Lotus Elise questions part 2
Discussion
I think you should give Geary at www.eliseparts.com a call. He specialises in this kind of work and will be able to do it all for a very reasonable price (no affiliation, just a satisfied customer). He has some examples of projects he's worked on on his website.
gearbox alone will likely be £5000 -£7000 As far as I know quaife offer the only six speed box and even that doesn;t have a custom cruising top gear.
If you are going to speand 13k upgrading the performance in a daily driver - then personally I think you are off your rocker. But the best of luck.
Imagine if you spend the money two things will happen - in the near future when the new car is launched you will be left with an older model - heavily modified... never a good seller - and the new car will be the sort of car you wanted.
Why not just buy a standard car and live with it for twelve ish months - then upgrade to the s3 when it is launched...
or buy a 2nd hand S1 190 / 160 and upgrade later
If you do go ahead with this development - maximum respect.
If you are going to speand 13k upgrading the performance in a daily driver - then personally I think you are off your rocker. But the best of luck.
Imagine if you spend the money two things will happen - in the near future when the new car is launched you will be left with an older model - heavily modified... never a good seller - and the new car will be the sort of car you wanted.
Why not just buy a standard car and live with it for twelve ish months - then upgrade to the s3 when it is launched...
or buy a 2nd hand S1 190 / 160 and upgrade later
If you do go ahead with this development - maximum respect.
Basically you need an S2 with aircon then, the TT230 kit (which gives around 250bhp with a bit of work on the map at Emerald) and Autostyle-solutions front splitter and rear diffuser. Seats are fine for 5 hours at a stretch (I know because I do this most days) A Seloc member called Jas (www.seloc.org) already has all the above done to his S2, as well as Lotus Sport Suspension, OZ wheels, Yoko rubber etc etc. The only thing you will need to do (if you really have a need to do 155mph) is change 5th gear ratio. Jas's car pulls like a train up to 140mph and then stops dead at the limiter. For all the above on top of a std car youre looking at £14K ish ...so nearly £40K if you start with a new car and aircon.
Can't believe you're considering dropping that sort of money up front on an Elise, yes they're great cars and I'm planning on getting one myself but the motorway is not their natural home and the S2 heater isn't very good and it seems like AC will get in the way of the TT conversion.
Have you considered the soon to be released Vauxhall VX220/Opel Speedster Turbo? Costs ~£25k comes with 200bhp out of the box, pretty easy to get more from the engine (SAAB design IIRC) 0-60 4.7, top speed of 150mph. Handling comparable to an Elise as that's pretty much all it is and more than enough ability for daily driving and the occasional track day.
If you're serious about spending 40k then get a car that looks like 40ks worth! TVR T350 targa, new for under 40k rave reviews everywhere, amazing speed and handling plus serious creature comfort compared to the Elise. Or pay low £30s for a second hand Tuscan or Cerbera, a Cerbie V8 growl will blow away any noise an Elise can make!
All IMHO of course! Whatever you end up with I hope you have a great time with it.
Have you considered the soon to be released Vauxhall VX220/Opel Speedster Turbo? Costs ~£25k comes with 200bhp out of the box, pretty easy to get more from the engine (SAAB design IIRC) 0-60 4.7, top speed of 150mph. Handling comparable to an Elise as that's pretty much all it is and more than enough ability for daily driving and the occasional track day.
If you're serious about spending 40k then get a car that looks like 40ks worth! TVR T350 targa, new for under 40k rave reviews everywhere, amazing speed and handling plus serious creature comfort compared to the Elise. Or pay low £30s for a second hand Tuscan or Cerbera, a Cerbie V8 growl will blow away any noise an Elise can make!
All IMHO of course! Whatever you end up with I hope you have a great time with it.
The Elise isn't and never will be a 150 mph cruiser, which seems to be what you want, liquide.
All the upgrades in the world will only stress the engine, and make it less reliable, less predictable and more difficult to drive. On long journeys it'd be far too noisy for you to enjoy yourself (radio? forget it).
I'd look at a different car if I were you - for 40K you could get a Esprit V8, Porsche or various second hand supercars that would suit your (rather strange) needs. Don't bother trying to make the Elise into something it isn't. When Lotus wanted to produce a car like the one you're talking about, they started from scratch with the M250 - they knew the Elise couldn't just be 'upgraded' - and they should know what they are doing.
What's so wrong with the seats by the way? They seem fine to me on long journeys. Don't let the thinness deceive you.
All the upgrades in the world will only stress the engine, and make it less reliable, less predictable and more difficult to drive. On long journeys it'd be far too noisy for you to enjoy yourself (radio? forget it).
I'd look at a different car if I were you - for 40K you could get a Esprit V8, Porsche or various second hand supercars that would suit your (rather strange) needs. Don't bother trying to make the Elise into something it isn't. When Lotus wanted to produce a car like the one you're talking about, they started from scratch with the M250 - they knew the Elise couldn't just be 'upgraded' - and they should know what they are doing.
What's so wrong with the seats by the way? They seem fine to me on long journeys. Don't let the thinness deceive you.
AndyToone said: The Elise isn't and never will be a 150 mph cruiser, which seems to be what you want, liquide.
All the upgrades in the world will only stress the engine, and make it less reliable, less predictable and more difficult to drive. On long journeys it'd be far too noisy for you to enjoy yourself (radio? forget it).
I'd look at a different car if I were you - for 40K you could get a Esprit V8, Porsche or various second hand supercars that would suit your (rather strange) needs. Don't bother trying to make the Elise into something it isn't. When Lotus wanted to produce a car like the one you're talking about, they started from scratch with the M250 - they knew the Elise couldn't just be 'upgraded' - and they should know what they are doing.
What's so wrong with the seats by the way? They seem fine to me on long journeys. Don't let the thinness deceive you.
I agree 100%.
1. If you want a 100+mph speed demon, the Elise is simply not your car. If you won't consider a TVR then look at a Noble or maybe one of these new Invictas. Maybe a Ferrari 348.
2. The seats in the Elise are among the best I have ever experience in my entire life in ANY car I have ever driven or ridden in. They are astonishingly comfortable. Try them out before you dismiss them. As the previous poster mentioned, don't write them off because they are so thin. My Jaguar XJR's seats aren't as nice as those in the Elise.
What kills the Elise for long drives (for me) is the engine noise. I'm told that the 111s addresses this by not only improving the exhaust note but by adding a valve which quiets the engine dramatically at cruising speeds. That, combined with the longer gear ratios would probably make it better for long-distance cruising.
Lightning Good Luck you can see the amazing potential the Elise has and you are going to exploit it to the max
I still think you should get a 190 and De-track-car it and add all your options and extras and add a 260 supersport but hey thats just me.
Good luck and remember nobody can call you a boy racer -the elise is beyond
I still think you should get a 190 and De-track-car it and add all your options and extras and add a 260 supersport but hey thats just me.
Good luck and remember nobody can call you a boy racer -the elise is beyond
Have you actually test driven one yet?
I hate to be negative most people who buy an Elise and immediately bump up the power to 230bhp would come off at the first decent bend. Lots of people crash a bog standard Elise when their previous car was front wheel drive saloon. I have a horrible feeling that you'll be back on here in 6 months time with a thread about how the Elise is dangerous and spins too easy. Most of your reason for getting the upgrades is cos you compare it to other cars and don't want to be out done. I'll repeat my previous advice: Look at getting a different car, one that has everything you need to start with. I don't presume to know your standard of driving but there are plenty of available cars which are easier to drive than the Elise. 230bhp in an Elise would be far too much for most people to drive fast.
I hate to be negative most people who buy an Elise and immediately bump up the power to 230bhp would come off at the first decent bend. Lots of people crash a bog standard Elise when their previous car was front wheel drive saloon. I have a horrible feeling that you'll be back on here in 6 months time with a thread about how the Elise is dangerous and spins too easy. Most of your reason for getting the upgrades is cos you compare it to other cars and don't want to be out done. I'll repeat my previous advice: Look at getting a different car, one that has everything you need to start with. I don't presume to know your standard of driving but there are plenty of available cars which are easier to drive than the Elise. 230bhp in an Elise would be far too much for most people to drive fast.
Gargamel said: last time round
vx220 launched - lotus launched the s2 just after
vx220 turbo just released
lotus will respond - shortly
don't think it will be an all new s3 - but they have tested a number of engine options for the revised car
surely less than a year away
Now that MG Rover has introduced the 1.8 K-Series Turbo (160 bhp) for the ZT range, maybe this will find its way ot the elise.....space permitting...
2. The seats in the Elise are among the best I have ever experience in my entire life in ANY car I have ever driven or ridden in. They are astonishingly comfortable. Try them out before you dismiss them. As the previous poster mentioned, don't write them off because they are so thin. My Jaguar XJR's seats aren't as nice as those in the Elise.
Never sat in an M100 then? the Elise seats by comparison are cr@p. I know they have improved them in the Exige and S2 but having played with the Exige all day it was so nice to get into a seat that really was comfortable.
My S2ST seats are the most comfortable car seats I've ever sat in, and I've been in quite a few luxo-barges.
They have had some extra padding inserted down the back by the previous owner which I'm sure helps. However my point still stands.
I've sat in M100 seats, and wasn't that impressed. Tend to feel on them rather than in them. Didn't stay put for long enough to know what they are like on 5 hour plus journeys though.
THats the strength of M100 for long periods IMHO they are second to none. The Elise is a different type of car so wouldn't expect to do the kind of journeys I made. You know you have comfy seats when your passenger is asleep whilst you're doing 80+ on country roads! Also when you only stop when fuel requires it and you don't need a break.
The Exige and S2 seats are far superiour to the S1 which I felt were uncomfortable. The Exige were fine for their purpose and certainly no worse than standard cars. I agree with the above statements about not bothering to change until you've "sucked it and seen"
The Exige and S2 seats are far superiour to the S1 which I felt were uncomfortable. The Exige were fine for their purpose and certainly no worse than standard cars. I agree with the above statements about not bothering to change until you've "sucked it and seen"
smeagol said:
2. The seats in the Elise are among the best I have ever experience in my entire life in ANY car I have ever driven or ridden in. They are astonishingly comfortable. Try them out before you dismiss them. As the previous poster mentioned, don't write them off because they are so thin. My Jaguar XJR's seats aren't as nice as those in the Elise.
Never sat in an M100 then? the Elise seats by comparison are cr@p. I know they have improved them in the Exige and S2 but having played with the Exige all day it was so nice to get into a seat that really was comfortable.
I've only ever tried the seats in the S2. I find them to be exquisite. Maybe it is just luck but it seems that whoever they used as a model for molding the seats was just about exactly my size/shape and posture. The seats fit like they were made specially for me.
The really odd thing is that I've heard people who are nothing like my size/shape say exactly the same thing. So, maybe they're just very cleverly-designed seats. Either way, I think they're great. The kids at Recaro could learn a thing or two from Lotus.
Sorry, which is the M100. Is that the Isuzu-engined, FWD Elan made during the GM days and briefly resurrected by Signore Artioli? I can't always keep their model numbers straight. I sat in one of those once but wasn't impressed.
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