Lotus versus Concept R
Discussion
VW has just announced the 2005 Concept R roadster. How come VW can get a torque-happy 265hp 3.2-V6 engine in a 2200lbs (1000 kg) car while we all believe that the US Elise at 1800lbs (820 kg) with a peaky, rev happy 190hp four banger is such an engineering wonder of diet-control?
Ad a 200 lbs for a driver and a few gallons of fuel and the power to weight ratio for the VW is 1/6 better than the Lotus. Not likely that VW gets Lotus’ support in developing the chassis of the car, but I guess they can go to Porsche for some help.
Ad a 200 lbs for a driver and a few gallons of fuel and the power to weight ratio for the VW is 1/6 better than the Lotus. Not likely that VW gets Lotus’ support in developing the chassis of the car, but I guess they can go to Porsche for some help.
Concept / show cars have a nasty habit of getting diluted between being shown and production. Let's see what VW come up with for a production model before bashing the Elise engine (again 
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Don't forget the Elise was built to a specific target sale price as well as to a weight limit. I'm sure given a free hand any decent engineer could stick a V6 into a mid enigine platform at the design stage, but what will the sale price be?
The original Elise hit exactly the right sale price and became a big success for Lotus. Imagine it had been another £5k to £10k, would it have been such a success?
Also the key thing about the Elise that differentiates it from the competition is the way it drives. The feeling of connection you have with the car and road is just amazing. I can't see VW making their roadster this "raw". I suspect it will be more like a TT roadster for the VW crowd rather than the Audi buyer.
I'll sit back and wait and see. Full marks to VW if they do come out with it in roughly its present form and at a good price. The more convertibles on the market the better from my point of view. Just as long as it doesn't suddenly grow the 1.8T engine instead of the VR6.
Before anyone flames me my other car has the 1.8T engine and it's a good engine, it just doesn't have the lovely growl of the VR6. God I still miss that noise, but not the fuel bills or the soggy understeery set up VW put on my old Golf.
Chris
) Don't forget the Elise was built to a specific target sale price as well as to a weight limit. I'm sure given a free hand any decent engineer could stick a V6 into a mid enigine platform at the design stage, but what will the sale price be?
The original Elise hit exactly the right sale price and became a big success for Lotus. Imagine it had been another £5k to £10k, would it have been such a success?
Also the key thing about the Elise that differentiates it from the competition is the way it drives. The feeling of connection you have with the car and road is just amazing. I can't see VW making their roadster this "raw". I suspect it will be more like a TT roadster for the VW crowd rather than the Audi buyer.
I'll sit back and wait and see. Full marks to VW if they do come out with it in roughly its present form and at a good price. The more convertibles on the market the better from my point of view. Just as long as it doesn't suddenly grow the 1.8T engine instead of the VR6.
Before anyone flames me my other car has the 1.8T engine and it's a good engine, it just doesn't have the lovely growl of the VR6. God I still miss that noise, but not the fuel bills or the soggy understeery set up VW put on my old Golf.
Chris
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