Lotus DPR. What is going on at Hethel?
Discussion
Why?!
Notice that it says that only *most* of the driving aids will be switchable... :-(
http://www.thelotusforums.com/latest-news/lotus-ca...
The 2011MY Lotus Elise will feature a raft of new high tech features to keep the car on the grey stuff and pointing in the right direction for longer. With class and world leading handling the car has always been complimentary to the driver skills however when physics overtake talent some computers can aid and assist to try to keep you out of trouble.
Lotus DPM (Dynamic Performance Management) is an addition to the standard car from the entry level Elise 1.6 upwards and will offer stability not only when pressing on but more importantly when conditions change and road surfaces are incompatible with high levels of grip.
Hydraulic Brake Assist – will detect emergency braking and increase braking if required to ensure maximum possible braking is used if required.
Electronic Brake Distribution – will enhance stability by limiting rear brake pressures if the ABS is close to being activated when not required.
Electronic Differential Lock – will ensure that if there is a road situation which leads to a wheel with less grip spinning then braking force is applied to this wheel to allow torque to be sent to the other wheel which means better cornering performance and acceleration on surfaces where one wheel can grip and the other cannot.
Cornering Brake Control – is there to help when the car is heavily loaded at the front under partial braking and oversteer comes into play. The system will reduce brake pressure on an inside wheel or increase the braking pressure on the outside front wheel before the car becomes out of shape.
Drag Torque Control – Too fast off the throttle or a snatched downshift can lead to the engine braking the wheels too quickly causing slip or oversteer if cornering. This innovative system will apply partial throttle to ensure stability.
Anti-Lock Braking – is a common system on cars nowadays to reduce brake pressure if available braking torque is more than conditions allow to ensure that the shortest stopping distance possible is attained under all road conditions.
Traction Control System – ensures no wheelspin under heavy acceleration.
Vehicle Dynamic Control – will apply subtle brake pressure at the required wheel when the car becomes unstable.
This all adds up to a more stable car which can be driven harder when circumstances permit while keeping the car under the drivers control. They also add greatly to the safety of the car when the weather isn’t ideal and hopefully will mean bodyshops don’t see so many cars with requirements for new front clams, an all too common repair to the Elise. Die-hards will be pleased to know that most of the elements of DPM are switchable.
The good news is that the Lotus DPM is free, there is no extra cost involved!
Notice that it says that only *most* of the driving aids will be switchable... :-(
http://www.thelotusforums.com/latest-news/lotus-ca...
The 2011MY Lotus Elise will feature a raft of new high tech features to keep the car on the grey stuff and pointing in the right direction for longer. With class and world leading handling the car has always been complimentary to the driver skills however when physics overtake talent some computers can aid and assist to try to keep you out of trouble.
Lotus DPM (Dynamic Performance Management) is an addition to the standard car from the entry level Elise 1.6 upwards and will offer stability not only when pressing on but more importantly when conditions change and road surfaces are incompatible with high levels of grip.
Hydraulic Brake Assist – will detect emergency braking and increase braking if required to ensure maximum possible braking is used if required.
Electronic Brake Distribution – will enhance stability by limiting rear brake pressures if the ABS is close to being activated when not required.
Electronic Differential Lock – will ensure that if there is a road situation which leads to a wheel with less grip spinning then braking force is applied to this wheel to allow torque to be sent to the other wheel which means better cornering performance and acceleration on surfaces where one wheel can grip and the other cannot.
Cornering Brake Control – is there to help when the car is heavily loaded at the front under partial braking and oversteer comes into play. The system will reduce brake pressure on an inside wheel or increase the braking pressure on the outside front wheel before the car becomes out of shape.
Drag Torque Control – Too fast off the throttle or a snatched downshift can lead to the engine braking the wheels too quickly causing slip or oversteer if cornering. This innovative system will apply partial throttle to ensure stability.
Anti-Lock Braking – is a common system on cars nowadays to reduce brake pressure if available braking torque is more than conditions allow to ensure that the shortest stopping distance possible is attained under all road conditions.
Traction Control System – ensures no wheelspin under heavy acceleration.
Vehicle Dynamic Control – will apply subtle brake pressure at the required wheel when the car becomes unstable.
This all adds up to a more stable car which can be driven harder when circumstances permit while keeping the car under the drivers control. They also add greatly to the safety of the car when the weather isn’t ideal and hopefully will mean bodyshops don’t see so many cars with requirements for new front clams, an all too common repair to the Elise. Die-hards will be pleased to know that most of the elements of DPM are switchable.
The good news is that the Lotus DPM is free, there is no extra cost involved!
GKP said:
harryowl said:
more weight 
Mainly using electronics which are already present. Let's face it though, most Elise drivers are not driving gods and require such systems to keep the things out of hedges.GKP said:
harryowl said:
more weight
Mainly using electronics which are already present. Let's face it though, most Elise drivers are not driving gods and require such systems to keep the things out of hedges.And there's an EU regulation about stability control that Lotus need to adhear to now.
Edited by dom180 on Wednesday 29th September 09:46
s111dpc said:
"...from the entry level Elise 1.6 upwards..."
So with the 1.8 being dropped what other engine / power varients are there going to be in the MY 2011 Elise then?
I'd bet on a 2.0. Lotus should be more upfront on their plans imho - Porsche advertise new model changes well in advance to dealers to avoid upsetting customers. So with the 1.8 being dropped what other engine / power varients are there going to be in the MY 2011 Elise then?
Edited by dom180 on Wednesday 29th September 11:03
The Pits said:
I think the game is up lads.
It seems we're very close to only being able to buy electronic nanny ridden, auto only, hybrid, muppet proof cars.
Still, it will save me a fortune. I'll just keep the Elise I've got.
Agreed!It seems we're very close to only being able to buy electronic nanny ridden, auto only, hybrid, muppet proof cars.
Still, it will save me a fortune. I'll just keep the Elise I've got.
However aids such as a ABS arent such a bad thing if the driver has control over them and as someone aluded to none of us are driving gods and i suspect alot of us spend less than 10%* of our time with the cars on a track.
- figure out my backside
grumbledoak said:
Madness, presumably regulation led.
The Elise is almost too capable as a road car, and you wouldn't want all this on a track.
I agree, currently you have to be driving like a ham fisted idiot to leave the road. The cars more capable than the majority of other road cars in the wet or dry. The only people who'll want it on track are the clueless who just want to lap faster than the next man play station style with no interest in learning any actual driving skill.The Elise is almost too capable as a road car, and you wouldn't want all this on a track.
Basic driving skills are in very short supply as it is.
Driving 'aids' will only lower standards further, possibly to the point of extinction within a generation.
It's a downward spiral. More aids, worse drivers. Worse drivers, more aids.
Worst of all it allows idiots to survive and breed yet more idiots!
Peter Wheeler was absolutely right and one of the few with the courage to stick his neck out against this nonsense.
My Tuscan doesn't have any, no ABS brakes. Just very good ones, with heavy deceleration requiring a heavy application of the brake pedal.
It teaches a driver to respect the conditions and that conditions can and do change over the course of a journey.
I drove an M5 a while back and was a menace to society when behind the wheel. Not only was the car so devoid of feel that I had to drive it flat out just to get some sensation but also the 'fail safe' electronic systems only encouraged a 'flat out everywhere' style. It was exactly like driving on the playstation, only the feeling of invulnerability is a dangerous illusion.
I also drove a 911 turbo not long ago. It was so good at going very fast that it managed to turn 160mph into a total non-event. It was very disturbing. And utterly pointless.
At 140mph in a Tuscan you start thinking about backing off.
At 160mph in a 911 Turbo you start thinking 'is that it?'
Driving 'aids' will only lower standards further, possibly to the point of extinction within a generation.
It's a downward spiral. More aids, worse drivers. Worse drivers, more aids.
Worst of all it allows idiots to survive and breed yet more idiots!
Peter Wheeler was absolutely right and one of the few with the courage to stick his neck out against this nonsense.
My Tuscan doesn't have any, no ABS brakes. Just very good ones, with heavy deceleration requiring a heavy application of the brake pedal.
It teaches a driver to respect the conditions and that conditions can and do change over the course of a journey.
I drove an M5 a while back and was a menace to society when behind the wheel. Not only was the car so devoid of feel that I had to drive it flat out just to get some sensation but also the 'fail safe' electronic systems only encouraged a 'flat out everywhere' style. It was exactly like driving on the playstation, only the feeling of invulnerability is a dangerous illusion.
I also drove a 911 turbo not long ago. It was so good at going very fast that it managed to turn 160mph into a total non-event. It was very disturbing. And utterly pointless.
At 140mph in a Tuscan you start thinking about backing off.
At 160mph in a 911 Turbo you start thinking 'is that it?'
Edited by The Pits on Wednesday 29th September 16:28
C43 said:
If the system is good it should mean you can drive like an nutter and if you do overstep the mark rather than ending up in a ditch the electronics will catch you.
could be a big step forwards, believe you me. And you will still have the advantage of a car that weights nothing.
C43
you've driven a VX with it's quality ABS?could be a big step forwards, believe you me. And you will still have the advantage of a car that weights nothing.
C43
what do you think?
One of the biggest reasons I bought another Exige was that everything else felt so boring to drive and void of any feeling that I just had to have another one. There is really no need for any of this as the car communicates so well..in standard setup you get bags of understeer to warn you if your being a tit and anyone driving really fast in the wet cant expect nothing else other than to eventually have a crash. I hope it all works out for Lotus but the prices on the new cars is putting them in competition with some serious players.
The Pits said:
I think the game is up lads.
I suspect you are right. Lotus are moving the Elise out of the only niche it filled. On price it is going to be in competition with the Z4 or 350Z as a practical road car (and don't forget, you can have two MX-5s for that money!) and losing it's appeal against the Caterfields as a drive-it-to-the-track car. Where they'll run rings around it.Gassing Station | Elise/Exige/Europa/340R | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff