Lotus Elise

I had thought the Elise was in the class ahead of the Nissan Zs, with the Corvettes and Vipers. There was much to complain about (against the big cars) on elisetalk when some guys were saying it didn't matter how fast you took a corner when at the end of a front straight you would be passed by a Viper doing 170mph to your 120.

The engine power is definitely something to consider, also the Zs and Mustangs can be stripped when there really isn't all that much you can take out of the Elise!

Body damage another problem. VERY expensive on the cars, and one dent in the front requires the whole front clam to be replaced, at a cost into the thousands. Better hope your opponents are careful...

 

"VERY expensive on the cars, and one dent in the front requires the whole front clam to be replaced, at a cost into the thousands."

I know up here in Canada a front clam costs $4000CDN and is a real pain to mask and paint.

 

Go to http://sccaforums.com/forums/thread/228889.aspx - an Elise competed in the first race at Homestead - not sure when it's raced since, but I think it has.

 

The 2006 British GT Championship had a Lotus Exige run by "Lotus Sport Cadena" in the GT3 class, it won the class in its 1st year. It's been proven capable of taking on and beating the likes of the Aston Martin DRRS9, Porsche 997 GT3 cup, Dodge Viper GT3 and the Ascari GT3 to name a few. These are all cars which come with significantly higher horsepower of course! But due to the Lotus's very low kerb weight off 750 kg and output off 285 bhp the power/weight ratio is matching the big boys at 380bhp/per ton, making for a balanced lineup.
The Sport Exige GT3, developed by Lotus Sport, is a direct motorsport derivative of the highly successful Lotus Exige S road car (Elise Coupe).
It also has the Toyota 1.8 litre engine but this time supercharged and intercooled (as in the Exige S road car).

I saw a many races of the 2006 champ, including the rounds at the Sliverstone F1 GP circuit ( a power track ), and you could clearly see the cornering and breaking advantage the little lotus had. And i was suprised how little it was hunted down on long straights, purely due to its highter exit speeds and later breaking points....

http://www.lotussportcadena.com

http://www.britishgt.com

 

the exige gt3 car is possibly the ultimate iteration of the elise/exige platform. not really a fair comparison to the entry model elise. the GT3 car is making about 100hp more and is actually a slightly different car all over, including body panels and shape. it makes better downforce, etc....and probably a more important consideration in this equation: cost. an 07 exige cup car (the closest you'll get in the US to a GT3 car) runs almost double the cost of a slightly used elise -- and it's 255hp, not 285 like the GT3 car.

 

Elise is classified T2. I would not consider racing it in that trim, as my helmet will not fit through the window aperture with the door closed. Sorry, but if I can't climb out of a car in full battle gear and the door jammed shut, I am not racing it.

I am building a track Elise sans windshield and top and will probably add an SCCA-eligible cage so I can screw around in an IT or maybe production class.

Not sure how competitive it would be.

 

You can pick up a used Elise for low 30s...

 

buy this car for $20k and add a coldside supercharger for $4k and you'll be flying with about 200 RWHP and 1400 lbs, fully independant suspension, lsd,....

BT
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

I'd like to see you hammer fibreglass .

 

I think they had another use than hammering their OWN cars. . .

 

I know too little abouthte Boxster S to comment - it might be a good choice

 

I had an Elise for a while and tracked it some. It was fun, but very little grunt. I still can't figure where the acceleration numbers come from. After I sold it, I had occasion to be on a track with two others when I was in my bone stock Subie STI. The Subie doesn't handle quite as well, but the extra power made it pretty easy to overtake the Loti, even on short straights. I'm sure the Exige is a much more potent track weapon and I would not mind having one except, IMO, they cost too much for a car that is barely tolerable on the road.

Dave

 

Dave, the Loti drivers could not drive. I have never had even the most hotrodded STI or Evo run with my Elise, although the Elise could use more horsepower

 

Perhaps, but I'm no pro either.

Dave

 

Keith, I would be curious to see how fast you could get an STI around MSR. You are so fast on that track I am not sure how any car does in comparison to what you are driving is a valid comparison on the capabilities of either car.

 

Don't forget that you are at big altitude up here in Colorado and that the NA Lotus loses a larger percentage of its power compared to the turbo STI at this elevation.