Potential DSG Conversion

[Mr DG]

Can anyone recommend someone who could convert a new elise to an Audi unit with DSG. My new lotus is sat at the dealers all paid for but we may have a potential problem. The car is an Elise CR with a SPS gearbox !!! Everything was looking good but now there may be potential problems with the box so I'm looking for last resort solutions. I was so looking forward to getting the car, I have a hard top, 2011 exige rear spoiler, 2bular exhaust and a private **10 TUS Reg plate all waiting to go on the car but it seems to be one problem after another. I did consider the Elise Parts sequential box but it wont fit the 1.6 engine.

Just to clear a couple of things up, I only have the use of my left arm so the car has to be an auto and at the minute I cant run to an Evora.

Thanks in advance.
Dean.

[pthelazyjourno]

It would be bloody expensive - think £10k+ for the engine alone, goodness knows how much for the DSG side of the conversion.

Komo-tec have done it with an Exige for 20k Euros:

http://www.komo-tec.com/LOTUS-Elise-111R/SC/Leistu...

That's with lots of bits on the engine though and 300bhp - worth talking to them to see if they'll do it with a stock engine?

Can you get out of the Elise using just one arm? I can't! Respect is definitely due if you can manage it - I suppose where there's a will and all that!!

Good luck.

Edit: 20k Euros on top of the price of the Exige...

Edited by pthelazyjourno on Tuesday 14th May 11:03

[Thorburn]

If you're looking at things like the EP gearbox or DSG conversions then what about a second hand Evora IPS?

Don't think there are any available at the moment, but one was advertised at about £32k recently.

[Scuffers]

Mr DG said:

I did consider the Elise Parts sequential box but it wont fit the 1.6 engine.

really?

can't see why not.....

[Mr DG]

Scuffers said:

really?

can't see why not.....

I've been told by the dealer its for a K20/2ZZ engine and the CR has a VVTI engine. If someone knows better I'd be more than happy to tell the dealer he's wrong as this would solve the problem. The cars were built as Elise SPS's but lotus pulled the plug on them before they when't into production. I bought one from my local dealer but we need to find a way to either fine tune whats already there or replace it. I know it's not my problem its the dealers but I really want the car. It's to be a weekend toy/track day car so the elise is perfect.

[Scuffers]

Mr DG said:

Scuffers said:

really?

can't see why not.....

I've been told by the dealer its for a K20/2ZZ engine and the CR has a VVTI engine. If someone knows better I'd be more than happy to tell the dealer he's wrong as this would solve the problem. The cars were built as Elise SPS's but lotus pulled the plug on them before they when't into production. I bought one from my local dealer but we need to find a way to either fine tune whats already there or replace it. I know it's not my problem its the dealers but I really want the car. It's to be a weekend toy/track day car so the elise is perfect.

put it this way, i know it can be made to fit...

(and for accuracy, the 2ZZ engine is still VVTI)

[Thorburn]

Scuffers said:

put it this way, i know it can be made to fit...

(and for accuracy, the 2ZZ engine is still VVTI)

2ZZ is VVTL-i and the 1ZR is VVT-i isn't it? I thought the EC60 gearbox for the ZR-series had a different bell-housing to the C6x box of the ZZ-series, but I'm guessing what you're alluding to is that you can make an adaptor plate to fit the EliseParts sequential to it?

I thought sequential boxes were supposed to be a bit tricky for road use though, or is that not the case? Have to say it looked very impressive with you using it in the EP Tuning Time Attack car.

Edited by Thorburn on Tuesday 14th May 19:56

[pthelazyjourno]

I guess if it's literally just a case of an adapter plate (being "made to fit" makes it sound something along those lines) it would certainly be thousands and thousands of pounds cheaper than going down the Audi/DSG route. If not quite so fun..

[Thorburn]

It's £13,000 for the box.

[pthelazyjourno]

Ah.

I presumed it'd be somewhere in the 8-10 region, haven't looked at it.

Less difference than I thought then. I still think Audi+DSG would be a fair whack more, but then again you'd end up with an engine capable of delivering a lot more power...

I bet resale would be better on an Audi'd Elise than a 1zr with sequential box. Not sure if that's an issue for the op, but worth considering p'raps.

[Mr_C]

Do Toyota make a car with the VVT-i and an auto box? If so, won't that just bolt on, then you'll have to find a way of wiring it up

with the EP sequential you're still going to need to take your hand off for each shift aren't you?

[pthelazyjourno]

Mr_C said:

with the EP sequential you're still going to need to take your hand off for each shift aren't you?

No.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ic7uMC3NQO4

Well, not necessarily.

[Thorburn]

Mr_C said:

Do Toyota make a car with the VVT-i and an auto box? If so, won't that just bolt on, then you'll have to find a way of wiring it up

They do, but it's actually a semi-auto version of the standard manual box, the EC60.

This is what the Elise SPS uses already.

[Mr DG]

Thorburn said:

They do, but it's actually a semi-auto version of the standard manual box, the EC60.

This is what the Elise SPS uses already.

I'm so glad you said that. we did have an idea the gear change mechanism fitted to the box in the sps was actually a toyota item as it looks too mass produced for it to be lotus (if that makes any sense) so in reality all we need is the toyota software to make it work because for some reason lotus tried and failed to do there own.
So the next question does anyone work for toyota who may know how to go about re programing the control mechanism ?

Edited by Mr DG on Wednesday 15th May 08:58

[Beachbum]

Mr DG said:

I'm so glad you said that. we did have an idea the gear change mechanism fitted to the box in the sps was actually a toyota item as it looks too mass produced for it to be lotus (if that makes any sense) so in reality all we need is the toyota software to make it work because for some reason lotus tried and failed to do there own.
So the next question does anyone work for toyota who may know how to go about re programing the control mechanism ?

Edited by Mr DG on Wednesday 15th May 08:58

Have you tried contacting Toyota direct ? Helping people drive, that have a disability is a profile item at the moment, especially with the number of Service men that are being injured currently
They may step in and help just to improve their own public image, especially if what you want to do, then helps others as well