Yay! Lotus Elise comming to America

[Zephyr]

http://www.roadandtrack.com/article.asp?section_id=6&article_id=868&page_number=1

http://www.roadandtrack.com/assets/image/1072003163647.jpg

:thumbsup: :clap:

[Skyline_Addict]

is that chow yun fat driving?

[gpomp]

That's Sam Mitani.

[4wheeldrift]

:drool: colin chapman 0wnZ j00

[Super_Geo]

God damn Americans :banghead:

Well... there's another great car that probably won't make it to Canada.

A projected 0-60 in 4.8 seconds with a 12 second 1/4? ... Wow... :drool:

[/////AMG]

WTF!??!!? NICE!!!:clap: oh well if it won't come to Canada, American's are our friends :rofl:

[hjr]

thats cool. cars need to be lightwieght again. it shows that a lower HP car can be freaking fast.

[szw]

I love this car.

Here is my uncle's.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid72/p771efb566867ff5d571be86f51e7f126/fb862b70.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid72/pda47d1d8d11ff230f5c289ebc7451684/fb862b6e.jpg

[CarFan411]

That car looks and sounds amazing!!!

[/////AMG]

Yea but its a bitch to put up the top, you have to pull over and do it manually, also no radio, or system. Maybe that will change a little for the American model?

[KLCC]

that's malaysian license plate isnt' it?

is he in penang?

[4wheeldrift]

Originally posted by Porsche_944
Yea but its a bitch to put up the top, you have to pull over and do it manually, also no radio, or system. Maybe that will change a little for the American model? Not if lotus has any brains. The Elise is the Super 7 of our generation, a true sports car devoid of any frills or anything extraneous to its true purpose. That purpose is to haul ass :D The target market for the elise are people who don't give a crap about how hard the top is to put on, or that it doesn't have a radio, or that it rides like a buckboard. They want a pure sports car, and the elise delivers like nothing else available that you don't have to put together in the garage yourself.

[/////AMG]

The Lotus Elise is to go on sale in the States next summer and this is what the Yanks will be offered: a restyled Series 2 model, with a 190 bhp version of Toyota's 1.8-litre VVTL-I petrol engine, as already confirmed for the Exige. The Toyota engine replaces the Rover K-Series unit as the latter is unable to meet the US's emissions legislation, but it should offer more than just an expedient solution: Lotus is claiming increased low-end torque and greater acceleration from the new engine, and a 0-60 time of 4.8 seconds. Top speed is over 140 mph. The variable valve timing and lift (VVTL) gives the lightweight, compact engine more flexibility than the K-Series, even if the maximum torque figure is relatively low (133lb ft), and maximum power does not kick in until 6000rpm. The engine has undergone a few slight modifications, however, including a remapping of the ECU for a few extra bhp and better mid-range pick-up, and a new exhaust system and different intake manifold are fitted, along with new twin oil coolers.

The engine is paired with a six-speed gearbox, also sourced from Toyota, and is again mounted in a mid-ships position. Total weight of the US Elise is kept down to less than 2000 lbs, with the extruded/bonded aluminium chassis weighing less than 150lbs. Further changes are minimal, apart from a little tweaking of the styling to make the Elise look more aggressively masculine. Twin centre-mounted exhaust tailpipes differentiate the rear end, and there are extra indicators on the front and rear bumpers. The so-called 'Federal' Elise will also come with a full specification: power windows, a stereo, airbags and even air conditioning, though the lightweight manual hood remains. Brakes have been improved, with extra servo assistance and - purists beware - the addition of ABS. "The result is", says Road and Track magazine, which has already driven the car, "what may well be the best-handling car in the world."

The Federal Elise will be officially unveiled at the Los Angeles Motor Show at the end of this year, with sales starting next spring. As yet, Lotus describes this model as "US-specific", and says that the K-Series engine will remain in European Elises for the foreseeable future. However, with the Exige coupe receiving the Toyota engine next year as well, it seems unlikely that the Elise will keep on with the Rover unit indefinitely. The 190bhp VVTL-I Exige will be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show next spring.

http://www.channel4.com/4car/spyshots/03lotuss201.jpghttp://www.channel4.com/4car/spyshots/03lotuss202.jpghttp://www.channel4.com/4car/spyshots/03lotuss203.jpg
Source: 4CAR

[thich]

price? availability in Canada? lol

[4wheeldrift]

Thank you, Lotus USA for not turning one of the most pure driving machines available into a watered down piece of crap :drool: :D :clap:

[Illusionsir]

correct me if im wrong please, but was there not a yellow lotus at race city last year that blew his diff? i swear it was an elise.....

[Sean7]

The article says the estimated price is $39,000, and I am guessing this is in USD. IMHO this seems pretty pricey for a barebones car with a toyota engine. However it does look killer and the handling must be insane! :nut: :thumbsup:

[Akagi Redsuns]

Originally posted by Porsche_944
[B]snip..........
The engine is paired with a six-speed gearbox, also sourced from Toyota, and is again mounted in a mid-ships position. ........snip

This worries me as the Toyota 2ZZ-GE paired with the Toyota 6-spd Manual is not the greatest combination. I hope the Lotus guys looked over the gearing and has Toyota making a custom "Lotus spec" tranny from them that makes better use of the 2ZZ-GE....the engine has great potential and sad to see it hampered with really bad gear ratios.


Originally posted by Porsche_944
[B]snip.......
The variable valve timing and lift (VVTL) gives the lightweight, compact engine more flexibility than the K-Series, even if the maximum torque figure is relatively low (133lb ft), and maximum power does not kick in until 6000rpm. The engine has undergone a few slight modifications, however, including a remapping of the ECU for a few extra bhp and better mid-range pick-up, and a new exhaust system and different intake manifold are fitted, along with new twin oil coolers....snip

This makes me think that they are not remapping when the VVTL-i cam switchover takes place, as the current switchover is at 6K RPM....not good with the current gear ratios....just ask any GT-S owner how easily it is to stay in aggressive secondary cam profile on the 1-2 upshift, almost impossible for me in the 2002 GT-S model I drove. Does the Lotus spec sheet list the gear ratios? Would be interesting to see how it compares to the Celica GT-S ratios.

[Akagi Redsuns]

Originally posted by Illusionsir
correct me if im wrong please, but was there not a yellow lotus at race city last year that blew his diff? i swear it was an elise.....

Was it at the drag strip during Secret Street? I was there last year and there was a Yellow Lotus Espirit Twin Turbo V8 that blew a transaxle at the starting line. Could have been him perhaps?

Edit: Or maybe 2 years ago? Don't remember now :(

[finboy]

i'd rather have an opel speedster

[Illusionsir]

Originally posted by Akagi Redsuns


Was it at the drag strip during Secret Street? I was there last year and there was a Yellow Lotus Espirit Twin Turbo V8 that blew a transaxle at the starting line. Could have been him perhaps?


I would assume so. not many of them around!

[shelbix2020]

theres a yellow one with black rims at the dealership by my house .... the same dealership that was swarmed by the DEA last year for being a front for illegal trafficing of drugs lol Ill see if I cant take a pic

[C4S]

go here to check : http://www.weissach.ca/elise.html

they sell lotus ..and tons of cool stuff !

[/////AMG]

Originally posted by C4S
go here to check : http://www.weissach.ca/elise.html

they sell lotus ..and tons of cool stuff !

Only the serious will buy from B.C.:thumbsup:

[4wheeldrift]

Originally posted by Porsche_944


Only the serious will buy from B.C.:thumbsup: For a car like that, driving to vancouver is hardly a sacrifice :drool:

[GP_DrIvEr]

i was just about to say, there is a lotus dealership in vancouver so why would the elise not come to canada?