RacingPorsche

Alex - Great pictures, thanks for showing them.

All - What in the world is that "thing" hanging aft of the drivers door in the last pic!?!?

I read the Road and Track article as well...lets just say I wondered how a 190 hp car (in US spec) could "out handle anything except the reviered Ferrari 360 Modena". Yet, after reading the article, and studying the pictures, a proven 190 hp Toyota motor with VVT-i and a Toyota transmission with 1975 lbs, this is my new dream car. I am seriouse. I should start saving now though... maybe by the time I'm 45 I'll save enough to own one!

Ken

I've been following the Elise for about a year now and I thought I'd share some info.

The cars should be arriving sometime this summer. The earliest guess at delivery is May for the first cars. The dealers are taking reservations, but every dealer currently has 50+ people in line. I believe its normally $1000 to reserve a spot in line, but it depends on the dealer. The dealers have already taked groups of orders from the people on the list. The first 20 at most places have placed an official order. I believe current productions is somewhere around 2500 cars per year, and with the reported amount of preorders, it looks like the first year is very close to being sold out.

With regard to the Vauxhall Turbo, there was a recent comparison over in Britian between the two. Surprisingly, the Federal Elise with the Toyota engine was as fast, if not faster than the Turbo(in stock trim). The testers liked the NA Toyota engine better on the track due to it's smoother power curve.

Regarding going forced induction, the engine has major problems with that. With a compression ratio of 11:1, and a rather fragile crankcase, no one has come up with a commerical forced induction kit for the Celica GTS.(Unless something very new has popped up.) In fact, more people turbocharge the base celica because of the much lower compression ratio. There are rumors that the Exige(hard top Elise, more track oriented) will have a supercharged Toyota engine, but nothing is certain.

If anyone wants more info please check out www.Elisetalk.com .

iloveporsches

Some Elise photos from the Chicago auto show:



Man, this thing is just like a production FSAE car. Very lightweight, moderately powered, quasi-gokart racecar.

Luis de Prat

Great pics, Alex. Pity they couldn't build it with a Lotus engine in it or the cost would skyrocket, obviously. At any rate, Lotus has a long tradition of engine development for other makes, a case in point being the Corvette ZR1, yet the Elise gets a Toyota engine.

iloveporsches

The engine that's in the European cars now is less powerful (150HP IIRC) and less reliable. Not sure if it's a Lotus engine though.

Luis de Prat

Brandon, I'm not familiar with Lotus engine reliability either. It's just that to me, a sportscar's make its engine. The 944 may be a cheapo Porsche assembled at the Audi plant, but as you know its engine was designed at Weissach and built at Zuffenhausen, just like the 911's making it a "real" Porsche.

This Elise has some innovative design and performance specs, no doubt, but to me it's looking like a hopped up MR2 if the engine is from Toyota. I'm sure they'll be great fun, though, but I'll stick with my "cheap" Porsches.

Ken

Lotus doesn't make the old Elise engine either, they outsourced them from Rover. The reason the Federal Elise has the Toyota engine is because of US emissions and cost. It's much less expensive to use an engine that has already passed the extensive US testing than it would be to make a new engine from scratch and try to get it to pass. Not to mention the long time it would take the engineer it. The rover engine wouldn't pass the emissions requirements and there's no way to make it. It makes the most sense to use a proven engine that's lightweight, makes good power, already has a decent aftermarket, and passes all the US regs. It's gets us the Elise quicker!

Luis, I would have to disagree that the engine makes the sports car. I think it's the chassis/suspension moreso. Of course they're both very critical points. The Elise is all about the suspension, in a very similiar way that I think the 944 is.

Bill Coleman

I've seen quite a few of them around Ann Arbor. Of course Lotus has an engineering lab here, and the EPA test lab is here, too. I saw the first one a couple years ago at the Meadowbrook concours. Every car I've seen so far has had manufacturer plates on it.

I've always loved Lotus cars, but I'd still rather have an Esprit.

Paul C 944

Does anyone know the retail price will be?

M758

Retail is somewhere near $40k. I went to a PCA meeting a few months back and actually won a $1000 discount for one as door prize. Pretty cool, but I'd really rather have my 944 Turbo S. Sure the S is heavier, but at least it has some comfort. What I do like about the elise is that it is very raw uncompromizing car. It is what is and nothing else. It is great toy for people with other car to drive. Think of it as a big motor cycle. It really has the same usefullness. That said it would be great to have 40k to dump in to a TOY!

Ken

MSRP is currently $39985
Options are:
Metallic Paint 590 --everything but the base red and yellow
Lifestyle Paint 1200 --orange, green, graphite
Sports Pack 2480 --different wheels, lowered suspension, new shocks/springs
Touring Pack 1350 --electric windows, MP3 player, more carpet and insulation, leather
Hard Top 1475

Here's a link to the entire order guide:

http://www.elisetalk.com/forums/show...&threadid=1586

MartinT

In Europe it is not a Lotus engine as such but a Lotus version of the Rover K-series engine (1.8 liter IIRC). The Opel/Vauxhall sister car has a 2.2 L Opel/Vauxhall engine.

Alex Cook

Can you imagine how cool an Elise will look on US roads mixing it with all the SUVs and rice rockets? That thing will turn some heads

Must admit I've been tempted... secondhand 97/98 cars about $18k over here - a lot of fun for the money.

Bryan

Too cool. I was wondering how Lotus was going to add the federally-mandated sidemarkers to the US Elise. They're tiny slivers lining the fenders like the Mini Coopers have. A very elegant solution to that stupid rule.

I am SOOO glad to see that it looks like the Elise might be a success here in the US. I am so sick of every manufacturer NOT selling their best cars here. And the common belief in among automotive marketing consultants that to sell a car in the US it has to be a bloated, gadget-laden lardster. That there are lines around the block for the Elise does my heart good.

The Elise just wins from every angle - it looks sweet, it's a stunning performer, and at the same time returns outstanding fuel economy. The opposite of almost every vehicle on the American roads. It's Toyota engined and mechanically simple, so it should be reliable as well. As sports cars go.

I frequently contemplate putting the 944 and 928 up for sale and getting an Elise. If for no other reason than to say "THANK YOU LOTUS" for being the one car company to NOT treat the US like a country of complete morons.

It's just such an elegant solution for a performance car.

Bryan

scular

Here is a photo for you folks, this one is in my backyard, and yep that is me in the car. The grin on my face lasted for a couple of days from when we first brought it to the house.

http://www.eng.usf.edu/~cular/lotus1.jpg

If anyone is interested it is for sale, for the right price. Or if you want to see more or want to know more about, let me know.

SCular