RE: Elise 111R
Thursday 29th January 2004
Elise 111R
Toyota engined Elise hits the streets
Talk in the Lotus community recently has centred around the new Exige and the new Elise, both fitted with the more powerful Toyota engine.
The prospect of an Elise with a 190PS (~186bhp) engine is an exciting one. Whilst others have stretched the K Series to extremes, the Toyota engine produces its power in a more leisurely manner which then leaves even more scope for tuning. 200+bhp Elises could finally take on the Vauxhall VX220 Turbo - also built by Lotus - which currently represents a performance bargain.
The launch of the Elise was on Monday and with strict embargos to be observed they all remained tight lipped, despite some being in the fortunate position of having demonstrator cars ready to go on the big day.
So, what spec is the car? As expected it comes with a 190PS Toyota VVTL-I (Toyota's Variable Valve Timing and Lift with intelligence) engine and a six speed manual gearbox. The dash to sixty is billed at 4.7 seconds. Slowing the car will be cross drilled brakes, complete with ABS.
Other features include 8 spoke alloy wheels, central locking, front mud flaps, a half leather interior, sunvisors and a Blaupunkt CD system. Options now include air-con too.
Prices start at £27,995 rising to around £32,500 for a fully specced car including air con and hard top. If you're interested then contact your local dealer as you should now be able to beat the rush!
Links
Discussion
www.lotuscars.com/gallery/190rgallery-netscape.html
Toyota OK, but a S2000 block will make serious difference . . .
Toyota OK, but a S2000 block will make serious difference . . .32k for an Elise - they are having a laugh aren't they?
There is far better kit out there for that sort of money - and surely they will struggle. The key to the original £19k that then raised to £23k elise was that there wasn't anything else remotly in it's price bracket (+/-10% which is surely the 'sludge' factor for a buyer).
I loved the MK1, hated the MK2 (not least for its changed handling, but the looks were pants as well) and if I had 32k I'd go and buy a VX220T and spend the other 6k on a baby Caterham (or just stick it back in the bank).
J
There is far better kit out there for that sort of money - and surely they will struggle. The key to the original £19k that then raised to £23k elise was that there wasn't anything else remotly in it's price bracket (+/-10% which is surely the 'sludge' factor for a buyer).
I loved the MK1, hated the MK2 (not least for its changed handling, but the looks were pants as well) and if I had 32k I'd go and buy a VX220T and spend the other 6k on a baby Caterham (or just stick it back in the bank).
J
Not sure if the price is all that different - according to the vauxhall website:
VXT
From £26008
Two-tone leather trim - £800.00
Floor mats - £60.00
Fixed aluminium passenger's stepped footrest
- £75.00
Removable body-colour hard top
- £1,300.00
Cross-drilled brake discs - £350.00
Touring Pack
Comprises carpeted sills and additional sound insulation. - £350.00
Remote control central locking (doors only)
- £450.00
Blaupunkt San Remo CD32 stereo radio/CD player
- £400.00
Works out at just under £30k, so unless the dealers are discounting by £4k, the price difference is nearer £3k.
Albeit for a badge.
VXT
From £26008
Two-tone leather trim - £800.00
Floor mats - £60.00
Fixed aluminium passenger's stepped footrest
- £75.00
Removable body-colour hard top
- £1,300.00
Cross-drilled brake discs - £350.00
Touring Pack
Comprises carpeted sills and additional sound insulation. - £350.00
Remote control central locking (doors only)
- £450.00
Blaupunkt San Remo CD32 stereo radio/CD player
- £400.00
Works out at just under £30k, so unless the dealers are discounting by £4k, the price difference is nearer £3k.
Albeit for a badge.
32,500 is with a lot of needless stuff on it I think. Thats 4k of options. So why are we comparing a fully specced Elise price with a bare VXT?
Also suprised people are comparing this with the original Elise. This is the top end model with the bigger engine. The base Elise is still 22k or whatever.
Anyway Joust, wasn't it Lee noble who said 'If a guy can afford a 35k car, he can afford 45k'. Not sure why the Noble is now 52k+ though
In response the the moaning of it's price I'd counter that it's good value compared to ther cars out there. Yes you could buy a new evo or a used tvr for the same outlay, but they don't compare IMO.
Well the tvr will be much more costly to run (repairs, pathetic warranty, petrol, etc) plus it doesn't handle as well.
The evo is just a dull box that just happens to shift quickly. You'd never look at your driveway with pride.
The only cars I'd consider against it are a used M3 or 3.2 boxter. Both of which will have a fair amount of miles on the clock at that price and cost a lot more to run, just like the tvr. Plus they won't be as fun IMO.
Well the tvr will be much more costly to run (repairs, pathetic warranty, petrol, etc) plus it doesn't handle as well.
The evo is just a dull box that just happens to shift quickly. You'd never look at your driveway with pride.
The only cars I'd consider against it are a used M3 or 3.2 boxter. Both of which will have a fair amount of miles on the clock at that price and cost a lot more to run, just like the tvr. Plus they won't be as fun IMO.
I've just got my hands on the official press release.
Lotus said:
Hethel, England: February 2004
The Lotus Elise 111R is the latest addition to the Lotus stable and
introduces to the market the most powerful and highest performing production
Elise.
With a VVTL-i engine (Variable Valve Timing and Lift-Intelligent) producing
a maximum power output of 192 PS (189hp, 141kW) and 181Nm (133.5 lbs.ft) of
torque, the Elise 111R sprints to 100km/h in 5.2 seconds (0-60mph in 4.9
seconds) and 160km/h (100mph) in 13.0 seconds before reaching a certified
top speed of 241km/h (150mph).
This performance is achieved through a balance of environmental
considerations with the fully Euro IV Emissions Compliant engine helping the
Elise to return 8.8 litres/100km (32.1mpg) on the combined cycle, as well as
the very low figure of 208g/km of CO2 emissions.
For the first time, track tuned, high specification ABS with servo assisted
brakes is offered as standard on the Elise 111R.
Through careful management of weight and clever design the Elise 111R weighs
in at 860kg (1892lbs) - unladen with no options - giving a power to weight
ratio of 223PS/tonne (220hp/tonne, 164kW/tonne).
The Lotus Elise 111R goes on sale in February 2004.
Background
The Lotus Elise is a true sportscar that has taken the world by storm,
winning countless awards for handling, innovation and just pure fun. The
Elise was first unveiled at the Frankfurt Motorshow in 1995 before entering
production with first deliveries in August 1996. Since then, over 17,000
Elises have been built - some achievement for a car that was originally
designed to be built in volumes of only 700 a year! The Elise was designed
as a sportscar to be appreciated by real driving enthusiasts, fashion
leaders and those who really appreciate technology and innovation.
The Lotus Elise introduced a range of technologies that revolutionised the
automotive industry; such as a chassis made from extruded and bonded
aluminium, a composite energy absorbing front crash structure and light
weight composite body panels. The whole car weighed in at half the weight
of an average family saloon. This light weight bestowed the car with
phenomenal acceleration and handling. In 1996 the Lotus Elise was easily
pulling 1g in steady state cornering with standard production tyres and a
0-100km/h (0-62mph) in 5.9 seconds.
In 2000 Lotus introduced the second generation Elise. This evolutionary car,
arguably one of the most important cars in Lotus' fifty-two year history,
added to the technology introduced on the Elise in 1996. It was a big stride
forward, achieving the quality standards expected of a world leading
sportscar manufacturer and globally respected engineering consultancy. This
Elise introduced industry standard quality, much of it based upon the
learning gained from working with Lotus' global motor industry partners.
All Lotus Elises are hand assembled by skilled craftsmen at Lotus'
headquarters in Hethel, England. Each Elise takes about 100 man-hours to
build and the final product is fine testament to the skills of Lotus.
The Interior
As soon as a driver sits behind the wheel of a Lotus, they instantly know
that they are in something special. From the composite sports seats that
hug the driver under the g-forces that are experienced on cornering,
acceleration and braking, to the race designed steering wheel and the
extruded aluminium pedals perfectly suited to both cruising as well as hard
driving - the Elise is a car that invites to be driven.
The twin instrumentation dials show road speed and engine speed (for the
111R, now showing to 10,000rpm) and are updated for 2004 across the whole of
the Elise range, with clearer graphics and orange back lighting which is
proven to be easier on the eye. Links between the Elise and the track have
always been strong, and the ambience of the facia and trim with the chassis
tub sides provoke a strong sense of being seated in a racing derived but
comfortable cockpit.
A four speaker Blaupunkt stereo system with CD player is provided as
standard along with a radio receiver wiring loom including dipole aerial kit
located in the front of the Elise 111R.
The legendary chassis...
During the early days of the original Elise development programme, Lotus
searched for an appropriate and available chassis technology for its new
lightweight sportscar. Unable to find a suitable technology, and unwilling
to compromise, Lotus set out to change the rules. Lotus engineers looked
outside the automotive industry and brought together aluminium extrusions
and modern aerospace bonding techniques to produce a lightweight and
exceptionally rigid structure.
The ground-breaking epoxy-bonded aluminium tub chassis, unveiled in
September 1995 represented a breakthrough in sportscar technology.
The structure is an assembly of individually extruded lengths bonded
together by epoxy resin adhesive, a world first in automobile manufacture.
The adhesive used to bond the Lotus chassis achieves exceptional strength
with the ability to absorb the most extreme loads, pressures and forces that
it may encounter. Never before had a modern vehicle's chassis been bonded
together.
The bonding of lap joints provides a superior joint to traditionally welded
butted joints (with bonded joints, there is no distortion of the material's
integrity at the join). Self-pierce rivets further increase the structural
integrity through reducing material 'peel' in the most severe of impacts.
The chassis received modifications in 2000, including lower, reinforced
longitudinal sills to improve the access into the cockpit.
Now with the introduction of the VVTL-i power unit, further enhancements
have been made to the rear of the chassis structure. Utilising experience
gained from the development of advanced lightweight steel, a new highly
efficient rear subframe offers increased strength. In keeping with Lotus'
philosophy, this structure is an elegant integrated single solution for the
engine cradle and improved suspension and exhaust silencer mounting points.
Ride and handling that sets the benchmark...
The aluminium chassis allows vehicle dynamics engineers at Lotus to continue
to set standards by which all other sportscars are judged. Indeed, the Elise
continues to build on the multi-award winning ride and handling for which it
has become renowned the world over.
Lotus has taken a no-compromise approach in carrying over these philosophies
to the Elise 111R. The development team has succeeded in creating a car
that leaves the driver craving more time in the cockpit and more road on
which to enjoy the thrill and engagement of each journey.
Run in parallel to Lotus' USA (Federal) Elise programme, the 111R faced a
gruelling development programme exceeding 500,000 miles throughout 2003 that
took the car across Europe and the USA. This has resulted in an exciting
and progressive ride and handling package that integrates the constituents
that make up the dynamics characteristics, tuning them to work in harmony
with each other, the driver and the road.
For the Elise 111R, the Eibach coaxial coil springs and Bilstein high
pressure monotube gas dampers have been retuned and optimised to maintain
the Elise's trademark agility, body control and poise while improving the
isolation of both smaller and larger impacts.
The unique Bridgestone Potenza RE040 tyres (175/55R16 front and 225/45R17
rear) have been carried over from the Lotus Elise and the Elise 111S. The
Lotus Ride and Handling team have maximised the ability to hone the chassis
and tyre characteristics to ensure that this latest and highest performing
version of the Elise holds true to Lotus' values of peerless ride and
handling and pure driving fun.
An ABS system like no other...
The servo-assisted four-channel system individually monitors and distributes
braking force to each wheel as required, enhancing braking performance and
minimising stopping distance.
However, Lotus has specifically tuned the initiation point to allow a
skilled driver to maximise the potential of the braking system through the
utilisation of forward weight transfer. In the event of the driver
demanding more braking performance than is possible, only then does the
system intervene to optimise the force generated at the wheel.
Power-to-weight in abundance...
Lotus undertook a thorough and exhaustive evaluation of a wide range of
state-of-the-art engines. Toyota's 2ZZ-GE 1.8 litre 4 cylinder 16-valve
VVTL-i engine and C64 six-speed gearbox was chosen as an outstanding
package, excellently suited to the Elise.
This engine has breath taking power and torque characteristics, and
critically for a Lotus, is lightweight, featuring a compact metal matrix
composite alloy cylinder block.
A bespoke exhaust system has been developed for the Elise 111R with the twin
exhaust pipes exiting through the rear diffuser.
Lotus subjected the 2ZZ-GE to a rigorous testing and development programme
covering a wide range of extreme climate conditions from the Arctic Circle
to the Arizona and Nevada deserts, and at altitude in Colorado.
Furthermore, the engine management system, bifurcated exhaust downpipe, and
bespoke gearshift mechanism are designed and developed by Lotus, resulting
in a power unit perfectly integrated with the Elise's chassis and dynamics.
Lotus has tuned the engine to suit the very essence of the Elise by
employing a brand new, custom-engineered Lotus T4 engine management system
(EMS). The software for the EMS was designed and developed by Lotus
specifically for the Elise 111R. All calibration and validation work was
undertaken solely by Lotus engineers, ensuring that the Elise performs as a
true Lotus should.
Toyota's world-renowned VVTL-i system allows the engine management system
the flexibility to select the optimum camshaft profile, lift and timing
across the full range of engine operating conditions. This interaction
between the Lotus T4 EMS and the VVTL-i system gives the Elise its optimum
linear torque characteristics, peaking at 181Nm (133.5 lb.ft) @ 6800rpm
coupled with the peak power of 192 PS (189hp, 141kW) at 7800rpm.
The all-aluminium lightweight Toyota C64 six-speed gearbox is fitted with an
all-new Lotus designed and developed shift operating mechanism. With the
closest ratios and gearset afforded by the transmission, the gearbox offers
a fast, precise and light gearshift, ensuring drivers have total control and
flexibility to apply the power exactly as and when required.
True to Colin Chapman's philosophy of performance through lightweight, the
power density available from the Toyota power unit gives the Elise a
staggering 223PS/tonne (220hp/tonne, 164kW/tonne) and a 0-100km/h sprint in
5.2 seconds (0-60mph in 4.9 seconds)!
Proof, if needed, that there actually is a substitute for "cubic inches"!
Equipment
Standard equipment for the Elise 111R includes: half leather interior, sun
visors, central door locking, Blaupunkt Lausanne radio CD-R/W player and
Blaupunkt high performance front and rear speakers
Optional equipment includes a Touring Pack, which provides a combination of
options designed to increase comfort and convenience, while still
maintaining the essence of a Lotus sports car. This pack includes:
Auxiliary front driving lights, a choice of either full leather or Alcantara
trim, a soft-top with sound and thermal insulation, electric windows, an
upgraded Blaupunkt Woodstock DAB radio, CD-R/W and MP3 player, interior
stowage net, sound insulation, and full carpet with a lightweight aluminium
passenger footrest.
Other options also include metallic paint, air-conditioning and a body
coloured hard top.
joust said:
Anyway Joust, wasn't it Lee noble who said 'If a guy can afford a 35k car, he can afford 45k'. Not sure why the Noble is now 52k+ though
Cause it whips the arse of stuff £100k+....???
Ah but you can get a T350C for less money, and by all accounts they handle pretty well whilst coming with a proper interior!
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