Larry's Lotus Blog {WAS someone delete this please...} - Page 65 - LotusTalk

LARRY · 10-07-2008, 04:21 PM

My WHATfell out?

LARRY · 10-08-2008, 08:12 AM

LARRY · 10-08-2008, 08:12 AM

LARRY · 10-08-2008, 08:13 AM

SAHD · 10-08-2008, 09:41 AM

Now you can say you'll buy her her own Elise for christmas ...

LARRY · 10-08-2008, 09:51 AM

.....

LARRY · 10-08-2008, 02:19 PM

LARRY · 10-08-2008, 02:20 PM

LARRY · 10-08-2008, 02:39 PM

Ben and Amy J.’s Lotus Exige:
“Yokozuna”

This 2007 Supercharged Exige is one of only 300 built for the US. It has optional Chrome Orange paint, Track Pack, Touring Pack, Limited Slip, Traction Control and Star Shield. It was ordered from the factory in England in November of 2006 and delivered to its new home in Texas in February of 2007.
The dash features a 160 MPH speedometer, 10,000 RPM Tach with a maximum 8500 RPMs. The car has a 6-speed gearbox and an on/off switch for the "spark interuption" traction control. It also has a Alpine raidio and speakers with XM, CD/MP3 and iPod connection.
In-car video recording is done with a JVC Everio HDD Camera with ChaseCam mounts. The camera has a 60GB hard drive, but you must use the MicroSD card for driving (vibration cuts off the hard drive.) I use an 8GB card that will record 2 hours of video at the highest quality setting.

MODIFICATIONS:
Sector111 Carbon Fiber Front splitter. (Weighs only 1 pound)
Sector111 Red Folding Tow Loop.
Sector111 Aluminum Carpet Buttons.
LOTUS belt pads.
3M 27% window tint.
Useless center mirror removed. (Blocked by the intercooler)
MultiVex side view mirrors. (as used on Formula 1 cars)
NEW set of Yokohama LTS A048s. (Not a mod, but feels like it!)
iPod Touch 32GB connected to the radio.
PIAA Xtreme White Plus bulbs.

nockpoint · 10-09-2008, 04:59 AM

Paris

LARRY · 10-09-2008, 08:38 AM

Alex’s Lotus Exige

UPDATE!!! She is alive again!!! Initial dyno tuning resulted in a very conservative 267hp/177tq at the wheels. That is right near the 300/200 crank I was looking for and its a very safe tune for the track.

LARRY · 10-09-2008, 08:47 AM

Lotus has revealed its 2009 Exige racer, the Cup 260. It’s a road-homologated two-seater which majors on weight saving, with a useful 38kg lopped off the mass from the current car – taking weight down to 890kg via carbon fibre and lightweight components.

The supercharged 1.8-litre engine remains from the 2008 car, with 257bhp on tap at 8000rpm and 174lb ft at 6000rpm while a power to weight ratio of 288bhp/tonne is achieved. Launch control and traction control systems from the 2-Eleven help to reign the power in.

Top speed is circa 152mph while 0-60mph takes just 4sec, with 100mph reachable in just under ten. Eibach springs are joined by adjustable dampers and front anti-roll bar and dampers, allowing drivers to tweak the car’s handling traits to suit their own driving. The suspension is also equipped to handle hard track day driving and the odd bit of abuse. Brakes-wise, there’s a servo-assisted four-channel ABS system.

If you want one, it’ll set you back £45,995 – with an extra £950 if you want it on the road (delivery, registration, tax and a tank of fuel). It is legal to drive anywhere in the EU. It is also eligible for the 2009 Lotus Cup Europe – a six round, 12 race tournament whose provisional calendar takes in Brands Hatch, Le Mans and Spa.

njcu · 10-09-2008, 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LARRY

Lotus has revealed its 2009 Exige racer, the Cup 260. It’s a road-homologated two-seater which majors on weight saving, with a useful 38kg lopped off the mass from the current car – taking weight down to 890kg via carbon fibre and lightweight components.

Interior looks sweet as hell. I want seats like that.

LARRY · 10-09-2008, 09:33 AM

Jeff’s Lotus 7

2007 Yamaha R1 Powered Locost 7

Car Specifications:

Engine: 2003 Yamaha R1
Horsepower: 160
Transmission: 6-speed sequential
Wheelbase: 92"
Vehicle Weight: 1138 lbs
Wheels: Diamond Racing 13x6 Front 13x7 Rear
Tires: 185/60-13 Front 205/60-13 Rear
Weight Distribution: 40/60 F/R

About the car:

This car started as a CMC Stage 1 kit that I took delivery of in December 2001. It became apparent right away that there were a lot of changes that would be need in order to make it work with my componenets and to strenghen the frame. The original front suspention parts were scraped and new geometery was designed and A-arms fabricated to work with the Mustang II spindles and work with the track of the RX-7 rear axle. The original rear end links were scraped as well in favor of heim jointed links with less binding. A Mumford link was used instead of the panhard bar in order the keep the roll center low enough to compliment the front suspension.

Originally, I had planned to used a Toyota 4AGE engine and 5-speed until...one day I got a ride in a R1 powered Locost at Summit Point Raceway. It was kind of a life changing experience of sorts, as this car was a rocket. All those revs and the sequential box were about the coolest things that I had seen short of a sports racer. I was sold, and found a low mileage R1 engine with fuel injection with everything needed to run it for less than the cost of rebuilding the 4AGE. Not to mention the engine AND transmission together weight just 150 lbs.

The body, with the exception of the fenders and nose, is entirely hand formed from aluminum panels. To save time and money Pre-finished orange panels were used wich worked out well. The panels came with a protective film that allowed them to be shaped without getting damaged.

I am not going to detail the whole project here, but I do have an online build diary that documents the entire project from start to "finish". It can be viewed here:
Project Seven

I spent a little over five years building this car, but it should have been more like two. Life and other priorites have a knack for getting in the way from time to time. With a big push during the course of 2006 the car has finally been declared "finished" as of March 2007. Finished only means that it is presentable and can be safely driven at autocross and track events. It now starts the development process...

The first outing for the car was the weekend of March 10/11 at a Blue Ridge Region SCCA test and tune and autocross event. The car performed flawlessly and had good chracteristics overall with a little bit of understeer being the only glaring problem. The car drove well enough to get FTD for the event, even on hard compound "skinny" DOT R compound tires. I couldn't have been happier with the first outing. The car will hit the track at VIR with NASA at the end of March.

About the driver:

Jeff Underwood has been a long time car nut and has been a regular motorsports participant since 1998. He started autocrossing in '98 and was able to garner four regional CSP championships as well as be awarded regional driver of the year in 2002. Jeff started driving track events as early as 1999. During the course of a few years, as budget allowed, he worked his way though the student ranks and was certified to instruct in 2005. He currently instructs events with Tarheel Sports Car Club, Mid-Atlantic Alfa Romeo Club, BMW CCA, and NASA. Jeff has also been an active participant in the THSCC Time Trial series since 2005 with a few class wins to his credit.

LARRY · 10-09-2008, 01:39 PM

Not rain or sleet or snow stops a Lotus get together...

LARRY · 10-10-2008, 08:12 AM

The new SMART Exige...

LARRY · 10-10-2008, 08:22 AM

In the desert...

LARRY · 10-10-2008, 08:40 AM

THANKS for the new name Randy!

"Larry's Lotus Blog"

I'll have to live up to that name!

And anyone can post car stuff here...

And Randy, congrats on your "Pic of the Day (Some may be slightly NSFW)" thread...

Very cool...

And over 100,000 hits!

LARRY · 10-10-2008, 08:49 AM

steve c’s Lotus Elise:
“Liz”

2005 Lotus Elise

This October, after being on a long, long, long waiting list, my girlfriend and I picked up our brand new, 2005 federal edition Chrome orange Lotus Elise.

As you can clearly tell from this picture, we were supremely dissapointed in the car from the beginning!

Some under-the-hood shots coming soon, but for now just a little vital info on my pocketrocket: its got the Toyota Celica GT-S 4banger (2zzge) engine in it, chipped by Lotus at the factory to make approx 10 more horsepower than the stock Yoda. The i-VVTL engine is a near-perfect match for this car, with its all aluminum construction and redline somewhere north of 8,300 RPM.

When the upper cam engages, the engine note changes entirely and the car sits back and GOES... This is one fast little car.

Power-to-weight is awsome, and driving this sub-2000 lb car feels like you're glued to the road. Don't get on or off the highway in front of me, 'cause I normally take offramps at about 65 mph...

This car is nearly %100 stock: I do not plan on any insane upgrades, just small discrete touches. Like this interior shot: please notice the Chrome Orange color-matched and painted center console for the e-brake and shift. From the factory, this is a nasty grey plastic color.

This is the interior now, with the sirius sat radio installed on the passenger side. It comes with a remote control, and the display is orange! Excellent!

This car has the touring pack upgrade, with leather seats, A/C, upgraded MP3-cdplayer stereo and insulated softtop.

Additionally, I cut and modified a tankbib (originally for motorcycles) to protect my paint. Check out this product - the material "bows" when gas drips on it, so the gas never even gets close to your finish. EXCELLENT under $20 upgrade for anyone!

As some know, this car has been selling in England for a decade now, but this is the first year it has arrived in America. Most people have been on waiting lists for +2 years... I am lucky enough to be the proud owner of car #312 (out of approx. 2,500 - 3,500 this model year) in the USA!

Note the fact there are no bumpers - Lotus received a US Federal safety waiver to sell the car w/o them for this model year only... so the look of the car will be changed somewhat for the 2006 year. I wonder how different that will look?! Personally, I love the look without bumpers... But each time I drive it, I have to park in the "walk-a-mile" section of the parking lots to avoid SUVs ... the all-fiberglass body could be easily shredded in a simple parking lot fender-bender!

As you can see, my wheels are now powder-coated black... Keeping them clean with the aggressive breaks on this car was too much hassle for me. This is a cheap, easy solution.

Sticker price on this car, brand new, was $40,000. Most people choose at least one of the four main options, though (sport pack, touring pack, upgraded paint, color-matched hardtop), and walk out the door of the dealership with an incredible sports car and a wallet thats $45k lighter!

LARRY · 10-10-2008, 09:15 AM

It's Friday! Let's celebrate with "Girls from the Pits"!

10-07-2008, 04:21 PM	#1281 (permalink)
LARRY It's a Lotus Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Beverly Hills, Ca. Posts: 12,200	My WHATfell out? Attached Images __________________ 2005 Saffron Yellow Elise, Sports & Touring Packages, Hard Top, Stage II Exhaust, '07 Probax leather seats. Los Angeles Lotus Service by Qais at 310-200-0022. "We know they're magical and worth every minute we spend on them. The whole Lotus owners' world is like a secret handshake among people who understand that." (R&T)

10-08-2008, 08:12 AM	#1282 (permalink)
LARRY It's a Lotus Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Beverly Hills, Ca. Posts: 12,200	. Attached Images __________________ 2005 Saffron Yellow Elise, Sports & Touring Packages, Hard Top, Stage II Exhaust, '07 Probax leather seats. Los Angeles Lotus Service by Qais at 310-200-0022. "We know they're magical and worth every minute we spend on them. The whole Lotus owners' world is like a secret handshake among people who understand that." (R&T)

10-08-2008, 08:12 AM	#1283 (permalink)
LARRY It's a Lotus Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Beverly Hills, Ca. Posts: 12,200	.. Attached Images __________________ 2005 Saffron Yellow Elise, Sports & Touring Packages, Hard Top, Stage II Exhaust, '07 Probax leather seats. Los Angeles Lotus Service by Qais at 310-200-0022. "We know they're magical and worth every minute we spend on them. The whole Lotus owners' world is like a secret handshake among people who understand that." (R&T)

10-08-2008, 08:13 AM	#1284 (permalink)
LARRY It's a Lotus Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Beverly Hills, Ca. Posts: 12,200	... Attached Images __________________ 2005 Saffron Yellow Elise, Sports & Touring Packages, Hard Top, Stage II Exhaust, '07 Probax leather seats. Los Angeles Lotus Service by Qais at 310-200-0022. "We know they're magical and worth every minute we spend on them. The whole Lotus owners' world is like a secret handshake among people who understand that." (R&T)

10-08-2008, 09:41 AM	#1285 (permalink)
SAHD Brits Abroad Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: North NJ Posts: 17	Now you can say you'll buy her her own Elise for christmas ... Attached Images __________________ 2007 Lotus Elise 72d 2006 Honda Odyssey E-XL 1989 Honda Civic 1.4 (LX!) ... Am I married with kids, or what?

10-08-2008, 09:51 AM	#1286 (permalink)
LARRY It's a Lotus Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Beverly Hills, Ca. Posts: 12,200	..... Attached Images __________________ 2005 Saffron Yellow Elise, Sports & Touring Packages, Hard Top, Stage II Exhaust, '07 Probax leather seats. Los Angeles Lotus Service by Qais at 310-200-0022. "We know they're magical and worth every minute we spend on them. The whole Lotus owners' world is like a secret handshake among people who understand that." (R&T)

10-08-2008, 02:19 PM	#1287 (permalink)
LARRY It's a Lotus Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Beverly Hills, Ca. Posts: 12,200	... Attached Images __________________ 2005 Saffron Yellow Elise, Sports & Touring Packages, Hard Top, Stage II Exhaust, '07 Probax leather seats. Los Angeles Lotus Service by Qais at 310-200-0022. "We know they're magical and worth every minute we spend on them. The whole Lotus owners' world is like a secret handshake among people who understand that." (R&T)

10-08-2008, 02:20 PM	#1288 (permalink)
LARRY It's a Lotus Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Beverly Hills, Ca. Posts: 12,200	.. Attached Images __________________ 2005 Saffron Yellow Elise, Sports & Touring Packages, Hard Top, Stage II Exhaust, '07 Probax leather seats. Los Angeles Lotus Service by Qais at 310-200-0022. "We know they're magical and worth every minute we spend on them. The whole Lotus owners' world is like a secret handshake among people who understand that." (R&T)

10-08-2008, 02:39 PM	#1289 (permalink)
LARRY It's a Lotus Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Beverly Hills, Ca. Posts: 12,200	Ben and Amy J.’s Lotus Exige: “Yokozuna” This 2007 Supercharged Exige is one of only 300 built for the US. It has optional Chrome Orange paint, Track Pack, Touring Pack, Limited Slip, Traction Control and Star Shield. It was ordered from the factory in England in November of 2006 and delivered to its new home in Texas in February of 2007. The dash features a 160 MPH speedometer, 10,000 RPM Tach with a maximum 8500 RPMs. The car has a 6-speed gearbox and an on/off switch for the "spark interuption" traction control. It also has a Alpine raidio and speakers with XM, CD/MP3 and iPod connection. In-car video recording is done with a JVC Everio HDD Camera with ChaseCam mounts. The camera has a 60GB hard drive, but you must use the MicroSD card for driving (vibration cuts off the hard drive.) I use an 8GB card that will record 2 hours of video at the highest quality setting. MODIFICATIONS: Sector111 Carbon Fiber Front splitter. (Weighs only 1 pound) Sector111 Red Folding Tow Loop. Sector111 Aluminum Carpet Buttons. LOTUS belt pads. 3M 27% window tint. Useless center mirror removed. (Blocked by the intercooler) MultiVex side view mirrors. (as used on Formula 1 cars) NEW set of Yokohama LTS A048s. (Not a mod, but feels like it!) iPod Touch 32GB connected to the radio. PIAA Xtreme White Plus bulbs. Attached Images __________________ 2005 Saffron Yellow Elise, Sports & Touring Packages, Hard Top, Stage II Exhaust, '07 Probax leather seats. Los Angeles Lotus Service by Qais at 310-200-0022. "We know they're magical and worth every minute we spend on them. The whole Lotus owners' world is like a secret handshake among people who understand that." (R&T)

10-09-2008, 04:59 AM	#1290 (permalink)
nockpoint Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 687	Paris Attached Images

10-09-2008, 08:38 AM	#1291 (permalink)
LARRY It's a Lotus Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Beverly Hills, Ca. Posts: 12,200	Alex’s Lotus Exige UPDATE!!! She is alive again!!! Initial dyno tuning resulted in a very conservative 267hp/177tq at the wheels. That is right near the 300/200 crank I was looking for and its a very safe tune for the track. Attached Images __________________ 2005 Saffron Yellow Elise, Sports & Touring Packages, Hard Top, Stage II Exhaust, '07 Probax leather seats. Los Angeles Lotus Service by Qais at 310-200-0022. "We know they're magical and worth every minute we spend on them. The whole Lotus owners' world is like a secret handshake among people who understand that." (R&T)

10-09-2008, 08:47 AM	#1292 (permalink)
LARRY It's a Lotus Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Beverly Hills, Ca. Posts: 12,200	Lotus has revealed its 2009 Exige racer, the Cup 260. It’s a road-homologated two-seater which majors on weight saving, with a useful 38kg lopped off the mass from the current car – taking weight down to 890kg via carbon fibre and lightweight components. The supercharged 1.8-litre engine remains from the 2008 car, with 257bhp on tap at 8000rpm and 174lb ft at 6000rpm while a power to weight ratio of 288bhp/tonne is achieved. Launch control and traction control systems from the 2-Eleven help to reign the power in. Top speed is circa 152mph while 0-60mph takes just 4sec, with 100mph reachable in just under ten. Eibach springs are joined by adjustable dampers and front anti-roll bar and dampers, allowing drivers to tweak the car’s handling traits to suit their own driving. The suspension is also equipped to handle hard track day driving and the odd bit of abuse. Brakes-wise, there’s a servo-assisted four-channel ABS system. If you want one, it’ll set you back £45,995 – with an extra £950 if you want it on the road (delivery, registration, tax and a tank of fuel). It is legal to drive anywhere in the EU. It is also eligible for the 2009 Lotus Cup Europe – a six round, 12 race tournament whose provisional calendar takes in Brands Hatch, Le Mans and Spa. Attached Images __________________ 2005 Saffron Yellow Elise, Sports & Touring Packages, Hard Top, Stage II Exhaust, '07 Probax leather seats. Los Angeles Lotus Service by Qais at 310-200-0022. "We know they're magical and worth every minute we spend on them. The whole Lotus owners' world is like a secret handshake among people who understand that." (R&T)

10-09-2008, 09:33 AM	#1294 (permalink)
LARRY It's a Lotus Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Beverly Hills, Ca. Posts: 12,200	Jeff’s Lotus 7 2007 Yamaha R1 Powered Locost 7 Car Specifications: Engine: 2003 Yamaha R1 Horsepower: 160 Transmission: 6-speed sequential Wheelbase: 92" Vehicle Weight: 1138 lbs Wheels: Diamond Racing 13x6 Front 13x7 Rear Tires: 185/60-13 Front 205/60-13 Rear Weight Distribution: 40/60 F/R About the car: This car started as a CMC Stage 1 kit that I took delivery of in December 2001. It became apparent right away that there were a lot of changes that would be need in order to make it work with my componenets and to strenghen the frame. The original front suspention parts were scraped and new geometery was designed and A-arms fabricated to work with the Mustang II spindles and work with the track of the RX-7 rear axle. The original rear end links were scraped as well in favor of heim jointed links with less binding. A Mumford link was used instead of the panhard bar in order the keep the roll center low enough to compliment the front suspension. Originally, I had planned to used a Toyota 4AGE engine and 5-speed until...one day I got a ride in a R1 powered Locost at Summit Point Raceway. It was kind of a life changing experience of sorts, as this car was a rocket. All those revs and the sequential box were about the coolest things that I had seen short of a sports racer. I was sold, and found a low mileage R1 engine with fuel injection with everything needed to run it for less than the cost of rebuilding the 4AGE. Not to mention the engine AND transmission together weight just 150 lbs. The body, with the exception of the fenders and nose, is entirely hand formed from aluminum panels. To save time and money Pre-finished orange panels were used wich worked out well. The panels came with a protective film that allowed them to be shaped without getting damaged. I am not going to detail the whole project here, but I do have an online build diary that documents the entire project from start to "finish". It can be viewed here: Project Seven I spent a little over five years building this car, but it should have been more like two. Life and other priorites have a knack for getting in the way from time to time. With a big push during the course of 2006 the car has finally been declared "finished" as of March 2007. Finished only means that it is presentable and can be safely driven at autocross and track events. It now starts the development process... The first outing for the car was the weekend of March 10/11 at a Blue Ridge Region SCCA test and tune and autocross event. The car performed flawlessly and had good chracteristics overall with a little bit of understeer being the only glaring problem. The car drove well enough to get FTD for the event, even on hard compound "skinny" DOT R compound tires. I couldn't have been happier with the first outing. The car will hit the track at VIR with NASA at the end of March. About the driver: Jeff Underwood has been a long time car nut and has been a regular motorsports participant since 1998. He started autocrossing in '98 and was able to garner four regional CSP championships as well as be awarded regional driver of the year in 2002. Jeff started driving track events as early as 1999. During the course of a few years, as budget allowed, he worked his way though the student ranks and was certified to instruct in 2005. He currently instructs events with Tarheel Sports Car Club, Mid-Atlantic Alfa Romeo Club, BMW CCA, and NASA. Jeff has also been an active participant in the THSCC Time Trial series since 2005 with a few class wins to his credit. Attached Images __________________ 2005 Saffron Yellow Elise, Sports & Touring Packages, Hard Top, Stage II Exhaust, '07 Probax leather seats. Los Angeles Lotus Service by Qais at 310-200-0022. "We know they're magical and worth every minute we spend on them. The whole Lotus owners' world is like a secret handshake among people who understand that." (R&T)

10-09-2008, 01:39 PM	#1295 (permalink)
LARRY It's a Lotus Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Beverly Hills, Ca. Posts: 12,200	Not rain or sleet or snow stops a Lotus get together... Attached Images __________________ 2005 Saffron Yellow Elise, Sports & Touring Packages, Hard Top, Stage II Exhaust, '07 Probax leather seats. Los Angeles Lotus Service by Qais at 310-200-0022. "We know they're magical and worth every minute we spend on them. The whole Lotus owners' world is like a secret handshake among people who understand that." (R&T)

10-10-2008, 08:12 AM	#1296 (permalink)
LARRY It's a Lotus Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Beverly Hills, Ca. Posts: 12,200	The new SMART Exige... Attached Images __________________ 2005 Saffron Yellow Elise, Sports & Touring Packages, Hard Top, Stage II Exhaust, '07 Probax leather seats. Los Angeles Lotus Service by Qais at 310-200-0022. "We know they're magical and worth every minute we spend on them. The whole Lotus owners' world is like a secret handshake among people who understand that." (R&T)

10-10-2008, 08:22 AM	#1297 (permalink)
LARRY It's a Lotus Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Beverly Hills, Ca. Posts: 12,200	In the desert... Attached Images __________________ 2005 Saffron Yellow Elise, Sports & Touring Packages, Hard Top, Stage II Exhaust, '07 Probax leather seats. Los Angeles Lotus Service by Qais at 310-200-0022. "We know they're magical and worth every minute we spend on them. The whole Lotus owners' world is like a secret handshake among people who understand that." (R&T)

10-10-2008, 08:40 AM	#1298 (permalink)
LARRY It's a Lotus Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Beverly Hills, Ca. Posts: 12,200	THANKS for the new name Randy! "Larry's Lotus Blog" I'll have to live up to that name! And anyone can post car stuff here... And Randy, congrats on your "Pic of the Day (Some may be slightly NSFW)" thread... Very cool... And over 100,000 hits! __________________ 2005 Saffron Yellow Elise, Sports & Touring Packages, Hard Top, Stage II Exhaust, '07 Probax leather seats. Los Angeles Lotus Service by Qais at 310-200-0022. "We know they're magical and worth every minute we spend on them. The whole Lotus owners' world is like a secret handshake among people who understand that." (R&T) Last edited by LARRY : 10-10-2008 at 09:15 AM.

10-10-2008, 08:49 AM	#1299 (permalink)
LARRY It's a Lotus Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Beverly Hills, Ca. Posts: 12,200	steve c’s Lotus Elise: “Liz” 2005 Lotus Elise This October, after being on a long, long, long waiting list, my girlfriend and I picked up our brand new, 2005 federal edition Chrome orange Lotus Elise. As you can clearly tell from this picture, we were supremely dissapointed in the car from the beginning! Some under-the-hood shots coming soon, but for now just a little vital info on my pocketrocket: its got the Toyota Celica GT-S 4banger (2zzge) engine in it, chipped by Lotus at the factory to make approx 10 more horsepower than the stock Yoda. The i-VVTL engine is a near-perfect match for this car, with its all aluminum construction and redline somewhere north of 8,300 RPM. When the upper cam engages, the engine note changes entirely and the car sits back and GOES... This is one fast little car. Power-to-weight is awsome, and driving this sub-2000 lb car feels like you're glued to the road. Don't get on or off the highway in front of me, 'cause I normally take offramps at about 65 mph... This car is nearly %100 stock: I do not plan on any insane upgrades, just small discrete touches. Like this interior shot: please notice the Chrome Orange color-matched and painted center console for the e-brake and shift. From the factory, this is a nasty grey plastic color. This is the interior now, with the sirius sat radio installed on the passenger side. It comes with a remote control, and the display is orange! Excellent! This car has the touring pack upgrade, with leather seats, A/C, upgraded MP3-cdplayer stereo and insulated softtop. Additionally, I cut and modified a tankbib (originally for motorcycles) to protect my paint. Check out this product - the material "bows" when gas drips on it, so the gas never even gets close to your finish. EXCELLENT under $20 upgrade for anyone! As some know, this car has been selling in England for a decade now, but this is the first year it has arrived in America. Most people have been on waiting lists for +2 years... I am lucky enough to be the proud owner of car #312 (out of approx. 2,500 - 3,500 this model year) in the USA! Note the fact there are no bumpers - Lotus received a US Federal safety waiver to sell the car w/o them for this model year only... so the look of the car will be changed somewhat for the 2006 year. I wonder how different that will look?! Personally, I love the look without bumpers... But each time I drive it, I have to park in the "walk-a-mile" section of the parking lots to avoid SUVs ... the all-fiberglass body could be easily shredded in a simple parking lot fender-bender! As you can see, my wheels are now powder-coated black... Keeping them clean with the aggressive breaks on this car was too much hassle for me. This is a cheap, easy solution. Sticker price on this car, brand new, was $40,000. Most people choose at least one of the four main options, though (sport pack, touring pack, upgraded paint, color-matched hardtop), and walk out the door of the dealership with an incredible sports car and a wallet thats $45k lighter! Attached Images __________________ 2005 Saffron Yellow Elise, Sports & Touring Packages, Hard Top, Stage II Exhaust, '07 Probax leather seats. Los Angeles Lotus Service by Qais at 310-200-0022. "We know they're magical and worth every minute we spend on them. The whole Lotus owners' world is like a secret handshake among people who understand that." (R&T) Last edited by LARRY : 10-10-2008 at 08:56 AM.

10-10-2008, 09:15 AM	#1300 (permalink)
LARRY It's a Lotus Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Beverly Hills, Ca. Posts: 12,200	It's Friday! Let's celebrate with "Girls from the Pits"! Attached Images __________________ 2005 Saffron Yellow Elise, Sports & Touring Packages, Hard Top, Stage II Exhaust, '07 Probax leather seats. Los Angeles Lotus Service by Qais at 310-200-0022. "We know they're magical and worth every minute we spend on them. The whole Lotus owners' world is like a secret handshake among people who understand that." (R&T)