Yeah!

It has been done.

AUDI A4 92-03 2wd FWD 01E -Beerman on this forum, Advanced Automotion
or
ZF 5DS25 with BMW M1style shafts and CWP - Mike Rodrigues, Super Modified 87 Turbo, RBT Transmissions

Also, read these threads : http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f164/what-transmission-could-replace-un1-111281/ and http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f164/how-many-v8-owners-have-broken-transmission-221617/


Have you considered a Northstar or N* Turbo swap?

or

try searching http://www.gt40s.com/forum/gt40-tech-powertrain-transaxles/

or http://www.duneguide.com/sand_dune_tech_transaxles.htm



.

 

Yeah!

It has been done.

AUDI A4 92-03 2wd FWD 01E -Beerman on this forum, Advanced Automotion
or
ZF 5DS25 with BMW M1style shafts and CWP - Mike Rodrigues, Super Modified 87 Turbo, RBT Transmissions

Also, read these threads : http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f164/what-transmission-could-replace-un1-111281/ and http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f164/how-many-v8-owners-have-broken-transmission-221617/


Have you considered a Northstar or N* Turbo swap?

Blah, that motor does nothing for me.


Those links have no sure trans that has been well documented and used....

 

Or the Quaife sequential with complete kit

97 Lotus Esprit V8 Quaife Sequential Gearbox Transmission | eBay

 

That's beautiful, but way too pricey. What a gem though. Sequential for a street car is brutal.

 

12,000 for vague shifting? Just don't drive it like you stold it,
or rented it.... LOL

 

The only way I will get back into an esprit is if I can get a transmission sorted, I've owned one of these cars the transmissions are terrible. Say what you will about knowing how to drive but, I don't want a car where I have to fear giving it full throttle in first or second gear, not launching the car, not using sticky tires, slow shifts, etc. Too many downfalls on top of the fact I want a fully built motor with a set of bigger twins hanging off it, and hopefully arrive around a safe 700+ HP, not happening with the stock trans.. I absolutely love the look of the car and want my next purchase to be something I will actually keep. Always something with British cars though :UK:

 

Maybe a Lotus is just not the right car for your driving technique. A Lotus is not a "Funny car" or dragster. You cannot force shifts or drop the clutch at redline. If you are going to "drive it like you stole it" you are right, the transaxle is not going to last very long. Some good old fashioned American Muscle car is what you want. They can take that kind of abuse and when they do fail they aren't as expensive to fix.
Or you can try modifying your driving technique. Use the unique handling qualities a Lotus has been bred for and really enjoy driving, especially in the "twisties" where that "American Muscle" will go off the road. Sometimes the answer is not more parts but fixing that "Nut behind the wheel" (the most important part in the car, and the most dangerous).
David Teitelbaum

 

I've owned Elise and esprits, I understand the aspects of the car. I'm not one who revs the car to redline and dumps the clutch. I simply just don't want a rubbish transmission that I have to worry about, and have to worry it won't survive a few track days. I spend most of my times in the mountains enjoying curves, I've never owned an American muscle car and have no desire.

700 hp Lotus? What's the point? It's not a Lotus anymore it just looks like one....

But a Cobra or a Vette ZR-1

So building the stock motor to support added power and trying to sort a transmission that can actually hold power no longer makes it a lotus?! You're insane. 700hp isn't exactly mind blowing power these days, sure it's a lot but modern day "exotics" come close to that or surpass it with minor tweaks. You can get a 59k hellcat that makes over 700hp these days......


It would be nice to have 700hp on tap for long straights on certain courses, also wouldn't mind attending a mile race or two. Obviously for the street the car would be on lower boost making way less power.

 

++++1

 

700 hp Lotus? What's the point? It's not a Lotus anymore it just looks like one....

But a Cobra or a Vette ZR-1

 

I keep looking as do others for the tranny you are wanting. there are a couple of choices, the Quaife being one of them as the link to that thread indicates. all are about the same $. if you really want it, you are going to have to pony up.
500 hp is achievable with different engines that wouldn't compromise the handling, but if applying it any direction but straight line, the Esprit chassis is more likely to generate drama than a smile; it hasn't changed significantly since 1977! IMO the car is too light that anything above that number wont get to the ground.
I'm with you on more power in a great looking car though: after driving 500mi I was nearing home when I encountered a 997 on the interstate, I fared very badly and decided a rebuild and upgrade was in order. now I believe I will lose more gracefully and at least raise an eyebrow or two for a classic car.
I dream of ridding my Esprit of all its inherent flaws either in design or age of technology, but have limited monetary commitment as do most of us
im still chasing that dragon. have you seen CHANGES car? 424 hp, so much $$, almost no trunk space left and still mod'ing to accommodate previous mods

did you read MT Z28 vs Hellcat? the Hellcat is certainly a throwback to the American musclecar philosophy of the period! its a tire spinner for sure! big grins that will wear thin after a while if it was in my stable

the guy who owns Artie's Esprit has a C7 with magnetic shocks and has good things to say about it...

 

Lotus, like many other cars is an engineered system. You cannot overdo one thing without affecting and having to improve many other systems. To add that much power you will radically change the weight and balance, the cooling system can't handle it, and so on. By the time you modify everything to make it work, it won't really be a Lotus anymore. For what you would spend and the time it would take, you are probably better off choosing another kind of car. This isn't being a purist about chopping up a Lotus, this is being a realist and trying to give you the best advice to get the kind of performance you seem to be asking for. Different cars are built for different purposes. As an extreme example you wouldn't buy a Smart car and try to make it drive like a Lotus. Don't take a Lotus and try to make it drive like a new Lambo. It doesn't make sense even if you could do it.
David Teitelbaum

 

I get where you're coming from. I'm no stranger to having modified cars, I've had endless. My last big turbo car I sold this summer was a M3 that looked bone stock, drove stock till you got heavy into the throttle. 600whp and would have loved to make more but was limited by the turbo choice that was made for the street. You're right I might give up owning another Esprit as it might not suite my end needs. Drat!

 

Those links have no sure trans that has been well documented and used....[/QUOTE]

Sure, they did!
Here are ZF pics.
Bullet proof.
Whole project will cost you 20k, perhaps more in today dollars.
Some folks don't bother to "document"...they just DO IT!

 

If you want a reliable transmission behind 700 hp your only choice is probably the Ricardo unit used in the Ford GT. It is a large transmission and will set you back ~$12,000 for a used unit. Talk to Fran and Race Car Replicas about it. He knows what will handle big hp.

 

Forget RICARDO! NFG, it is too bulky/wide/heavy and you need to chop-chop the chassis.

This one has much better potential:

RWD/AWD 1071 DMA Sequential Gearbox - KAPS Professional Racing Gearboxes

 

I'm fairly new to Esprits, but I've read about the kits to upgrade the transmission. How effective are those kits? I've seen a few uprated Esprits for sale recently -- usually advertising about 450hp, and usually with the upgraded transmission, and I've wondered how well those will fair.