jml1952 said:
I'm confused. If it's that simple to reroute the tail pipes, why wouldn't Lotus do it?
Lotus is bound to much more rules than just engineering issues.
They may *want* to do a euro-style exhaust, but may not be able to do so and at the same time keep within the legal constraints that they have to comply to.
A private individual or aftermarket company has much, much more freedom in this respect.
Simple example is noise levels. A manufacturer has to adhere to pretty strict rules on Db levels their car produces, but the owner is still very much in his right to slap on a much louder exhaust.
Clyde said that they can't - care to elaborate?
Rules or physics, or what? We probably don't want carbon monoxide leaking back into the cabin of the car, so does that have anything to do with it?
Nobody outside Lotus knows the exact configuration of the engine and exhaust pipework, so this is largely speculation...
Still.. I can't really see an issue with exhaust gasses in the cabin as you would be re-creating the existing euro setup.
Also the engine bay is open to the air and the passenger compartiment has little connection to it.
Of course there may be issues with added pipework or cat-converters that can make it more technically challenging to change the exhaust locations, but if I look at the incredible variety of exhaust and pipework designs on the euro elise's then I can't imagine there won't be some clever people in the US as well who will be doing some 'creative' work as well..
Bye, Arno.