I wanted an elise for an age. I took one out on track at Blyton around 14 months back.
I fell in love with it.
I had a c63 that I modified to 543bhp and 500ibft of torque previously and as a family we tended to go around in the more economical car that we had.I talked to the wife and we both agreed that with the prices of the exige firming up and some going up its now or never. Out of the window went the elise idea at that point.
I have been quietly searching the market for the past 3 months. Working out what appears to be value for money and sells and what doesn’t. There is a quite marked range in prices.
I settled on a 04 plate ( making it a early s2 ) exige. With aftermarket katana supercharger.
It also has
Baffled sump
Poly bushes
New linkages for throttle and clutch
240R lotus ( lighter ) alloys
GT4 ( the race lotus ) rear wing
LSD in the 6spd box
I did a deal with a dealer who took my c63 in PX and yesterday I drove the NASCAR FOR THE ROAD down to Bristol and we did the swap.
I headed back up North and a few initial observations.
Its no where near as fast as the c63 in a straight line.
It will destroy a c63 in bends.
I stand more of a chance of keeping my license. The long I have the c63 the more I felt I could push on.
Its “compact”
Its impractical
Its got a few characters - the fuel gauge was actually going UP at one point. Now I must let everyone know, I dont work for Lotus but I am sure they dont actually fill up on the move. The oil temp gauge is a bit sensative. It went from 69 deg C to 130. I nearly died. I noted the pressure was the same though so slowed right down and carried on. 2mi or so later it dropped back to the initial 69deg C. Ill have to investigate that
The seats are two bits of cardboard with a foam pad on it. I have no idea how they are so comfy but my big bones found them comfier than the c63s armchairs
Getting in and out is a bastard. I had to fill up. There was a full forecourt when I arrived. I waited a bit and no one left. I waited a bit more and I noticed that people were waiting for me to get out. Its the most undignified thing you can do in a car. You have to fold yourself into 8 pieces and get yourself through a letterbox. People pointed, people laughed. I just filled up with fuel , bought some tangfastics and left. Well , left after posting myself back in the car.
It is the most fun I have had on the road in a car. It just beats the 172 turbo for fun.
I have owned the car 2 weeks and had it on track last weekend …
What can I say? Took the Loltus to Blyton and enjoyed it immensely!
I have driven 280mi in the Loltus now , 79 of those on track.
I started slow, building up confidence in my ability to steer a shorter wheelbase car.
It took me a good few laps to work out what I need to rev the bollocks off the car to make it go. No point in 4k rev when you have nigh on 9k to play with.
I also learnt that you can spin it a lot, lot easier than the c63 I have a video of it in car. I nearly , nearly caught it and then WHAP spin.
I didnt have the legs to pull away from anything major ( barring clios ) but I could keep with awful lot of stuff.
One thing I did note is the tyres are good street tyres ( Yoko Advan V105 ) but on track I didnt have the level of grip that I wanted. I could feel the car sliding around under me.
I have some videos to edit , and Ill upload and link. Just of me driving.
Really, really happy with it and the performance on track considering I dont really know the car.
thats exactly it. I come from a background where I have owned several hot hatches, from a couple of 5 GT Turbos, 21 turbos , Clio, Clio Turbo and a R26. I jumped to a big boys toy - the c63 and it was a hammer but not refined.
Pretty dissapointing really considering the N/A ones makes 190bhp!
Thats not all the news though. The “map” which I am sure is not modified is not suitable for the car at all. Its RICH low down and LEAN as fook top end.
Now, I have a few choices and those are going to get limited based on the following :
I have a charge cooler to be fitted , just awaiting a part to find
I have a smaller supercharger pulley and belt to fit
This leaves me with two choices really , well 4 but the third is a no no
Get Lotus ECU flashed with a 280 map from Lotus and assosiated injectors. Thats around a grand. Its not custom either. Its a generic lotus 280s flash. Hope and pray style.
Bang a aftermarket programmable ECU on ( a SCS seeing as though you asked and I havent made my mind up ) with some either C20LET injectors, or better still some Astra VXR ones!
Wait to see if EFI Technology based in Italy allow access to reprogram the ecu.
Do nothing.
In order of least likely to likely route …
Option 4 is a no no.
Option 3 is preferable as there is no financial investment beyond the chargecooler , and supercharger extras other than the injectors. However , how long could it be?
Option 1 means I could be in the same boat again. I know for a fact that the 280s didnt have a tubular mani or a TRD airbox like mine.
Option 2 means I am almost financially bankrupt and will get a severe almost long tube manifold grade bollocking off the wife, but its a safer , easier to upgrade engine and components.
Now , anyone got a sofa I can sleep on . I think I am about to be murdered by the wife.
I guess that explains why I could pull away from standard 172s but the megs would leave me on the straights!
I’m not sure but for me the AFR looks like being slightly on the rich side between 12.5 and 14 all the way across the rev range.
Difficult to tell as both curves are given in red but maybe you have taken the power curve for the AFR curve?
Trackrod is correct; I took your lean/rich from your comments, but surely the afr line on the graph is the vaguely horizontal one and the climbing one is power?
In that case it is slightly rich across the run, taking stoichiometric as 14.7:1.
I have a video of it in car. I nearly , nearly caught it and then WHAP spin.
