[Randy Chase]

Yes, towing. I intend on towing with the car. Just a little tire trailer mind you. I saw a website a while back of a guy in the UK who used his Elise to tow a full horse trailer. Now that was nuts.

Anyway, does anyone know of someone that has added a hitch to the Elise? My plan would be to create a small, light, removable hitch so that when I get to the track, I can remove it. In looking at the Elise's pics, I am a little concerned about how and where one can mount a hitch.

If anyone runs across that chap with the horse trailer's web site, let me know.

 

[mikester]

Randy, I would check in with the guys here:

http://www.british-cars.co.uk/cgi-bin/gen5?runprog=lotusbbs&access=&mode=tlist&subject=2001


With that question, although you may be in for a rough time I warn you

I've never read about someone using it to tow, but I have heard of people fitting bike racks etc.

 

[Randy Chase]

I am aware most would consider it blasphemy. But it is the way to get race tires to the track.

Here is the Spyder towing my trailer... (an extreme example)-

That was a custom designed hitch that removed in 2 minutes.

 

[Craigy]

There's nowhere on the rear of the car to mount a towing eye... and the car is rated for zero towing.

If I were you, I'd be buying a trailer that can carry the elise and it's tyres and hooking that up to pickup.

Craigy

 

[BrianK]

Wow randy, that's a big one....

I suppose yours is just the streamlined version.

 

[Randy Chase]

It is the version that included a place to sleep and a kitchen.

It was cool to take it to a racetrack and take out the tires. You could rest inside in comfort and cook/wash up outside in the kitchen. That was 1945 antique which I eventually sold. I am fond of those, so have plans of someday making a new tire trailer that is modular and folds out to become something bigger.

It's a lot easier to tow a small tire trailer behind the racing car as compared to towing the racing car on a trailer. Each method has it's positives.

Towing on a flat trailer is good in case of break downs or track problems. It's good because you don't put miles on the Elise. It's also good because you can haul using something that is a good choice for driving long distances and can haul more cargo.

The downsides are that a large trailer takes up a LOT of space. Something I do not have in my semi-urban home in San Diego. You also need something that can haul the large trailer and car, something with a lot of torque and mass. Like an Expedition. I don't have or want something that big. I have towed racecars before and came to the conclusion that I like towing the small trailer better.

It's fits my minimalist way of racing. And any car can tow a tire trailer. The tongue weight is almost nothing. The rolling weight behind the car is very little. You almost can't tell it's behind you.

The trick is finding out how to mount a hitch. A removable hitch. With a midengined car with a diffuser/exhaust.... it is probably not going to be easy. I managed with the earlier MR2 and the Spyder, so anything is possible. And I swear I saw this site in the UK where a guy used his Elise to tow a horse trailer. That thing was huge.

 

[Grimbo]

Hello everyone.

First up to introduce myself I am Grimbo. Nice forum you have here. Well done all.

I have an elise S2 in the UK and it is zero rated for towing. I think the horse box thing was a joke. The elise chassis to all intents and purposes does not exist past the back screen. The engine is mounted in essence on an extension of the main siderail as is the rear suspension etc. Two longerons and a sub frame protrude rearwards from them. These I believe support the exhaust system, the rear clam and a few other lightweight items. It is this that limits the boot (sorry trunk) weight capacity to 100lbs. So I think there is probably nothing substantial enough for a towbar to be fitted to.

I hope i'm not going to sound like I'm teaching granny to suck eggs with my next statement but, a rack on the engine compartment maybe able to carry a couple of wheels for you and maybe one or two front wheels in the passenger seat would cover a full set.

However you do sound like a serious racer so you may be considering more than one set, if that's the case a support van maybe required or trailer with the elise on towed behind another vehicle.

If you do find a way to attach a trailer to the elise you could be on for making big bucks as there are many race minded guys in the UK that would be interested.

 

[meat]

You won't be towing anything unless you intend on doing some cutting on the car.

When I bought the Exige it forced me to buy my truck and trailer. Storage is an issue, but I keep the trailer at a friend's farm and the truck sits in the street.

 

[Randy Chase]

The horse box link-

http://home.wanadoo.nl/erikvanoosterhout/girlfriend.htm

 

[L8BRAKR]

That horse probably weighs more than the car. That's crazy!!

What's the "horsepower" to weight ratio now

 

[meat]

I'd like to see how they did that up close if it isn't a photochop.

It's an accident waiting to happen IMHO.

 

[L8BRAKR]

It's an accident waiting to happen IMHO.

Totally, just the horse moving around in the trailer could severely alter the balance of the car and either jackknife or make the front push right off the road.

 

[Grimbo]

No honest guys the owner just backed the elise upto the horse box. It is not capable of towing. Worth a giggle though.

 

[ConeFusion]

Yes, towing a horse must be a joke. But being able to tow a small tire trailer would be a nice option. Would be great if a creative mind found a way to add a trailer hitch that could handle that much weight.

 

[babak]

Hi all,
Hey Randy, I may have a round about idea for you. I used to own a 944S2 cab, the snub nose on the 944's did not allow for being towed. And it's nose frame, similar to the elise frame based on the comment from our chaps across the pond, did not come all the way to the bumper. Porsche had fashioned a large nut behind the nose under a plastic cover in the front fairing. This would accept a 1-2cm thick screw with an eyelet at the end to allow for towage, and to transfer the strain to the subframe instead of the fragile nose. I have the part and the part number still around let me know and I'll go digging in the pile.
HTH,
cheers,

 

[Randy Chase]

That is similar to what I used for the design of the hitch I made for the MR2 Spyder.

 

[babak]

Looks good, but wouldn't the centrally located tail pipes get in the way? And peripherally the rear diffuser? Best I can tell by looking at the pictures the tail is 'sealed' flush where the diffuser meets the tail. The only openings are for the pipes and tail lights.
Looking at the slope of the diffuser it 'might' be possible to punch a hole through it and obliquely McGyver a mount. If you do that, call me I'll get you an MRI
Anyhow, until we actually see one this is purely speculative, albeit a pleasant one. This car is one hellouva mistress!
cheers,

 

[MOKOSpeeD]

Why not hook up the Elise's front to a larger car.

 

[MOKOSpeeD]

Yes, towing. I intend on towing with the car. Just a little tire trailer mind you. I saw a website a while back of a guy in the UK who used his Elise to tow a full horse trailer. Now that was nuts.

Anyway, does anyone know of someone that has added a hitch to the Elise? My plan would be to create a small, light, removable hitch so that when I get to the track, I can remove it. In looking at the Elise's pics, I am a little concerned about how and where one can mount a hitch.

If anyone runs across that chap with the horse trailer's web site, let me know.

Ah! ssssoorryyy. I misread the question.

 

[piple]

Yes, towing. I intend on towing with the car. Just a little tire trailer mind you. I saw a website a while back of a guy in the UK who used his Elise to tow a full horse trailer. Now that was nuts.

Hi Randy

It's my first quote, but this time i have to

Well I don't think, that the federal Elise has changed that much. I drive an S1. Lotus strictly forbid any kind of towing.

But if you scan through the european sites you find a few pictures were Elises intent to tow big trailers. These are just joking pics.

Regards

Piple