[OneFastLotus]

I personally dont mind the doorsills. When I drove the S1, and sat in the S2, I loved them both!
I enjoy the way the car is set up...its race car. I enjoy the high doorsills, but I see a lot of average joe's saying " yes I think I'll sell my Z3 and get an Elise for daily driving". These same people wont buy a car if it doesnt have cruise control..

I've also had people tell me Im crazy, and that the doorsills cant be any worse than a C4 vette.

Anyway, I'll stop ranting and get to my point. Here's a great reference picture of a doorsill. Now mind you, the US versions sills will be slightly lower, but still, this gives you an excellent reference as to how you sit in the car.


Yes, thats his elbow resting comfortably. I love it!

 

[John Stimson]

I sure hope that they're not lowered! They are high to give the body rigidity. They can't lower them enough to make entry and exit much easier, so I don't think it's worth it.

My only concern about the door sills is giving other people rides. Sure, I can get in and out no problem, but what about my dad or my tall or wide or old friends?

You know how some cars are described as 2+2? I think the Elise is a 1+1

 

[OneFastLotus]

The US car DOES have lowered sills, but I dont recall by how much exactly. They were still pretty high getting in.

 

[Randy Chase]

We can live with high sills and difficult entry...

 

[mikester]

To One Fast Miata, I'm guessing that, unless you've had access to the (presumably ultra, ultra-secret design center buried deep underground at Hethel, England) the car that you're referring to isn't the U.S. version, but the euro-spec S2 that's floating around the dealers ? ;-)

The S2's doorsills are slightly lower than the S1 (in the photo above). The Lotus USA folks that I spoke with early this year indicated that the US version's sills would be lowered further than the S2, but they didn't know or wouldn't say by how much. I, too, hope that they're not, as this can only decrease chassis rigidity and strength.

 

[LarryB]

Think she was refering to the S1 vs S2. This is the first I've heard about the Fed. version having lower sills, guess that would be another clue that it's a new chassis. With a little luck they may be able to keep it as stiff (more cross-members, maybe). Man, I'll be glad when we can stop guessing about this stuff.

 

[bscally]

Getting in and out

There is a good video that shows getting in and out, I believe it is for an S1

As Mentioned the S2 sills are a bit lower than the S1.

when in the UK this summer I took my father in law to test drive an S1, S2 and S2.5

He is rather unfit, (and a bit round these days), and he had no problems with either S2, however getting out of the s1 was a little bit of an issue

I would be surprised about another chassi modification.

Brian

 

[zvezdah1]

The S2 sill was lowered something like 1.25 - 1.5 inches from the S1. Far as I know, the US sill isn't going to be any lower. Amazingly just the relatively small drop in the sill height in the S2 makes ALL the difference in the world getting in/out.

Good pic of the B&C Elise Jenn.
Chris

 

[BrokenR1]

Hehe, that's what I'm talking about Randy. No doors at all and let's go in through the windows, maybe put a gullwing option to make it a hair easier and look good.

 

[OneFastLotus]

Yes I was referring between the difference in the S1 and S2. I was told by someone that works at Lotus the US version will have the same sills as the current Euro S2...I didnt mean to infer that the US version would be lower than that of the current S2.

My pic is of an S1 and I was referring simply to the S2 difference.

 

[OneFastLotus]

PS, the General Lee rocks!

 

[jml1952]

I test drove a Porsche Spyder replica a couple of years ago. It doesn't have any external door latches, but it's so low to the ground that one can step over the door to get into the car. I'm only 5'8" and had no problem with this maneuver. Perhaps it will work in the Elise? After waiting so long to get the car, we may want to eat and sleep in it, which would take care of any issues with getting out of it.

 

[Craigy]

you can jump the door on both an S1 and an S2 - but getting in that way is pretty hard!

Craigy

 

[Craigy]

From the book "Official Lotus Story":

"according to the two design engineers who did the work on the chasis mod for the S2 (taking 50mm out of the sill) the S2 chassis is actually stiffer than the S1!"

x-post from seloc http://forums.seloc.org/viewthread.php?tid=6710

Craigy

 

[demi]

Well, if the sills can be lowered without meaningfully compromising the rigidity of the car, I say all the power to them. What could be wrong with making it easier to get in and out of the car?

 

[blurr]

My only concern about the door sills is giving other people rides. Sure, I can get in and out no problem, but what about my dad or my tall or wide or old friends?

I am a bit over 6 feet tall, 290lbs (I know , wide) I went over to prototype racing to get a ride in Joe's Exige and had no problems getting in and out of the Exige despite Joe's friendly reservations as to weather or not I was getting a ride or not when he first saw me.

Daily driver, I don't know as there was no graceful way for me to exit the Exige. Since the Elise has no roof, I can only guess it is easier to get in and out of.

BTW, that was one comfortable car. Very roomy inside despite the looks of it from the outside.

 

[zvezdah1]

Entry and exit into the Elise with roof off is no problem for me. I'm 6 - 2"

Right you are about the Exige, but if I had a street legal one I could get used to it!!

Chris

 

[Craigy]

I'm 6'1" and have an S1 as my daily drive. It's easy to get in and out of - even with the roof on given a little practise.

Craigy

 

[Robert Puertas]

Does anybody have the link for the movie that shows how to get in and out of an Elise?

 

[LarryB]

Here's the link that had been posted by TonyC: http://www.churly.co.uk/inandout.wmv it's not there anymore hope someone download it.