Thursday 30th August 2001

200mph Esprit

Wide bodied, 500bhp Esprit heads for the magic 200mph barrier

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[LotusV8]

See thats what im talking about, I am glad that people are hooking up Esprit''s. I can''t wait to see if they break the 200mph mark. Keep on it Piston heads!

[Tigga]

That's not wide bodied, not as wide as the GT1 anyway. Er, bottom line is a wide bodied car would be slower anyway, aerodynamics of a house brick. The V8 does a lot more than 500bhp too, the GT1 Elise was 690 I think so more to go. be good if someone did something interesting anyway. Not sure that barn door on the back is going to help much with VMax either. And don't put the headlights up....

[rob.ellis]

Tigga - Team Extreme Esprit also run another car that does have 650bhp. Also, i wouldn't want to drive at over 200 mph without some additional aerodynamics, hence i suggest the wing is actually a very good idea..

[v8thunder]

re 'The GT1 Elise was 690 I think' - Yeah, but it used a nominally-aspirated GM 6.0l V8 Instead of the Lotus 3.5l twin-turbo, due to some stupid anti-Porsche rules regarding turbos. Actually, I think Lotus should bring out an ultra-light V12 supercar to blow the Lambos and Fezzas into the bushes. This Esprit could be the start of something...

[Lotus freak]

Just to put the records straight, the Lotus Elise GT1 in turbo form ( either single or twin turbo, as there were cars built using both methods)was only ever 540BHP no matter what the press or GTI lotus would lead you to believe. The 6.0ltr ZR1 corvette derived NA engine produced somewhere in the region of 560-580BHP depending on who's dyno figures you believe.
So where these hugely inflated power claims are coming from is anyone's guess.

[scuffham]

More to do with restricters I would guess, the V8 is capable of more than 550Bhp, but not with FIA restricters fitted.

[Lotus freak]

Correct, Because the turbo elise GT1 was on the minimum 900Kg weight limit it had to breath through 33mm restrictors. Now 540hp doesn't seem to bad

[GRK]

Lotus Freak, you seem well informed about the racers; does anyone know what the Lotus GT1 engines were capable of without the restrictors?

[Lotus freak]

No Idea!
All of my information comes from reading to many books! & not practical experience.

[GRK]

Lotus Freak, could you recommend a good book to read about the history of the Esprit / Elise Gt1 racers? I'd love to hear more about them.

[benfell100]

Johan (I think it was Johan) took his car to 211.4 mph on a road race and lost 5th gear at that speed which he said nearly spun him. He said it went due to heat and stress. The car drove like normal in all the other gears when he had slowed sufficiently to use them and that is using the standard Renault unit albeit with an oil cooler and maybe a few more mods. I think that is the fastest Esprit of all time unless someone can correct me.
Dom
Can't remember the source

[benfell100]

Johan (I think it was Johan) took his car to 211.4 mph on a road race and lost 5th gear at that speed which he said nearly spun him. He said it went due to heat and stress. The car drove like normal in all the other gears when he had slowed sufficiently to use them and that is using the standard Renault unit albeit with an oil cooler and maybe a few more mods. I think that is the fastest Esprit of all time unless someone can correct me.
Dom
Can't remember the source