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Impressions from first track day with Elise

2K views 7 replies 7 participants last post by  Gunpilot 
#1 ·
I attended the TrackDaze two day HPDE at VIR (Full Course) over the weekend. It was my first track day at VIR, my first track day in a Lotus and my first track day overall in about five years.

Wow.

I drove my 2008 Elise SC 60th Anniversary Edition two hours to VIR Friday night, met up with my dad (in my mother's F10 M5) and got inspected and checked into the hotel. Saturday was "Game On" right from the get-go. Frankly, I was intimidated at the start by the speeds on the Climbing Esses section of the track. On my third lap, I spun @ about 120mph after putting in too much steering angle while cresting the second to last bump:eek:. I ended up off the track after scrubbing off a lot of speed on the pavement and the car was fine. After that, I was damn sure to have a negligible steering angle on the crests!

I was stunned by the power and handling combination available from the car. On the Grand Course, there are three straights, and I was amazed at the pulling power of the car through 125+mph. In the corners, by the second day I was hitting the right lines carrying some incredible speed. I have the bruises on my legs to show for it.

For the last two runs, I swapped cars with my dad. You would have been hard pressed to find two more polar opposite vehicles at the track than my Elise and a 4400lb 550hp F10 M5. My times were almost certainly better in the M5, but that's because the track configuration favored big HP over lightness. I might add that my dad, a BMW CCA instructor and SCCA racer from the 1990s, had a massive sh!t-eating grin on his face after his first session in the Elise. After the second (and last for our run group) session, he didn't come back in. I started imaging him planting the Elise into a guard rail, but about three minutes later he showed up. It turns out he "accidentally" stayed on for an extra lap, and when he got out of the car, he was muttering about maybe getting an Elise and spending time at the track again.

I then drove the car two hours home and it is back to its daily driver role today.

Amazing.
 
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#2 ·
Surprised the M5 was still faster even with you having an SC Elise.
 
#5 ·
It's hard to say for certain -we didn't have live timing gear in either car. In any case, with my father driving the M5 and me in the Lotus, we were closely matched at the end. In the beginning, he was faster -not surprising since he knew the course already and has a ton of track experience.

My first session in the M5 was marred by a tire problem and rain -I'm sure I had been faster in the Lotus. But in the second session the rain was done, the tire was (mostly) resolved and I was getting more comfortable with the barge.

I am sure that if we had been running the Grand Course or one of the other tighter configurations instead of the Full Course, the Lotus would have bested the M5. But the three long straights (Back, Front, Climbing Esses) were gobbled up by the M5 topping 145mph.
 
#4 ·
Nice write up! Sounds like a very cool day. It is always more fun with someone there that you know. If you don't have harnesses, that will also resolve the bruising issue. A good harness setup will keep you from moving around at all so you don't use your knee for support.
 
#6 ·
Still surprises me after all these years the Elise/Exige (well, Evora, too) have been here, people still don't know anything about them. Lotus seriously needs better marketing. Literally one test drive and you'll be hooked. Hell, I even sold an Exige for the dealer once. rotfl
 
#7 ·
Fantastic write up. Thanks. Btw, if you live in the Northeast, we're doing another track day at Watkins Glen on July 1st with the Mercedes Club. Last year was a friggin' blast and we had a good Lotus turnout. Cost is $285. PM me if you're interested and I'll get you pointed towards the registration form.
 
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