[Tripledigits]

We had our first SCCA time trials event at Second Creek Raceway in Colorado last Sunday, and it made me wonder how the Elise will do on this track.

The fastest time of the day was produced by a GT3 race car with very Elise-like numbers - ~187 hp, 2000 lbs. Weight distribution is 50/50 (OK, not too Elise-like here). His race tires were substantially bigger than the Elise tires.

This car's lap times were 1:11:xx, with the next fastest car a CP Mustang (3000lbs, 550 hp) at 1:14:xx. My Supra (3300 lbs, 450 hp) was the fastest street car at 1:16:xx.

The track is a 1.7 mile course with 2 short straights. The fastest speed we see in the Supra is about 100 mph.

I'm wondering if the Elise had similar tires, would it give the GT3 car a run on this course? The next question is, would the suspension and chassis take the extra Gs of the big race tires without modification? I recall reading something (probably from Arno) about rear links needing a modification.

As a point of reference, a friend of mine holds the Formula Continental lap record for the track at 1:05.

Jeff

 

[rtking]

I'd be curious too! I plan on taking my Elise to the tracks around SoCal. (Big and Small tracks at Willow Springs, Buttonwillow, etc.)

BTW, there's a small group running at Willow Springs on Monday, May 31. (Memorial Day.) Anyone interested in running? $150 for all day. Digital Racer

Bob

 

[Tpup]

Jeff,

What kind of GT3 did you see? A street GT3 is 3050lbs and has 380hp, a GT3 cup car (their entry level race car), depending on year, has over 400hp and weighs 2,500lbs.

I would think on a small track the Elise would do well against a GT3 street, no chance with a Cup car unless the driver cannot drive...

Roy

 

[Randy Chase]

Jeff,

What kind of GT3 did you see? A street GT3 is 3050lbs and has 380hp, a GT3 cup car (their entry level race car), depending on year, has over 400hp and weighs 2,500lbs.

I would think on a small track the Elise would do well against a GT3 street, no chance with a Cup car unless the driver cannot drive...

Roy

According to a professional car tester, no way would the new Elise beat a GT3, except maybe on a very tight course.

 

[Pelican_Racing]

I think he meant a "GT3 class" race car. Not a Porsche GT3.

-Hong

 

[Randy Chase]

Ahhh...

 

[Tpup]

According to a professional car tester, no way would the new Elise beat a GT3, except maybe on a very tight course.

We agree on that. On Barbor, the Elise has a shot depending on what the final car will do. There has been a lot of BS regarding the Elise; one post on this site quoted a factory engineer saying the car was faster than a Motorsport Elise.

I'm not a professional tester but spend a lot of time on tracks. A Cup GT3 will run a 1.29 at Road Atlanta, a street GT3 with MPSC's runs a 1.37. A stock GT2 and Turbo run 1.38 and 1.39. All times are pro or very good drivers. My best time in my Exige, on slicks was a 1.42 so a pro could probably get a 1.39 out of it. I only timed a Motorsport Elise once, it ran a 1.38.

I was very impressed that the new Exige beat a GT3 on the track test by the Stig! That's a hell of a performance

Roy

 

[Ara]

Anyone have a feel for the performance difference between a Motorsports Elise and the 111R / US model?

 

[Tripledigits]

Jeff,

What kind of GT3 did you see? A street GT3 is 3050lbs and has 380hp, a GT3 cup car (their entry level race car), depending on year, has over 400hp and weighs 2,500lbs.

I would think on a small track the Elise would do well against a GT3 street, no chance with a Cup car unless the driver cannot drive...

Roy

Roy

It was, as Hong correctly guessed, an SCCA GT3 race car, started life as a BMW 3 series.

Jeff

 

[meat]

A Motorsport Elise will destroy any other Elise variant. It has 205hp, it has slicks, it has a Ultra-close ratio gearbox, it weighs 1500lbs, it has lots of real downforce.

As Tpup points out, his Exige is multiple seconds behind the Motorsport Elise and Tpup's Exige was no regular Exige (mine will be at his state of modification later this year).

 

[frayed]

I'm not a professional tester but spend a lot of time on tracks. A Cup GT3 will run a 1.29 at Road Atlanta, a street GT3 with MPSC's runs a 1.37. A stock GT2 and Turbo run 1.38 and 1.39. All times are pro or very good drivers. My best time in my Exige, on slicks was a 1.42 so a pro could probably get a 1.39 out of it. I only timed a Motorsport Elise once, it ran a 1.38.

All those number sound right to me, based on perusing the BMW CCA laptimes at RA by some talented drivers who I know.

1.42 is fast, and anything below 40's is phoooking flying.

I wonder how the Fed Elise in Sport trim will compare against the S1 Exige?