C&D Lightning Lap: 22 cars; 4 categories. Setting: VIR. Elise SC featured!

[evomind]

Originally Posted by fitfan

haven't read it yet either - but i can assure you that they poked about in the elise as allways... i guess they don't get enough advertising dollars to but decent drivers in the lotus cars?

hmmmm....conspiracy theorist?
though its a very cool car, maybe the lotus just isn't the end all, be all...

[EricH]

Originally Posted by lotusforsale

According to Lotus' current website, both the Exige S and S240 have the 195's in front, 225's in rear... I guess a current owner will chime in on the S240 tires...

My 240 - Ordered early May 2008, came with:
· Front Wheels/6J x 16 - 195/50R16
· Rear Wheels/7.5J x 17 - 225/45R17
· Yokohama Advan Neova A048 LTS Ultra Performance Tires

Same as stated on the official Lotus site.

[Bavarian Motorist]

I know the sizes of the tires are the same, but I thought Lotus stuck a narrower front wheel on the Exiges as well...

[evomind]

Originally Posted by Bavarian Motorist

I know the sizes of the tires are the same, but I thought Lotus stuck a narrower front wheel on the Exiges as well...

maybe to save weight!!

[Pedalpusher]

I thought I'd add this info for those that haven't looked, the peak speed reached by the different cars on the front straight:

06 NA Elise reached 119 mph
07 Exige S reached 124 mph
08 Elise SC reached 124 mph

This just shows that the SC Elise was making proper power, the slow lap times were due to something other than horsepower.

[Bavarian Motorist]

Originally Posted by evomind

maybe to save weight!!

Go ahead and say it. You think Eliges are little girl cars suitable only for girly men

[evomind]

Originally Posted by Bavarian Motorist

Go ahead and say it. You think Eliges are little girl cars suitable only for girly men

i didnt say it....you did..
once upon a time b4 your 7500 posts, i used to have an elise.
very cool car, fun to drive.....

[Bavarian Motorist]

Yeah, but then you realized it's too soft and not hardcore enough

[evomind]

Originally Posted by Bavarian Motorist

Yeah, but then you realized it's too soft and not hardcore enough

hmmm...again, your words..

is this how YOU feel, BM?

[Bavarian Motorist]

That's not my feeling at all. That's my interpretation of your posts over a long period of time! You know if you stated your thoughts explicitly a lot of people here would get butt hurt....lol

[evomind]

Originally Posted by Bavarian Motorist

That's not my feeling at all. That's my interpretation of your posts over a long period of time! You know if you stated your thoughts explicitly a lot of people here would get butt hurt....lol

Sigmund would beg to differ!
i think the elise/exiges are very cool cars. i just dont think they are the greatest cars ever built by mankind. i also dont think they are the only car thats "fun" to drive.
i do admit i snickered when i read the cobalt ss beat the lotus....
when are you guys having the big bonfire to burn every issue of car and driver?

[davecarama]

I dunno if the LSS suspension would make things that much faster/slower. The only difference is the ability to raise/lower the ride height and the stiffer shocks right? The tires for certain would, as would a jackass behind the wheel... that would make a difference for sure.

I have base suspension and I am just as fast as the LSS guys. Some of the other guys in my car in others prefer the softer shocks. I think either way, the car can use a little stiffining. looking at the photos, the car leans so bad, it looks like a clown car reaching for dear life for the pavement.

With the extra boost of the SC, I am sure I could get better track times in the SC over my Elise. It is the straights that I feel are the worst part for our cars. We are like Miatas, great in the turns, but not fast enough in the straights.

THAT SAID,
Usually only the Porche 911s, Caymens, Corvettes, and very track prepped BMWs, are faster at a track like VIR, and only in the straights.

I didn't read the artical, doubt I will, but there has to be some other info we are missing out on. How much time did they have in each car, stuff like that. The Elise is not an easy car to drive at it's limits unless you have a little bit of experience in it.

My 2 cents contributed.

Dave

[Bavarian Motorist]

The track pack offers adjustable suspension. LSS suspension is just stiffer springs.

All that info. is in the article.

[fitfan]

Originally Posted by evomind

hmmmm....conspiracy theorist?
though its a very cool car, maybe the lotus just isn't the end all, be all...

nope rationalist

i don't anyone that thinks its the "be all car"? ..thats the great thing about it is that it is NOT the be all ultimate car.

my point is that all the mags turned amazing times when the cars hit the us, then they (amazingly) dropped off in performance. why? my resoning is that the press was excited and gave the cars a fair shake before the editors realized they were not getting any advertising dollars from lotus. and - the big amercian car mag's only purpose in life is to sell advertising. honestly - if nissan stops pumping money in, it wouldn't suprise me if the gt-r gets slower over the years...

there are some guys here that track VIR a lot - i am sure they will be a little puzzled as well at that test.

i could really car less though - i am not a fan of the us car mags - i like my car just fine.

[Bavarian Motorist]

The primary reason for drop in performance is the changing from A048 to AD07 tires AND the smaller front wheels for '08.



Early Elises and Exiges turned in wicked numbers in the past; I've seen as high as 1:06g skidpad numbers recorded. That's what got Lotus recognition in the Elige.

[FLuXeXigeS]

my 07 S came with LSS, 6.5 front wheels and the A048s...in most magazine reviews the reports were positive

as turbophil mentioned...dropping to 6.0" front wheels, using Ad07s and not using LSS suspension is just dumb for a car thats suppose to be mostly about its handling

noone is at fault except for Lotus

[mopho]

Originally Posted by fitfan

nope rationalist

i don't anyone that thinks its the "be all car"? ..thats the great thing about it is that it is NOT the be all ultimate car.

my point is that all the mags turned amazing times when the cars hit the us, then they (amazingly) dropped off in performance. why? my resoning is that the press was excited and gave the cars a fair shake before the editors realized they were not getting any advertising dollars from lotus. and - the big amercian car mag's only purpose in life is to sell advertising. honestly - if nissan stops pumping money in, it wouldn't suprise me if the gt-r gets slower over the years...

there are some guys here that track VIR a lot - i am sure they will be a little puzzled as well at that test.

i could really car less though - i am not a fan of the us car mags - i like my car just fine.

You absolutely don't know what you are talking about

[Darth G-F]

Originally Posted by fitfan

my point is that all the mags turned amazing times when the cars hit the us, then they (amazingly) dropped off in performance. why? .

I remember the first Elises all did around 13,3 @ 103mph in the 1/4.

Then came the ExigeS and I remember, R&T have actually slower ETs and trap speed than the Elise!

One magazine (C&D I think) had the ExigeS at 12.8sec and 108mph. Seems more realist.

I haven't seen any test for the 240S, but I'd be curious to see how it does according to magazines...

[FLuXeXigeS]

^ i think i noticed that as well, one mag i think R&T had the S at 13.6seconds i was like WTF?

[Bavarian Motorist]

I really doubt the mags receive advertising money from the companies...


I think some of the articles are biased, but that's reflective of the author's bias, not the magazines.