jbarrow

We (my wife and I) paid 74k+ for our Cayman. PCCB, Sprotchrono and PASM would have added another 10k+.

MickOpalak

Man! You have the worst luck. I've owned two Elises and only had a couple of problems.

I don't think they're that common. They may seem common because people post about them on EliseTalk, but what about the thousands of people who aren't having any problems and not posting that fact on EliseTalk?

LastGT3

How's the elise chasis vis a vis torque capacity? Has Lotus done some mule testing for 350-400hp?
Think that that's a first step to making it durable and competitive to CaymanS and the next gen Cayman RS (or Cayman tuners - ala Cayman GTR @ 405 3.8l).

MickOpalak

How about 400 hp? Lotus Sport Exige

How about 580 hp? Lotus GT1

Both of these use the Elise/Exige chassis with different subframes and bodies, etc.

The chassis used in the Elise and Exige has been professionally raced for almost 10 years now.

Doug&Julie

http://www.farnbacherloles.com/general/news.asp

Cayman GTR to Debut at Sebring 12 Hour
2/13/2006 - Danbury, CT

Farnbacher Loles Motorsports will unveil the Cayman GTR at the legendary 12 Hours of Sebring race weekend, March 15-18. The limited edition GTR has been highly anticipated by both the Porsche faithful and the media. At the heart of the GTR is a Porsche 3.8 liter S or X-51 engine in either 375 hp or 405 hp variations. Drawing on Farnbacher Loles extensive racing success, the GTR also features a unique adjustable suspension designed to work in concert with the sizable increase in power.

From the outside, the GTR is easily identified by the new, aggressive Cup car inspired front end and 19” black center wheels. Farnbacher Loles has also created a proprietary rear spoiler which replaces the stock Cayman unit but still retains the height adjustability. Inside, the GTR displays hand-crafted leather accents to distinguish it from its less powerful siblings.

The GTR can be ordered as a complete vehicle or an existing Cayman can be converted to GTR specs. To learn more about the awesome GTR, contact Roger Garbow at Farnbacher Loles Motorsports, 203.798.2929 or Roger@FarnbacherLoles.com.

LastGT3

Those are are nice - do we have cost or are they priced at CarerraGT levels.
I really question wether a superlight chassis designed to take 190-240hp with no torque can candle 580 hp without extensive re-design - ie that puppy is not the same car you can buy so it is not really comprable. I think Porsche takes yewars of evelution to get a chassis weight to handle power, and so does Lotus. More power = more weight to handle the power.
With power escalation/inflation - I really need to be circumspect about what I spend my dough on.

The Lotus Exige Sport is a race car 1-off, using a racing tranny and a carbon fibre body - Think that Lotus will sell you one for the price of a CaymanS or even the cost of 997GT3? Keep dreaming.
Same with that LotusGT1 - a one off.

If you want to use race examples withy fully modified non-stock non street chassis - start with Ruff and move up the food chain.

I am not against the lotus per say, but really, it got its hat handed to it that article in R&T by over 2 seconds against the luxo caymanS - not good at all.
Lotus needs power now.

MickOpalak

The Sport Exige was created for a private customer and pricing information was never released. Rumor has the price somewhere between a Carrera GT and an Enzo. Several of the Elise GT1 cars were made for the street and they were priced around $645,000.

I don't think you understand my last post. It is, in fact, the SAME chassis that's in the Elise/Exige. No redesign.

Very true, but Lotus' chassis can already handle the 580 hp.

Absolutely, but that's not the point at all. You asked if the Exige chassis could handle more power and I gave you two examples. Simple as that. Now if you want to discuss what you can afford to drive on the street, let's start with how much you're planning on spending?

Again, those two examples do indeed have non-modified, streetable chassis.

There's an old saying that more power in a sports car is never too much, and I agree to some extent. However, I don't think the Exige 'got its hat handed to it' in the C&D article. For example, the article states: "...the Exige hunkers down and sticks to the track like quick-dry paint.", "...the Exige was quicker in the twisty sections and handled directional changes as deftly as a ferret chasing a rat through a maze.", "...Lotus makes no attempt to pretend that Exige is anything but an instrument for enhancing your act at the track. And within that narrow context, the Exige is a champ.". About the Cayman S the article said "...but on Road Atlanta's Turn 12, the fast downhill right hander onto the front straight, it was far from glued. Hanging on by its toenails is more like it. In contrast to the Exige, trying to keep the Cayman's throttle open in that turn was an exercise in peril. Where the Exige felt stable, the Porsche was comparatively loose."

pstoppani

The Exige was on r-compound tires. I'd guess the Cayman would "stick like quick-dry paint" on the same 048R tires.

pstoppani

Those cars have full race cages in them which greatly stiffen the chassis. It isn't clear how much power a completely stock Elise chassis can handle.

MickOpalak

And I'd guess that the Exige would beat the Cayman down the long back straight if it had the Cayman's engine. You can play what-ifs all day but I'm gonna stick to the article as it was published.

MickOpalak

The fine folks at ForceFed will sell you a turbo kit for the Elise or Exige that produces 400 hp and doesn't require any additional chassis stiffening. The cages added to the race cars are for driver safety.

LastGT3

Hey - no argument from me ..those are one-offs and you are correct they had that extra power mounted in them. However, do you think i would risk my cash on that chassis designed for one power output and then shove 580hp in it and pray. Then again, I expect my car to take hard use with fixing an perhaps I have unfair expectations.
If I do not care if the Lotus Sport or GT1 lasts 100,000miles, sure a disposable fun car. But thats why I like the porsche engineering evolution and factory warranty in the Porsche.
More specifically on that C&D , I think the actual track analysis speaks for itself at p.78 C&D. That CaymanS was running the same street tires I run on the track, Michelin PSII's - a non-R tire for this C&D test.
Somebody will need to confirm the Exige tire Yoko Advan A048 spec vs the PSII's - If that A048 is an R tire - it is worth about 3 seconds at my track. Tirerack says the Yoko Advan A048 is "The ADVAN A048 is Yokohama's DOT-Legal Competition tire designed for the drivers of vehicles who participate in autocross competition, track schools, lapping days and circuit-type club racing."
Ouch - it seems that that lotus will be an additional 3 seconds slower if the CaymanS was running its comprable R-compound DOT tires, MPSC (Michelin Pilot Sport Cups)..
So, again, the only issue here is that we differ in perspective, and I respect the lotus, it is light, feels light and its bare to the essentials.
I respect the CaymanS since it is entire package and seems to me, not fair compraison to the Lotus Exige- The CayaS is heavyweight with different feel and street luxuries - that you pay for with price differnce.
The Ariel Atom is the right car to comprare to an Exige - stripped and bare bones. I would love to know if such a comparison test exists.
Hey, its only my $0.02 since I do not own either but have run against the Exige with about the honda motor (as C&D says at p.77 "I wish Lotus had used the honda powertrain".) and can tell you it needs Power, about 100hp to be competitive.
Again, I think the CaymanS needs power as well- a GT3 motor pretty please.

pstoppani

1) I think changing tires is wee bit differnt than changing engines.
2) Any serious track junkie will put R-Compounds on their Cayman (I know I will)

Tires are more important than just about anything you can do to your car for maximizing performance. To dismiss the tire difference is a bit naive.

pstoppani

1) No one knows the how well the Elise handles that power; just because it can be done does not mean it is a good idea.

2) Yes, cages are primarily for driver safety, but they for a fact have a significant chassis stiffening side-effect that cannot be dismissed.

MickOpalak

I am not dismissing the difference. I don't think you're seeing my point. I'm just trying to keep the conversation to the article and the test as it was done. I want to try to stay away from adding any possible mods into the mix. That being said, the test was conducted with both cars running on their stock tires. Tires put on at the factory. If Lotus chose a street legal R-compound tire and Porsche chose a different compound tire, that's how they should be tested.