[FederalElise]

It's a 2000lb car and sits pretty low. So how safe is it? Is the tubular Aluminium as safe as it's rumored to be? Any facts and figures?

Thanks a million
(who, after a bad accident, nees to justify to family that Elise is safe enough)

 

[Arno]

This might give some insights..

http://www.wreckedexotics.com/elise

The car is pretty solid, but of course it depends on what you hit..

I would be *very* careful around SUV type vehicles as they could probably run completely over the car.

Front and rear impacts should be no problem. You will probably experience a higher G load because of the chassis stiffness and smaller crumple zones (front crash box, rear luggage space) than in other cars.

Side impact protection is pretty good as you are sitting between the chassis beams and there is an aluminium beam inside the doors.

Sometimes the front of the chassis can be torn off the car in a side impact, especially if the impact point is just behind the front wheels. Most of the time this happens when hitting a tree sideways.. Always very dangerous, even in a 'normal' car.

This looks very serious (a few of these have happened here in europe), but you can argue that this helps to dissipate the impact energy as the front tears off.

Rolling the car is probably the most tricky. The rollbar is quite solid and does it's job, but it's probably the most 'high risk' accident you can have in an open-topped car.

As in all accidents, luck still plays a large part.. Even in a Volvo you're not 100% safe...

Oh.. The windscreen surround is *not* a structural element and does not contain reinforcements (it's made from fiberglass too). Make sure people do *not* pull themselves up on the windscreen when getting in/out of the car as this will crack the windscreen after a while.

Bye, Arno.

 

[MickOpalak]

It's a 2000lb car and sits pretty low. So how safe is it? Is the tubular Aluminium as safe as it's rumored to be? Any facts and figures?

Thanks a million
(who, after a back accident, nees to justify to family that Elise is safe enough)

Clyde told me that the Elise posted better crash results than the Esprit.

 

[L8BRAKR]

Re: Re: Safety in Elise. Is the Elise Safe?

Clyde told me that the Elise posted better crash results than the Esprit.

That is entirely possible and I would expect it actually, but that is an Elise hitting a fixed object. In that type of crash the car only has to manage its own kinetic energy. With its chassis strength to weight ratio it should shine in these types of tests. However in the real world these types of impacts rarily happen. I would be more concerned about the Excursion bumper (which happens to be about temple high when your sitting in the Elise) that has 6000lbs of steel following it with a trophy wife at the helm fixing her lipstick.

 

[MattG]

The only thing I'm concerned about with the Elise is a head-on collision with an SUV. However, there's no better car for AVOIDING this situation than the Elise so I'm not letting is stop me from buying one.

 

[OneFastLotus]

I have a Navigator and I wouldnt want to think about the Lincoln Vs the Elise.

I think of it this way, I already drive a lowered miata, its pretty small too. Ive been driving it for 8 years now and Im still alive due to defensive driving. I think the elise will be the same.


Public Service Announcement before anyone vilifies me.
I have a giant sport utility for hauling dogs, race cars, jet ski's and maybe kids....Im not just some dweeb who wanted the biggest truck on the road so I can get groceries. I got a Navigator because its cushy too...and sometimes when you have a bunch of tiny race cars without air, harsh rides, and spartan cramped interiors you enjoy having ONE airconditioned couch on wheels to ride in on occassion

 

[Modern Wedgie]

1FM-

We will not look down on you for owning a utility vehicle that you actually use! We only vilify those who buy them as status symbols to cruise the city with chrome 22's and a 20K sound system.

 

[MotorCade]

Yeah, what she said.
I'm sure a lot of us on here need/use tow rigs. Mine's a jeep... sometimes I have a tow rig, sometimes I don't... sigh.

Cade

 

[OneFastLotus]

chrome spinners..hmmmmmm ;0

Naah, not me, when I say Im getting "new shoes" it means I need another pair of new balance because my old ones have been ruined by me cutting the grass in them.

 

[Lumn8r]

Public Service Announcement before anyone vilifies me.
I have a giant sport utility for hauling dogs, race cars, jet ski's and maybe kids....Im not just some dweeb who wanted the biggest truck on the road so I can get groceries. I got a Navigator because its cushy too...and sometimes when you have a bunch of tiny race cars without air, harsh rides, and spartan cramped interiors you enjoy having ONE airconditioned couch on wheels to ride in on occassion

I agree. I think that the Elise will complement my Dodge diesel very well. The Elise will be a great daily driver, but I won't be able to fit much plywood, firewood, gravel or just about anything else in it.

And it is nice to feel like you are driving your living room down the highway every once in a while.

 

[RacingDynamcs]

According to the Auto show guy the elise posts better side crash reports than my g35c....and i'v talked to guys with some of the s1's and they told me about some serious crashes at 70 and 40mph and they said most was broken arm and 1 rib

 

[RacingDynamcs]

also note there are no serious chassi damage from all elise crashes...under normal conditions.

 

[MOKOSpeeD]

The most important factor in how safe a car is is the DRIVER. In my opinion, I'd say that the driver is roughly 90% of that safety factor in any car. Here's my list of what makes a car safe: 1) be attentive 2) don't panic in bad situations 3) have good perception and peripheral vision 4) good, quick reactions 5) learn from errors 6) most of all, use common sense. You know, some of the stuff taught in defensive driving is common sense, but it's a shame so many do not follow those lessons. Of course on at the race track the situation is different, but all the things about reaction and perception, etc do apply.