pcar964

Exactly

LastGT3

MickOpalak - The Exige already has a great motor, it just needs the other half of 3.6 to bring it 340hp!.
Just joking -Its just hard to compare a light weight to a middleweight in the ring, they both have pros and cons.

MickOpalak

Actually, doubling the Exige's engine size to 3.6 liters would (theorically) increase horse power to 380 bhp and give it a better power-to-weight ratio than a Ferrari 430, Lamborghini Gallardo or C6 Z06.

GrantG

Although by doubling the motor's size and power you'd be adding a bunch of weight too: bigger motor (wouldn't be a 4-cyl anymore), beefier tranny, axles, wheels, tires, brakes, engine and tranny cooling, chassis stiffening, etc.

I think this is one reason that the most common hi-po mod on the Elise is a Turbo or Supercharger, but that spoils it for me somewhat.

Makes me appreciate my 73 911 that has 50hp and 60 ft-lbs more than the Elise/Exige (with all the beefy parts) but still weighs 100 lbs less...

LastGT3

Yep - I was waiting for my math to be corrected.
If lotus builds it nat aspirated, I'll certainly look at it at 380hp.

MickOpalak

Wow. All of that power in an early 911 without any of the modern electronic nannies must sure be a handful at the limit.

DanH

The Elise isn't exactly a bed of roses at the limit either

blk on blk

call me crazy here, but they need the electronics and things in these cars. Face it most people who buy these things cannot drive them at a level of expertise without the help of these things. With so much power and so little time to react, and probably lacking the skill to react properly it is a must have not just for those driving the sportscar, but also those who will be hit by the out of control 400 hp rig heading for them.

Bob Rouleau

Blk - as someone said you can't walk in and buy a Lear jet and fly it home without a certification and license. Perhaps its time for a supercar license.

Bob

Phokaioglaukos

That's what I'm seeking at PCA DEs!

cosmos

Bob,

It is very much time for a supercar license.

Certification is a must for any super car and the GT3 is certainly a supercar.

I thought I remembered reading somewhere that when the Turbo first came out, Porsche would not sell it in Europe without first going to a Porsche driving school.

GrantG

Actually, it is wonderful at the limit. It took me literally 2 years to get comfortable with it, but now it is the smoothest and most controllable car I've ever driven at the limit. It can be easily drifted at any slip angle (up to around 75 degrees) with ease. The rear engine (higher polar moment) makes it considerably more docile and forgiving than the mid-engined Elise at the limit. The Toyo RA-1 tires help alot too (very forgiving breakaway traits).

rockitman

You mean the "Easy Button" ?

MickOpalak

How have you updated the chassis/suspension? Everything I've ever read about the early 911s was that they were prone to sudden, uncontrollable snap oversteer, yet yours does not.

DanH

Don't believe everything you read

As Grant says, high polar moment brakes away slower than a low polar moment car like the Elise. Think about how hard it is to spin a broom handle you are holding in the middle with a mass on each end. Now contrast that to a broom handle with the mass mounted in the middle. Of course it takes longer to slow down the stick with the weights on the end, but everything happens slower giving you more time to react. Also the Elise has a pretty short wheelbase and narrow track which don't help matters.

p.s. I had an Elise 2 years and I'm not trying to slam the car, but to me that was the embodiment of snap liftoff oversteer. Mine had a k series, so it didn't have the grunt for power oversteer.