[Maxster]

More than a year late.

"We are pleased to announce the arrival of the Lotus Sport Supercharger kits. The Supercharger Kit uses the same supercharger unit as fitted to the Elise SC and can be fitted to any normally aspirated Elise or Exige fitted with the 2ZZGE Toyota engine. The compact supercharger and integrated inlet manifold along with high flow fuel injectors and re-mapped engine management programming increases power output from circa 192PS to approximately 220 PS. Torque is increased from circa 181 Nm to approximately 210 Nm.

Prior to any upgrade Lotus requests an engine history print out and engine compression test to be recorded on the certificate. A copy of the installation certificate will be forwarded to the Lotus factory and the information will be added to the vehicle build documents file held by the manufacturer.

Installation time is approximately ten hours inclusive of the removal and refit of the rear clamshell. The installation will be completed by one of our master technicians who has been extensively trained by the factory especially for this upgrade.

Available fully fitted kit for £4199 inclusive of VAT, for more details contact our Lotus Service Department by e-mail or by phone on 01483 281000."

 

[Bavarian Motorist]

Heh...finally

 

[twaszak1]

not in the U.S. yet. Still awaiting CARB certification i am told.

 

[Chris Mackey]

At this point, why bother?

Seriously, if you want a new, supercharged car but one new, or get a late model Exige S. If you have an older car, but aftermarket. You'll get more bang for the buck, and your warranty is probably gone or close.

 

[Bavarian Motorist]

Because some people can't bear the fact that their warranties might break.

 

[GreatNeckLawyer]

The timing of this Factory Supercharger Kit is a MAJOR MISTAKE by Lotus.

That is, anyone who bought after the Exige S became available in 2007, already has a Supercharger if that is what they wanted or could afford at the time.

That leaves Lotus with only a market comprised of those persons who purchased their cars in 2006 or earlier (before there was an Exige S in the US), and at this juncture many of those persons ("us") have already added S/C's to our cars using aftermarket products (which are clearly more powerful and less expensive than the factory S/C Kit), but such cars are either already our of warranty, or have very little warranty left on them (the factory warranty not being voided by the Lotus S/C being a major incentive to go with that Kit rather-than an aftermarket S/C).

Add-in that Lotus has done nothing to inform us of when the Factory Kit will be sold, and how much it will cost, and it is appearent that Lotus has done nothing to induce someone with a 2006 or older Car to "go factory" instaed of going aftermarket, for a S/C.

Thus, the "main market" which is left for the Lotus Factory S/C will be only those people wanting a very "easy" S/C solution and/or those people concerned about CARB Certification ---- not a very big market, especially when the Factory S/C seems to cost about 2x the aftermarket kits, and outputs less power (and, we still don't even know when it will be sold, and at what cost).

I therefore expect that the Lotus Factory S/C will not find a big reception when it is finally available, particularly given the present economic cycle, which is unfortunate for us at Lotus may then conclude that there is not much of a market in the US for Performace Upgrades for their cars, when the truth is that they simply "screwed up" the timing and marketing of the Factory S/C.

---- ANDY

 

[kestrel74]

especially for 5800.00 US.

 

[PECivil]

well it would be nice to have the factory install cert and carb cert upon resale.

Selling a non carb approved kit in Kali is a nightmare. But the price is a tad prohibitive at 5800.

I have a CARB approved kit on my E36 318i, bumped the hp from 138 stock to 200 and it only cost $3200 not including the ECU mapping.

 

[m_beale1]

Translating "Available fully fitted kit for £4199 inclusive of VAT", from British into American:

Installed price is $5800 including sales tax.

Sales tax (VAT) is 15% in the UK right now (down temporarily form the usual 17.5%), so that means that the installed kit is about $5000 before tax. If the labor rate for the installation is $100/hr then the price of the kit itself is only about $4000 in the UK. That's pretty much the same as a BWR or Katana kit. Of course the kit might be more expensive of this side of the Atlantic...

There are some of us who would like either a CARB approved kit or one that doesn't affect the factory warranty. Since the aftermarket has let us down with respect CARB approval (there are lots of CARB approved supercharger kit for other vehicles, why none for the Elise or Exige?), the kit from Lotus is welcome.

 

[Cali]

CARB approved would be great in Cali...

 

[maz]

the emissions warranty would also remain intact, and that is SEVEN years.

 

[VisualEchos]

For that kind of money there are simply better engineered kits with more power. Too bad.

 

[m_beale1]

For about the same money there are kits that make more power, but are they better engineered?

 

[Chris Mackey]

I wonder if there are any tuning possibilities for the kit. Calling CharlieX.

 

[mjf]

Installation time is approximately ten hours inclusive of the removal and refit of the rear clamshell.

Available fully fitted kit for £4199 inclusive of VAT

So... that converts to about $5784.12 installed. Wonder if you could save on that cost with a tilting clam.

 

[Bavarian Motorist]

$5800 installed isn't too bad for a factory authorized SC kit.

 

[Demonized]

So... that converts to about $5784.12 installed. Wonder if you could save on that cost with a tilting clam.

Or just take the clam off before you take it in

 

[Agent ONE]

$5800 installed isn't too bad for a factory authorized SC kit.

Its a steal. Especially because if there are any problems, LOTUS has to fix them.

 

[turbophil]

Still seems like a lotta money for not a whole lotta power... but to each their own. I understand that CARB is a big deal... CARB (or KARB is my case) would be enough for me to move

Cheers,

Phil

 

[Hello Kitty]

especially for 5800.00 US.

$5800 for only 216hp