[shay2nak]

Hi tony,
thanks for the link. the color of your car is excellent. I like the color combination of the gray car with black rims. Most likely i'll do the same.

 

[shay2nak]

did you have to remove the rear grill above the diffuser to fit the new exhaust? Do you like the look with or without the rear grill?
thanks!

 

[tonykomo]

Yes, it's much easier to remove the diffuser, but that takes 2 mins with an electric screwdriver. The rear grill is absolutely pointless and traps heat etc. Much better without it there and makes the car look more "hard"

 

[tonykomo]

i've added some more so you can see the rear view in detail, plus close ups of the front wheel and the track. all these pics are with standard suspension so not yet lowered.

 

[Jay]

rear diffuser removal

on the Federal Elise its not a good idea to remove the rear diffuser or the panel behind it that looks like it blocks air flow. Per Tony Shute (at the LA show) the area is designed that way and removal will lessen downforce. and do nothing for cooling or anything else other thatn change cosmetics.

I figure if the Lotus engineers couldn't figure out a way to remove a part, it has a purpose.

 

[tonykomo]

I don't buy that. Especially as I've noticed no difference in downforce since I had it done months ago. I have noticed better heat control in the engine area though. That theory would also mean the 340R would suffer too.

 

[xxxotic]

Do all Elises use the same bolt pattern or are the earlier Series 1 different?

I believe the US version is 4 x100 with +18 and +31 offsets and thought I'd pick up a spare set from Europe if i could find some for sale on some of their used parts websites.

Do any other cars have the same bolt pattern and offset?

I just want a cheap set of rims with tires as a backup in case I ever get a flat, and even willing to use a plain steel wheel if needed.

 

[tonykomo]

I checked with a contact in Japan who found it had no affect on the downforce at all. There was no extra turbulence created either. He also said adding a front splitter and proper rear wing greatly increases the cornering speed. By proper rear wing he means attached to the chassis, not the GRP.

 

[huggy bear]

Re: rear diffuser removal

on the Federal Elise its not a good idea to remove the rear diffuser or the panel behind it that looks like it blocks air flow. Per Tony Shute (at the LA show) the area is designed that way and removal will lessen downforce. and do nothing for cooling or anything else other thatn change cosmetics.

I figure if the Lotus engineers couldn't figure out a way to remove a part, it has a purpose.

I don't buy that either. That area would have a low pressure void at speed so removing the panel IMHO would not really affect downforce. It think that panel is more or less cosmetic and a place to hold the license plate I don't see how it could severely disrupt exiting air if you remove the panel. I just looks unfinished and kinda funky.

 

[LarryB]

Talked to one of the Lotus designer at the show. With the rear grill they've added a heat shield (from the pic you can see the silver liner through the pref metal). He said without it the body panels where having problems with the heat from the Fed version of the exhaust system, so beware.

 

[tonykomo]

I don't understand what's the difference between the fed elise and uk elise exhaust area. The same heat proof material is also on my car. I think Mr Shute is on a big sell in the States and of course he has to say the car is perfect, no flaws, so don't mess with it... Sounds like a bunch of sales garbage to me, federal version or not. There is heat proof material all around the exhaust system to protect the trunk and engine bay. There is none on the grill except for a tiny bit on the back of the license plate holder presumably to stop the plate from melting. Also, the idea of having the tips of the exhaust coming out under the car is a bit bizarre and i'm sure will make the diffuser damn hot. did they do this to comply with regulations or something? to make sure the exhaust does not stick out the back? or was it the only way they could fit the exhaust with the manifold swapped round?

 

[Evl]

The main difference is that the exhaust comes out of the other side of the engine. On the US model, it comes out the back, on the UK version I believe it comes out on the cockpit side.

 

[LarryB]

The info I got at show was from one of the hands on designers, not marketing. At least the Euro demo car that I've seen doesn't have the amount of shielding that I saw at the LA show. The show cars had it covering the bulk of the rear grill. It pretty safe to say the routing of the exhaust system isn't' the same between the two cars. Sure from a engineering standpoint have wonder about venting that heat out... didn't ask. Agree we may be able to get away without it but wouldn't use the euro car as reference.

 

[tonykomo]

guess we won't know until someone gets the diffuser off and posts pictures of the exhaust area. your picture clearly shows the heatproof material but that means the grill is totally cosmetic and does not have any function at all. someone needs to find out the manufacturer of the exhaust and if possible get a pic of it off the car.

 

[tonykomo]

 

[huggy bear]

In the pic above how much lower is the car from standard height?

 

[Prolene]

So, will the same pictured KMS 15"/16" wheels fit the Fed Elise?

 

[tonykomo]

About 30mm lower. If the Fed Elise has the same offset, PCD and bolt pattern then it they MIGHT fit. The trouble will be if the front calipers are too big then these wheels definitely won't fit.

 

[shinoo]

Removing the rear perforated grill panel should not have any impact on aero. The rear undertray diffuser directs air from the rear of the car for this purpose.

I believe the only reason they have the heat shielding is for safety reasons. That rear panel will get very hot without heat shielding. Lotus is probably looking to keep us from burning our delicate little hands and legs. The rear grill adds a finished look as well.

The last 911 (993) had a small underbody tray that was designed to improve aerodynamics. Many of us in the US removed it to help with heat dissipation. We saw dramatic reductions in engine temps. I didn't hear anyone complain about high speed stability problems. Of course we don't drive at 100+ speeds everyday either like the Germans.

Remember too much heat is the enemy of any engine. Tony's solution seems to be a good way to help evacuate heat from the engine/exhaust bay.

Personally I like the aggressive look that Tony has achieved with removing the rear grill panel.

BTW: Tony, your car looks great!