[troyus]

FYI Jubu said :
We can offer the following tuning stages:

• 460hp (engine power - crank) on the oem ECU.
• 500 hp with full built engine (forged pistons and rods) and our plug and play ECU kit.
• 550 hp with full built engine and a bigger supercharger and our plug and play ECU kit.

tranny explodes 😂

 

[jayely1]

They all say they've never had any tranny issues soo idk.

 

[Catsailr27]

They all say they've never had any tranny issues soo idk.

Maybe so they can sell you their 25K euro DCT

 

[jayely1]

So is there any reason why people say the transmission is the limiting factor? JUBU acts like it can withstand much moree than the stock HP/Torque

 

[brgelise]

Anything over 450HP on the stock tranny and you are asking for tranny termination unless it is also modifed...heavily.

It is now apparent that I essentially wore out a tranny on an S1 car with maybe 360HP and oonly recently ~400. Synchros were worn, forks were almost done. Splined 4rth/5th gear (that was an early sport ratio gearbox weakness). $7500 later all rebuilt, upgraded, new 400 clutch and flywheel....just sayin

JUBU is lying if they don't admit this. MWR is 100% aware of it!! This is out there as this tranny has been in service for MANY years in MANY applications

 

[lotusquacious]

The Evora uses an Aisin/Toyota transmission that was converted for the application to permit transverse mounting to fit the available space. The choices for this tranny were limited because of the mounting necessity and available space so we got a somewhat "agricultural" tranny simply because it fit the application, literally. They did pretty damn well with it under the circumstances. They do modify it a bit to tighten the ratios and importantly, to get it to mate sideways in the car. This transmission was not used by Toyota in their 6 cylinder applications so a fair amount of fiddling was necessary. The motor can be pushed what with the forged crank and Toyota build quality, but the transmission limits the whole package to (this from memory, could be a bit higher but it won't be by much) 450nM or so. It will almost surely handle more for some period of time but that's the limit of liability that Lotus will accept since they have to warrant them. We don't have those constraints but then again, in the event we break it with a tune, we have to fix it. BTW, I believe the Esprit had a similar limitation due to its Renault gearbox.

My 400 has the basic Komotec tune and puts just over 390HP and 320 ft.lb. down at the rear wheels. That works out to about 460HP at the crank which puts it in C7 territory (but with less torque) and makes enough of a difference that you can feel it. The last GT I drove wasn't as strong as my car but it wasn't all that far behind. My car feels fine and balanced and without any oddness from the tune, just like a GT but a skosh stronger. I won't be taking it any further than this as it satisfies me and either delights or terrorizes my passengers thoroughly depending on their comfort level at speed....with me at the wheel. That works for me too.

I think it's the wrong platform to chase big numbers with but with mid 400HP you've got something plenty fast but still fun to drive with undiminished fuel economy (if that matters) and no bad behaviors.

I waited until I was out of warranty to tune it. However........it is a blast to see others do things I don't have the courage to attempt and I'm all for a 550HP Evora. The guy who builds it though needs to know its limitations.

 

[jayely1]

Asian trans

The Evora uses an Asian transmission that was converted for the application to permit transverse mounting. The choices for this tranny were limited because of the mounting necessity so we got a light truck tranny. They did pretty well with but under the circumstances. The motor can be pushed what with the forged crank and Toyota build quality, but the transmission limits the whole package to (this from memory, could be a bit higher but it won't be by much) 450-475Nm or so. It will almost surely handle more for some period of time but that's the limit of liability that Lotus will accept since they have to warrant them. We don't have those constraints but then again, in the event we break it with a tune, we have to fix it. BTW, I believe the Esprit had a similar problem due to its Renault gearbox.

My 400 has the basic Komotec tune and puts just over 390HP and 320 ft.lb. down at the rear wheels. That works out to about 460HP at the crank which puts it in C7 territory (but with less torque) and makes enough of a difference that you can feel it. The last GT I drove wasn't as strong as my car but it wasn't all that far behind. The car feels fine and balanced. Me personally? I won't be taking it any further than that and it satisfies me and either delights or terrorizes my passengers thoroughly depending on. their need for speed.

I do think it's the wrong platform to chase big numbers with but with mid 400HP you've got something plenty fast but still fun to drive with undiminished fuel economy (if that matters) and no bad behaviors.

I waited until I was out of warranty to tune it.

So what would need to be replaced in the transmission to make it handle more power?? Or is it even possible??

 

[brgelise]

Talk to MWR. Great guys. Very responsive. They have lots of beefed up parts and a MUCH better 3-6 set of ratios. Of all the things Lotus did well, they did a lousy job with the tranny ratios and gave us early folks a weak 4/5 gear zone including the massive dead spot when doing a redline upshift from 4rth to 5th. I can't wait to see the difference on the back straights at the Glen in July. Previously it was either bounce off the limiter in 4rth or try a short shift to 5th for no additional gain. All at ~140mph.
Frankly I wonder if they'll be able to build a tranny capable of RELIABLY handling 550HP. Not sure what IPS limits are for better or worse

 

[lotusquacious]

So what would need to be replaced in the transmission to make it handle more power?? Or is it even possible??

I'm not knowledgable on this topic beyond knowing that the transmission as delivered is not rated for the kind of torque the motor can produce when unleashed. If MWR has a solution that actually makes it more capable of handling added power (as opposed to 'only' altering gear ratio) that would be nice but I'm not aware of such a modification. BRG's advice into ask them is probably the fast track to an answer.

 

[troyus]

I think it's the wrong platform to chase big numbers with but with mid 400HP you've got something plenty fast but still fun to drive with undiminished fuel economy (if that matters) and no bad behaviors.

I waited until I was out of warranty to tune it. However........it is a blast to see others do things I don't have the courage to attempt and I'm all for a 550HP Evora. The guy who builds it though needs to know its limitations.

...and that's the thing of it - Lotus has put so much time and expertise into fine-tuning the chassis and "feel" that you may end up with a car that is LESS fun to drive when you get into the 500+ HP range. Like a fine dish, too much spice is too much. Something to think about.

 

[brgelise]

God knows I did this very thing with the suspension on my 2004 STi! Different parts but same concept.
Evora is an amazing rain car due to its balance. Corvette (front engine gens) was an amazing dry track car but HORRIBLE in the rain in all but a handful of professionals hands). Too much power reduces the ability to control it. A 550HP Evora could have been an outright winner in ALMS.

 

[jayely1]

MWR Wrote me back, Matt said,

How much power and what kind of usage? Besides the early model defects we’ve found the standard transmission is pretty durable.

and I said: 470-500HP. What’s your thoughts on the stock transmission parts at that? Thanks!

Matt -
Have any of them broken one? What did they break?

We’ve made much more than that on stock transmissions. That is a relatively small data set though so I’d love to hear about any issues that others have had.

 

[jayely1]

Any word guys?

 

[robbdom]

Im not sure about JUBU but I know that the Komotech tune will get me out 35 more Hp taking it to about 450 ish. The clutch in the GT is a heavier clutch that will handle more push. That is from 2 lotus techs. So eventually I will get the komotech tune and leave it alone. Even now the car is pretty quick and will break traction in 1st or 2nd with newer Cup 2 tires. I don't want a mustang gt500 that puts me in the ditch because it has too much HP for a novice driver like me to handle. yes I can admit I am not an experienced track style driver. I cant see taking any warranty chances with my new GT. I miss the torque more than anything. So i hope the tune gets me the torgue that I want more than anything.

 

[jayely1]

Keep us posted when you get the tune please!

So for those saying the transmission can't handle it, i'm assuming you're referring to the older Evora's?? No proof has been shown the GT's can't handle more power??

 

[jalquiza]

Keep us posted when you get the tune please!

So for those saying the transmission can't handle it, i'm assuming you're referring to the older Evora's?? No proof has been shown the GT's can't handle more power??

Only a stronger clutch was mentioned, not a stronger transmission.

That said, how well documented is the Aisin 6spd reliability limit? The breaking points are often circulated, but I’ve never actually seen a first hand account or write up on some build where the transmission blowing up was a result.

 

[brgelise]

Correct. Same tranny, just beefed up clutch/flywheel. YRMV

 

[jayely1]

FYI Matt from MWR says "Our evora has been well over 500hp with a turbo and is there now with a supercharger. No issues so far, though to be fair it is not used in endurance racing."

So not sure why anyone would think that the GT can't handle more power on the stock tranny. There's 0 evidence of any blowing up from everything i've gathered and heard from MWR or anyone else. Just a lot of rumors it sounds like..

 

[brgelise]

There is a difference between a car driven 1000 miles (did they tell you how many miles?) and 50000 miles or more. Look up EA60? in google and see threads about use in other vehicles as it has a ~20year history. Also the adaptation required for our application should be kept in mind. The concern we all have for YOU is its not easy to drop it out as in a front engine car. It is a MAJOR EFFORT TO PULL THE CLAM, PULL THE MOTOR, ETC EVERYTIME YOU HAVE ISSUES. $$$$ in labor.
So if you are comfortable writing lots of 5-10K notes, have at it. Is it for racing outright or bragging rights on HPDE day? That glory lasts 5 minutes when you leave.

 

[dogtag114]

Do the Komotec tunes only affect ECU tuning or also the TCU? Or is the IPS TCU separate and distinct? Would a TCU software upgrade overwrite a tune?