably killed me a good bit. 3:41 with a couple slow corners. [Edited on January 18, 2010 at 6:50 PM. Reason : slow]
1/18/2010 6:27:57 PM
^The higher power and higher weight cars dominated that comparison though. If it really rewarded nimbleness and lightness, the Lotus and Atom/X-Bow would have absolutely dominated.
1/18/2010 6:48:51 PM
once again, a prime opportunity wasted
1/18/2010 6:58:13 PM
^^ The other cars that are faster also just have immense grip (not to mention insane power to weight advantages) and were able to get through the spiral really well. I am really surprised at how poorly the Porsche's did in that section.The Ariel and the KTM were fast because of the tires they had on the and the lack of weight. It made up for the lack of power with that stuff. Also look at what tires those two come with, along with the Lotus.[Edited on January 18, 2010 at 7:02 PM. Reason : ]
1/18/2010 7:02:21 PM
The Lotus uses the stock OEM wheels and tires. Yokohama AO48's on 6.5"x17"F/6.5"x18"R wheels I believe. Most people run 7x15/7x16 or 7.5" wide rims on Toyo R888's for the track which would have made a big difference.The Ariel and KTM only lost because of their non-existant aero. They have insano power-weight and acceleration stats. If you want to talk tires, the Corvette really is in unfair territory. The Eagle F1's that come on vette's have been some of the best OEM tires ever produced, for as long as I can remember. I had F1's on my '84 corvette and they were absolutely incredible tires (not to mention wide as hell).
1/18/2010 7:52:55 PM
the A048 is still an r-compound tire and will grip better than the true street tires the other cars in question run. The Atom runs the same yokos, KTM on R888s.The F1 runflats suck, regular F1 supercars are very nice.semantics, I'd drive the hell out of any of them.[Edited on January 18, 2010 at 9:20 PM. Reason : asdf]
1/18/2010 9:20:13 PM
^Both the Grandsport and ZR-1, I believe, come with the F1 supercars.And the AO48 is a pretty mediocre tire, especially in the tiny 195 contact patch. I get better performance out of the Toyo R4 Proxes, which are decidedly all-weather tires.
1/18/2010 10:33:58 PM
More crazy shit. This is Ronin's car. It uses a compound charger system (turbo + supercharger) to deliver 550rwhp. Fucking nutso. Sounds amazing too. This guy has gone through probably 10 different engine configurations on this car in the past 2-3 years.
1/20/2010 9:40:39 PM
http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2010/04/2011-lotus-elise-gets-smaller-1-6-liter-engine-47-mpg-sort-of.html2011 Lotus Elise Gets Smaller 1.6-Liter Engine, 47 MPG (Sort of)Lotus first showed the updated styling of the 2011 Elise model at the Geneva Auto Show earlier this year, but now the company has released some big powertrain changes and impressive new fuel economy numbers. Gone is the old 1.8-liter 4-cylinder in favor of a 1ZR-FAE 1.6-liter Toyota engine with Valvematic and Dual VVT-I. It makes 134-hp and 118 ft-lbs of torque and when paired to a six-speed manual transmission can hit 62-mph in 6.5 seconds – due mostly to the car’s incredibly low curb weight of just 1,930 lbs..Thanks to the new engine, light weight and some aerodynamic tweaks for 2011, Lotus claims the new Elise can get 56.1 mpg (46.7 mpg U.S.). That number, however, is on the European test cycle, which is far more generous than the EPA numbers here in the U.S. And with just 149 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer, Lotus claims the new Elise is the least polluting gasoline sports car in the world.We’ve contacted Lotus Cars USA to see if the North American Elise will also be getting the new, smaller 1.6-liter engine and will report back as soon as we know. According to Lotus Cars USA PR Head Kevin Smith the North American-spec Elise will continue to use the 1.8-liter 4-cylinder in the 2010 model. I love the look... I do not like the step down in power *sigh*Kinda wierd, because a couple months before this article...http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2010/02/2011-lotus-elise-and-elise-sc-get-new-design-with-improved-aerodynamics.htmlThe 2011 Elise range for the US and Canadian markets will consist of the followingversions:• Lotus Elise – 1.8 liter, 4-cylinder engine with 189 hp and 133 ft.-lbs. of torque• Lotus Elise SC – 1.8 liter supercharged 4-cylinder engine with 218 hp and 156 ft.-lbs.of torqueKey updates and improvements across the 2011 Lotus Elise line:• New evolution body design incorporating new front clamshell, rear bumper andengine cover• New all-in-one integrated headlights incorporating LED daylight running lights andLED direction indicators• Improved aerodynamics with a four percent reduction in Coefficient of Drag (Cd),resulting in better fuel economy• New standard cast and available forged wheelsHmm.. Maybe the European market is the only one to have the 1.6L engine while the US sticks with the same 1.8?[Edited on April 18, 2010 at 9:18 PM. Reason : .]
4/18/2010 9:14:37 PM
Old news, but still, I thought I'd share...
6/11/2010 5:19:26 AM
6/11/2010 7:11:09 AM
That Toyota V6 engine blows. I'm not sure if I can think of a worse (performance oriented) V6 sold in the US market. They should either up the boost or install a larger I-4 engine. Throwing a V6 back there will just screw up weight distribution.
6/11/2010 9:19:20 AM
The service weight of the 2ZZ-GE (190hp/133tq) in the Elise is ~265lbs. The supercharger setup in the Exige S240 (240hp/170tq) is an additional ~75lbs, totaling to ~340lbs.The service weight of the 2GR-FE (276hp/252tq) in the Evora is ~360lbs. The 2GR-FSE in the IS350 (306hp/277tq) weighs in at ~380lbs.Something to consider with the 2GR-FE, wikipedia states:
6/11/2010 1:42:21 PM
Well put...but what about all that additional torque? Might need to use beefier drivetrain components. (though I suppose that would also hold true for a more powerful I4).Anyone see this month's C&D with the Evora going head to head with the Corvette GS and Cayman S? Wasn't pretty.
6/11/2010 1:45:54 PM
Yeah, torque is going to be an issue... There's already an aftermarket gearing kit for the Elise/Exige transmissions which beef up the gears and provide slightly closer ratios. I'm sure Lotus will beef up internals. I'm just curious if they are going to reinforce the chassis, and if so, how much more weight that will add to the mix. Discuss C&D results... I'm very curious Pat.I talked to Mike Silberman over at Lotus of Durham about a month ago... I sat in the Evora, which I must say in an incredibly comfortable vehicle. I love the looks; very unique, exotic, and professional/classy. He offered a test drive in an S240, however, I just don't have the time to check one out at the moment. Ironic, there's a Type72 Elise for sale there, the same one that I started the Exotic Spotted Thread with...^^^I meant 20lbs, which would probably result in minimal change to the weight dist. [Edited on June 11, 2010 at 2:16 PM. Reason : .]
6/11/2010 1:57:46 PM
They bashed the Evora's low power engine and hated the shifter, describing it as "agricultural". They also mentioned the exhaust note as "flat and anonymous". It's not cool to have a glaringly pedestrian drivetrain in an $80k car. They praised the handling as being the best in feel; however by the numbers it wasn't as good as the Corvette or Cayman. Slowest to 60 of the 3 and the only car in the 13s in the 1/4 mile.For having the most expensive base price by over $12,000 it's not very impressive. Oh, but it did have the best gas mileage (19 to the Cayman's 18 lol).[Edited on June 11, 2010 at 2:33 PM. Reason : y]
6/11/2010 2:32:41 PM
I don't see the market comparison between a Corvette or Cayman and the Evora.The former are BOTH 2 seat coupe sports cars intended for weekend warrior track usage.The Evora is a 2+2 Gran Tourer. It's mean't to compete with the 911, with Maserati, with Aston Martin and with Ferrari.The Evora is NOT and was never intended to be a supercar track beast. It's a 2+2 GT car, which means it's comfortable, reliable, roomy and it gives the owner the FEELING of being in a fast as nuts car.We've already seen track prepped version of the Evora (much akin to the Porsche GT2/GT3), but we all know that everyone dreams of the beast and buys the baby. This is how human brains work, and it's how sports car companies sell cars. Need look no further than the success of the Boxster, Cayman, Corvette, BMW 3/5 series to see this in action.If you want a track monster, the Exige is the car today, and the Esprit will be the car tomorrow.
6/11/2010 5:34:19 PM
6/11/2010 7:08:03 PM
I know Noen has always said that decent Sevens can be had for very affordable prices...I've never seen any good ones for sale at the kinds of prices he talks about.Where would one look, besides eBay and Craigslist, for a Seven (or something similar)?[Edited on June 12, 2010 at 4:58 PM. Reason : in America]
6/12/2010 4:52:19 PM
6/12/2010 5:22:47 PM
6/14/2010 9:54:48 AM
8/30/2010 4:10:34 PM
Lotus of Durham closed. Went last weekend and it's now an Equus Dealership... I guess Equus is to Hyundai as Infiniti is to Nissan...
2/24/2011 5:12:10 AM
That's pretty odd b/c Hyundai is not creating a separate brand for it's luxury cars. The Equus and Genesis will always be Hyundais.
2/24/2011 9:44:32 AM
^ I'll be the first to admit I don't know crap about Korean cars. I was approached by a salesman as I drove through the lot (not that his word is golden) and that's how he described it. I saw an "Equus" Genesis and Genesis coupe... Grill kinda reminded me of the previous Mits. Lancers..
2/24/2011 7:09:40 PM
Very strange. B/c there's no such thing (officially at least) as an Equus Genesis or Equus Genesis Coupe. There's the Equus sedan (V8 only), the Genesis sedan (V6 or V8) and Genesis coupe (I4 turbo or V6).I'll stop taking this thread off track now...
2/25/2011 8:42:27 AM
sounds like the salesman was talking out of his ass
2/25/2011 10:33:27 AM
Bye Bye Elise/Exige
4/20/2011 2:16:09 PM
sounds like these will go up in value now. maybe a good time to pick up one for those that can live with it.
4/20/2011 2:51:35 PM
This is upsetting. What about a K20 powerplant instead?
4/20/2011 3:50:37 PM
^Lotus won't pay for all the retooling and federal government certification needed in order to sell the existing model for another 2-3 years. New model comes out in 2015 so until then nothing.
4/20/2011 3:54:49 PM
^^^ They already bring STUPID prices on the used market...I'd love to have one, but they just won't depreciate and this isn't going to help.
4/20/2011 6:42:37 PM
Since asian drivers are just about the only people that can fit in those tiny vehicles, I say this is a good thing. We all know how horrible asian drivers are... Thoughts?
4/20/2011 7:03:28 PM
^^I'm pretty sure all 2012 cars sold in the US have to have stability control standard (i agree it's lame)
4/20/2011 11:26:24 PM
it seems like you can find one fairly easily for mid 20s
4/21/2011 10:36:27 AM
^yeah for a 2005, or 2006 N/A Elise.But everyone now wants the 07+ Elise S/C or an Exige 240/260 all of which go for considerably more.Here's hoping this keeps prices up. Now owned my Exige for 3.5 years, and put ~20k miles on it, and it's only depreciated about 4,000 bucks. Cant wait for summer to get to Seattle, so I can pull the top off
4/22/2011 4:08:13 AM
it will now that all the loti are fat asses you're car will remain a rare snippet of awesomeness.
4/22/2011 6:41:12 AM
Ttt
12/20/2011 11:23:31 AM
So I tried to go to lotustalk.com today... It was fine yesterday but now [Edited on December 20, 2011 at 11:26 AM. Reason : .]
12/20/2011 11:26:15 AM
2011 Elise SC Torsional Rigidity: 10,500 Nm/degree2006 Cayman S Torsional Rigidity: 31,500 Nm/degree 2008 RX-8 Torsional Rigidity: 30,000 Nm/degree 2006 MX-5 Miata Torsional Rigidity: 8800Nm/degree[Edited on December 21, 2011 at 9:22 AM. Reason : .]
12/21/2011 9:16:16 AM
S2000 torsional rigidity: 22,000 Nm/degree
12/21/2011 10:26:15 AM
Wow. That's extremely impressive!
12/21/2011 2:57:51 PM
X-bone frame baby!
12/21/2011 4:34:04 PM
hey that's what my 57 t-bird's frame looks like... cept it's I beams instead of unibody. Seriously though... i want that turbine powered 7 replica.
12/21/2011 5:39:53 PM
C5 Z06: 17,200 Nm/deg(24 Hz)
12/21/2011 7:46:58 PM
Alfa 159 - 31.400Nm/degreeAston Martin DB9 Coupe 27,000 Nm/degAston Martin DB9 Convertible 15,500 Nm/degAston Martin Vanquish 28,500 Nm/degAudi TT Coupe 19,000 Nm/degBugatti EB110 - 19,000 Nm/degreeBMW E36 Touring 10,900 Nm/degBMW E36 Z3 5,600 Nm/degBMW E46 Sedan (w/o folding seats) 18,000 Nm/degBMW E46 Sedan (w/folding seats) 13,000 Nm/degBMW E46 Wagon (w/folding seats) 14,000 Nm/degBMW E46 Coupe (w/folding seats) 12,500 Nm/degBMW E46 Convertible 10,500 Nm/degBMW X5 (2004) - 23,100 Nm/degreeBMW E90: 22,500 Nm/degBMW Z4 Coupe, 32,000Nm/degreeBMW Z4 Roadster: 14,500 Nm/degBugatti Veyron - 60,000 Nm/degreeChrysler Crossfire 20,140 Nm/degChrysler Durango 6,800 Nm/degChevrolet Corvette C5 9,100 Nm/degDodge Viper Coupe 7,600 Nm/degFerrari 360 Spider 8,500 Nm/degFord GT: 27,100 Nm/degFord GT40 MkI 17,000 Nm/degFord Mustang 2003 16,000 Nm/degFord Mustang 2005 21,000 Nm/degFord Mustang Convertible (2003) 4,800 Nm/degFord Mustang Convertible (2005) 9,500 Nm/degJaguar X-Type Sedan 22,000 Nm/degJaguar X-Type Estate 16,319 Nm/degKoenigsegg - 28.100 Nm/degreeLambo Murcielago 20,000 Nm/degLotus Elan 7,900 Nm/degLotus Elan GRP body 8,900 Nm/degLotus Elise 10,000 Nm/degLotus Elise 111s 11,000 Nm/degLotus Esprit SE Turbo 5,850 Nm/degMaserati QP - 18.000 nm/degreeMcLaren F1 13,500 Nm/degMercedes SL - With top down 17,000 Nm/deg, with top up 21,000 Nm/degMini (2003) 24,500 Nm/degPagani Zonda C12 S 26,300 Nm/degPagani Zonda F - 27,000 Nm/degreePorsche 911 Turbo (2000) 13,500 Nm/degPorsche 959 12,900 Nm/degPorsche Carrera GT - 26,000Nm/degreeRolls-Royce Phantom - 40,500 Nm/degreeVolvo S60 20,000 Nm/degAudi A2: 11,900 Nm/degAudi A8: 25,000 Nm/degAudi TT: 10,000 Nm/deg (22Hz)Golf V GTI: 25,000 Nm/degChevrolet Cobalt: 28 HzFerrari 360: 1,474 kgm/degree (bending: 1,032 kg/mm)Ferrari 355: 1,024 kgm/degree (bending: 727 kg/mm)Ferrari 430: supposedly 20% higher than 360Renault Sport Spider: 10,000 Nm/degreeVolvo S80: 18,600 Nm/degKoenigsegg CC-8: 28,100 Nm/degPorsche 911 Turbo 996: 27,000 Nm/degPorsche 911 Turbo 996 Convertible: 11,600 Nm/degPorsche 911 Carrera Type 997: 33,000 Nm/degLotus Elise S2 Exige (2004): 10,500 Nm/degVolkswagen Fox: 17,941 Nm/degVW Phaeton - 37,000 Nm/degreeVW Passat (2006) - 32,400 Nm/degreeFerrari F50: 34,600 Nm/degLambo Gallardo: 23000 Nm/degMazda Rx-8: 30,000 Nm/degMazda Rx-7: ~15,000 Nm/degMazda RX8 - 30,000 Nm/degreeSaab 9-3 Sportcombi - 21,000 Nm/degreeOpel Astra - 12,000 Nm/degreeLand rover Freelander 2 - 28,000 Nm/degreeLamborghini Countach 2,600 Nm/degFord Focus 3d 19.600 Nm/degFord Focus 5d 17.900 Nm/deg
12/21/2011 9:42:11 PM
I don't buy that rigidity for a C5, even if they were talking about a regular one instead of a Z06. Hell, even a convertible should be more rigid than that.
12/21/2011 9:44:03 PM
i copied it from some forum without source link....it's about as accurate as stock market predictions
12/21/2011 9:52:13 PM