After 2 months in a sling, I finally drove my car again last night and WOW did it feel good!!!
I’ve not driven it since the lightweight wheels were fitted so I had the extra bonus of enjoying something new on the car. What can I say but WOW again!! I never thought the wheels would make that much difference but I’m simply stunned.
I don’t know how many people do what I do any change the wheels over. Most owners I know either stick with the standard alloys or go for the lightweight option from the start. I personally wouldn’t have changed if it hadn’t been for the great deal I got on te wheels.
Anyway, put simply, it’s transformed the car. The steering feels razor sharp…much MUCH sharper than berfore. It turns in really aggressively with the lightest touch. It felt as if the car was just gliding through a series of bends last night with minimum inputs required. The feedback through the steering wheel is also enhanced with the road surface communicating every crack or pebble back through the wheel.
Overall then you can probably tell that I’m a bit happy with the change. I didn’t think this relatively small change would make the car feel lighter, more eager and much more responsive.
Oh and its great to be driving again!! It’s like getting the car from new again
Of course your car feels fast having not driven it for a while but really it is still slow until you get your upgrade next year!
I’m only winding you up because I am jealous about the wheels- I wanted to get some light weight spares but even though I was offered some like yours for a good price they were still �1k more than the TF’s I bought. I couldn’t justify that and two sets of tyres
Thanks buddy! As you probably saw, I posted this on SELOC and had a load of nay-sayers saying that lightweight wheels made little difference. What rubbish! They have made a huge difference! This is why I much prefer this forum!!
Now I just need my 260 upgrade like you say Hopefully that’ll be done when it goes in for it’s service in Feb!
Lightweight wheels do make little difference in terms of feel. The razor sharp turn in is because the tyres are gripping significantly more than a worn set of tyres grip.
If you get the wider wheels there is certainly a marked difference, however if you just get the same width rims you would have to be a better driver than I am (not tough actually) to tell on the road, on track it would be a different matter
Just to point out that the tyres on my old rims only had about 50 miles wear on them, so they were brand new. The grip levels feel about the same, but the steering wheel feels a lot lighter, there is more feedback, the ride feels less crashy and the turn in is much more direct.
I’m using the same tyre pressures as well so the only difference are the alloys themselves
Dont forget as you said you have not driven your car for over 2 months! I find when I have not driven my car for only a week, it feels ‘razor sharp’ too!!!
Having driven cars on the road with normal and lightweight wheels, I really could not tell the difference! But as ADE says, out on track may be a different matter.
Anyway, enjoy!
(Just jelous really!!! Would love to have some lightweight wheels but mainly to reduce the lard on my car! )
With wider rims there is certainly a marked difference as it changes the way the tyre interacts with the tarmac and the track is wider, as you have gone from 6.5J to 7J fronts the difference will be noticeable, I know this as when I got my 240R wheels I drove to get them swopped the new wheels onto my old tyres and drove home (200+ miles each way) and the changes were obvious for turn in feel, I don’t remember anything else that really stood out but that did.
Suppose the only way to prove or disprove this statement is back to back track test using forged wheels and standard wheels ,same driver same geo.and new tyres. As Ade said think you might be a little disappointed with the result.But they do look the nuts.
My prev Exige had the standard alloys and my new one has the lightweight jobbies and I can defo tell the difference on the road. I did think at 1st it was just me until i jumped out of my car and drove a boggo standard Exige S at my local dealers.
Absolutely, you have laugh at the SELOC “massive”
Half of the purchase is looks the other is performance, I know I could tell a difference but I’m sure it was due to the width not the weight
[quote=ade]Absolutely, you have laugh at the SELOC “massive”
Half of the purchase is looks the other is performance, I know I could tell a difference but I’m sure it was due to the width not the weight [/quote]
I’m done with SELOC. It’s a total waste of time posting there unless you’re posting to say “DPM”, “iPhone”, or “www.carlimits.com”.
Carlimits.com is shite anyway! Don Palmer or the HPC are proper ways to learn how to drive!!
[quote=Benja][quote=C8UER]
I’m done with SELOC. It’s a total waste of time posting there unless you’re posting to say “DPM”, “iPhone”, or “www.carlimits.com”.
Carlimits.com is shite anyway! Don Palmer or the HPC are proper ways to learn how to drive!! [/quote]
Tend to agree about SELOC but not about carlimits. Walshy has done a huge amount for driver safety in the Lotus community imho. [/quote]
I like Walshy, he’s a really nice guy but there are others that are better. It’s a bit harsh for me to say “carlimits is shite” because it isn’t technically, it’s just not as good as other places. Don Palmer for example is a genius! I learnt more from him in a day than I have done anywhere else!
Also when you say “driver safety” are you talking about car control or high performance road driving?
The problem I find with SELOC is that they are totally blinkered by carlimits and never entertain any other place that can teach to how to drive. Most think that sliding around a track is going to make them a great driver, but it doesn’t. There is so much more to it than that. I can’t attest to being a great driver because there is no such thing…there is always room for improvement.
Put it this way, Don took my Elise SC out and managed to keep up with a Carrera GT around the Alpine Route at Millbrook. He did have to work hard and he was totally “on it”, but so was the GT driver…in fact the GT driver was on his hot lap!
Of course, when I posted that on SELOC nobody believed me and because Millbrook doesn’t allow cameras, I couldn’t even film it to prove them wrong
)