Elise on track/running costs

General General Lotus Talk
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In my quest for a track day/weekend car, the Elise is on the list, however I have some questions.What kind of costs would I be looking at for the following:Limited mileage insurance to include track daysNew padsTyresAlso how is the Elise on track, can the standard brakes etc cope or do I need to be figuring upgrades into my costings? How heavy is it on tyres at track days?Any help much appreciated.greg

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Limited mileage insurance to include track daysObviously this varies greatly depending on your circumstances. It cost me �98 to add my Elise to my policy, but I suspect most people pay more than that. Lotus Esteem, which is run by Aon, seems to be the most popular scheme; it’s competitively priced and it includes track days.>> New padsAgain, it varies depending on make and type. Official Lotus competition pads cost (from memory) �123 + VAT for the fronts and �111 + VAT for the rears.>> TyresPass, although I think from memory that you’ll be looking IRO �100 per corner.>> Also how is the Elise on trackVery good. The first Elises used MMC (aluminium matrix) disks and special pads, which were absolutely stunning on the road, and held up well on the track, unless you really went for it. For very hard track use, conventional systems, as fitted to the later cars and the current model, seem to stand up better. However, if you want to be really enthusiastic on a track, most people would recommend replacing the pads, the fluid, and the hoses. Have a look at: http://www.exiges.com/ubb/NonCGI/Forum4/HTML/000039.html >> How heavy is it on tyres at track days?That really does depend on how quickly you can drive. Some people drive so gently on track days that they do no more mischief to the tyres than they do on a public road, but if you’re capable and you really go for it, you can total a set of tyres in one track day! [image]http://www.exiges.com/ubb/NonCGI/images/icons/grin.gif[/image]