Larry's Lotus Photoblog #5

[LARRY]

The new Mercedes concept car 1/17/13.

Now that's low to the ground...

[fitfan]

Originally Posted by LARRY

The new Mercedes concept car 1/17/13.

Now that's low to the ground...

we have a lot about that project in our gallery, a full size chassis mock up, 3d model environments and smaller scale styling models

[David Craig]

Originally Posted by LARRY

The new Mercedes concept car 1/17/13.

Now that's low to the ground...

It looks like a sports car and a fly went through a transporter device together.

You would know what I'm talking about if you have ever seen the movie The Fly.

[LARRY]

What better way to test a Caterham Supersport on winter tyres, than to attack a snow-covered French mountain? See just how the Supersport reacts on a mountain blast in the dry, and in the white stuff...

Cool video.

Click here:

Video: Caterham Supersport snow road trip video and pictures | evo

[LARRY]

A review of the lighter, more hardcore Lotus Elise roadster, the Club Racer.
Text: Jack Rix / Photos: Otis Clay

What is it?

The Lotus Elise on a diet. Lotus has managed to remove 24kg of weight from somewhere. Unlike other stripped out specials, though, because you get less, you pay less. That makes this the entry-point to Lotus ownership, costing £27,500.

Technical highlights?

The engine is carried over from the cheapest Elise – a 134bhp 1.6-litre Toyota-sourced four-pot to be precise. It doesn’t sound like much on paper, or on full throttle for that matter, but with only 852kg to deal with it’s enough to make brisk progress. There’s no air-con, no stereo and for the first time on an Elise there’s a button marked ‘Sport’ which activates and intermediate setting for the stability control, somewhere between on and completely off. Weight savings come from a smaller motorsport-derived battery, deletion of noise insulation and those lightly-padded body-coloured seats, but claimed performance is identical to the standard car.

What’s it like to drive?

Sublime. Our test route took in 600km of the finest Italian country roads and not at any point did we wish were driving something else. What the Elise does magnificently is carry its speed through the corners, rather than piling it on once you’re past the apex. The small steering wheel squirms in your hands but delivers to them, in minute detail, what’s going on at road level. It’s light just off-centre, but quickly loads up as you up the speed and increase the steering angle. The lack of stereo, air-con or anything else in the interior simply forces you to focus on the experience – and there’s less to go wrong of course.

How does it compare?

Unless you start looking at Caterhams and Atoms, none of the Elise’s roadster rivals, like the MX-5, can match the purity of the driving experience. The Club Racer drives home this advantage. Try something further up the Lotus range and it will seem over-complicated and expensive in comparison.

Anything else I need to know?

With Lotus’ grand plans for bigger, more expensive models – beginning with the Esprit in 2013, it’s refreshing to see it still has one eye on weight reduction. The other advantage of course is that with fuel economy of 45mpg, the Club Racer will cost pennies to run.

[Elige]

Originally Posted by LARRY

The engine is carried over from the cheapest Elise – a 134bhp 1.6-litre Toyota-sourced four-pot to be precise.

Take a car that's already marginally powered and then make it slower. Seems like bad marketing.

[Notorious]

Removing 24kg... and giving it the smaller engine... yeah, that's club racing for ya.

[Vulcan Grey]

That's because Toyota quit making the 2zz, and Lotus had to use the 1zz. Actually I've heard the club racer with the 1zz 1.6L are a pretty nice package, even though they aren't as powerful as the federal version that we got. Don't forget that the UK received a lower power elise 135, and Elise S, along with the 111R with the 2zz. The club racer is actually better than the 135 and S as far as I have heard.

[LARRY]

On the move.

[LotusCC]

Originally Posted by LARRY

David Beckham getting into hot water for checking out the cheerleaders in front of his wife. Ouch.

Lol. She looks pretty pissed


Sent from my iPhone using AutoGuide.com App

[LARRY]

X-Bow.

Way fun and...who needs a windshield anyway?

[LARRY]

Lotus on the track.

[LARRY]

Lotus 2-Eleven.

[LARRY]

Adventador in Paris ready to fly.

[LARRY]

Porsche 356 also in Paris.

[LARRY]

365/26 - Lotus Elise (different angle)

Lotus Elise, tuned and foiled by a local manufacturer, Meilenwerk Düsseldorf, Germany.

Canon EOS 50D
Canon 24-105mm f/4.0 L IS USM
24mm | f/5.6 | 1/200sec. | ISO-400 | -0,66EV
Subject distance: 1.2m

[LARRY]

Lotus Elise S2 - Club ASA -
Sortie Pays basque
Club ASA
Juillet 2012

[LARRY]

Lotus 2 Eleven R ( K20 inside ) - GTRO + Club ASA -

Sortie Circuit Nogaro Club ASA
Lundi 04 Juin 2012

[LARRY]

Ferrari 599XX.

[LARRY]

More of the Ferrari 599XX.