[LotusManDan]

What are some affordability upgrades i can preform to my 05 Elise to gain some horse power and semi set myself up to be turbo or super charger friendly. Either may be a possibility in the future.

When i bought the car the sales guy "who was not a lotus dealer" said it had upgraded exhaust but it looks stock to me. Now other than my own lotus i have not been to up close and personal with and Elise to be educated. Is there a easy give away to with our removing the under shield? a full exhaust may be my first step.

 

[Almighty]

Welcome!

I can't say there is much when it comes to "affordable" upgrades to my knowledge. Maybe an ECU reflash? I doubt it will net much however.

 

[jack9148]

The "NA" tunes out there give about a 10 HP, but more usable power across all rpms - notably lowering the point at which the high rpm cam kicks on. For what you get, I think they are priced well. If power is really what you want, just save up for a supercharger kit.

If you want to go faster without spending a lot of money, get lighter. And get good tires. That's the Colin Champman thing to do anyway...

 

[LotusManDan]

Will i see notable performance on an exhaust replacement?
If i did exhaust i would probably do a full system including header unless it pointless?

 

[dief]

I did see a noticeable difference in response by installing a free flowing exhaust (Milltek with hollowed cat) and lighter. It's a fairly affordable upgrade and does improve it. I don't have hp numbers to prove, but some say a free flowing exhaust can add 6-7hp? I think the seat of the pants feel is more important indicator though than a <10hp gain.

 

[Harix]

Lighten your car. 10 lb = 1 hp.

 

[fitfan]

there is no HP gain from an aftermarket exhaust. if you want more power - just get one of the S/C and tune options available. once you are pumping more air, and you can tune... then things like an exhaust can make some difference.

i have FF header and the a muffler, but more for weight reasons. - that and the battery took about 60lbs out the rear!

 

[qu1Z]

The Larini SE (sports exhaust) claims to add 5 HP, but that's the only exhaust out there that makes that claim without having a tune to go with it.

Like everyone has said, shave some weight off the car by switching to a lighter exhaust, decat, remove heatshield and then add heat wrap, etc. Headers are good, but everything will need a tune to maximize the performance. Drop in filters/air filters wont do much except make the sound nicer.

 

[LiveToDrive]

Surprisingly on these motors there is very little aftermarket support for N/A upgrades. If this is was a Honda engine then you'd have all kinds of options to get a few HP here and there such as intake manifolds, throttle bodies, lightweight pulleys, etc.

I think once people saw what a little boost does to these motors all that stuff got left behind.

 

[<@¿@>]

Lighten your car. 10 lb = 1 hp.

Can I see the whole analysis on that? The units don't work out.

 

[<@¿@>]

there is no HP gain from an aftermarket exhaust.

That is a false statement! Just about any exhaust will gain you power...just from removing the catalytic converter. Now, just about any intake, will NOT gain you any HP...

 

[Gregbj8]

The TRD Cup Box intake should add about 4 BHP. No less than Randy Chase (the originator of this site) said that was dyno verified.

 

[<@¿@>]

The TRD Cup Box intake should add about 4 BHP. No less than Randy Chase (the originator of this site) said that was dyno verified.

The original air filter must have been dirty...

 

[LotusManDan]

I know reducing weight will help your power to weight ratio but reducing the weight is more expensive than adding a super charger.

Affordability items to replace to reduce weight? Keep in mind i take the wife out to supper in this thing removing the passenger seat radio or stuff like that isn't going to fly.

 

[Harix]

Can I see the whole analysis on that? The units don't work out.

1900/190=10. Each horse carry 10 lb.

 

[antinym]

Can I see the whole analysis on that? The units don't work out.

He's just saying that a 2000lb car with a 200hp motor has a 10:1 weight to power ratio.

Thus adding 1 hp or removing 10lb of weight creates identical results in terms of weight to power.

Certainly it doesn't hold up to aerodynamics and inertia calculations, but it is quite Chapmanesque.

 

[antinym]

I know reducing weight will help your power to weight ratio but reducing the weight is more expensive than adding a super charger.

Affordability items to replace to reduce weight? Keep in mind i take the wife out to supper in this thing removing the passenger seat radio or stuff like that isn't going to fly.

There's a good weight loss thread out here.
Exhaust and battery are the biggest and cheaper..ish.
You can remove carpeting, sound deadening, panels, wiper reservoirs, charcoal canisters, AC, lights, fiberglass, etc.. But you're trading cheap for livability.

Seriously, the best bang for the buck is a supercharger.

 

[andy7777]

Last week I was having some corner balancing done by a race shop and the Elise weighed exactly 1904 pounds with a soft top and half a tank of gas. My weight savings were a Tubular cat and exhaust, two piece rotors, Odyssey battery and a few pieces of carpeting pulled out. I was fairly amazed how little the car weighs.

On a NA engine you can get a flash from a couple of sources where the ECU won't unlearn the gains from a lighter exhaust. Turning the switchover point down to 5500 rpm makes the car feel less fast actually but is smoother around a track. Otherwise the engine is pretty optimized as is. In my experience you need to pull out at leat 20 hp on a car like this before you can feel it.

 

[Copple]

My vote is to pick up a used supercharger from the people moving to the Rev300/400. Seems like theres been two for sale within the last few weeks for $2,500ish. Hard to beat the bump in horsepower for the price.

 

[LotusManDan]

I just purchased the car i just want a little gain to extend the honey moon phase till i can recover from the initial purchase and do a turbo or Super charger.