Thoughts on the North American Lotus Elise

[Egg Nog]

According to Road and Track, this Elise is slated to out-do the European versions and comes with the powerful, reliable, high-revving, Toyota VVT-i 1.8 litre tuned to 190hp. Toyota has also made a deal with Lotus to allow them use of the Celica GT-S 6-speed trans(mission/axle).

Looks to be a winner. If it comes to Canada, it's time to save everything I make and sell everything I own. Other than that, I can't completely decide on a colour. I think I'll take mine in yellow, red, or blue

[Batmobile_Turbo]

definately be a rival for the vette, viper, and esperante

[crisis]

Not that makes sense. Build a go cart and put a decent engine in it.

[crisis]

Originally posted by crisis
Now that makes sense. Build a go cart and put a decent engine in it.

sorry

[Egg Nog]

What? You apologise to yourself? I'm confused


Call the Elise what you want, but you really can't argue with 0-60 in 4.8 seconds and quarter mile times faster than a Corvette Z06 and (according to Road and Track times) just as fast as a Murcielago.

Wow.

[crisis]

Originally posted by Egg Nog
What? You apologise to yourself? I'm confused


Call the Elise what you want, but you really can't argue with 0-60 in 4.8 seconds and quarter mile times faster than a Corvette Z06 and (according to Road and Track times) just as fast as a Murcielago.

Wow.

OK I'll apologise for confusing you. I originally wrote "Not that makes sense" when meant "now that makes sense". Now does that make sense. This issue has been done to death but if your up for it here we go. Firstly, I did not mean the term "go cart" to be derogatory. The Elise is however, fairly basic and designed to be light and manouvarable. It is limited by its size to accomodate a small engine. Putting an English Rover hunk of shit in it does not fill me with inspiration. I imagine it is based on some ancient block out of an English horror. Any Japanese 4 cylinder would have to be an improvement. Tha fact that it has such impressive acceleration is of course purely a result of its light weight, not the thundering 100 or so KW of power its motor produces. From what Ive seen the 0-100kmh times are 5 seconds for the Elise and 4 seconds for the Z06. I would think that it is equally as impressive that the Corvette is faster despite weighing twice as much as the Elise. Its all a matter of perspective.

[Egg Nog]

Originally posted by crisis
Putting an English Rover hunk of shit in it does not fill me with inspiration. I imagine it is based on some ancient block out of an English horror. Any Japanese 4 cylinder would have to be an improvement. Tha fact that it has such impressive acceleration is of course purely a result of its light weight, not the thundering 100 or so KW of power its motor produces.

The North American-spec Elise produces 143KW and does 0-60 in 4.8 according to Road and Track.

I see what you're saying, but I find it the Elise much more impressive. To a sports car engineer, it is much more difficult to make an extremely lightweight car than it is to create one with loads of power.

If you ask me, size matters, as well as what you do with it. In this case, however, smaller size is better.

I think it's the only car that can go from 0-60 in under 5 seconds while getting the same fuel economy as a Toyota Tercel

[Alfahollic]

The idea of having a lightwieght car with little grunt isnt my idea of performance, especially with a Jap engine.. Id much rather have a tunned v6,v8 or v12.

[RS6]

I'll tell you one thing. That lotus will be faster around a track than the Corvette due to light weight and good handling.

[SL500]

Originally posted by RS6
I'll tell you one thing. That lotus will be faster around a track than the Corvette due to light weight and good handling.

And good 0-60 mph....

[RS6]

A problem America has always had in their cars is handling, which is why the Z8 is a crap handler.

[Egg Nog]

Originally posted by RS6
A problem America has always had in their cars is handling, which is why the Z8 is a crap handler.

That totally didn't make any sense at all. Please explain what you mean.

[RS6]

I mean it isn't very good around the corners and is very hard to keep control unless you're a driving god.

[NoOne]

Recent Corvettes are world class handling cars, I suppose if a track were tight enough the Lotus would really shine ... but when it came to any kind of straightaway the 'vette would close the gap considerably.


As far as the Lotus goes, with the kind light weight, I think any small engine in the 250-300 bhp range would make it an incredible all-round sports car.

[RS6]

You're half right, on the straights, the vette would win, but as with all American cars, bar the new GT40, when corners come they really struggle.