Does anyone know of it’s existance ?
I read somewhere that one was possibly going to be built !!
If so what’s it like ?
It has been done and here are the blokes who do the conversion:
http://www.zcars.org.uk/lotus/index.htm
There are loads of drawback though - driveability, longevity, low down torque (what torque) and the transmission ? chain driven iirc.
Nice idea, but doesn’t seem to have been workable in real world terms.
I belive Geary at Eliseparts looked at doing this 3+ years ago.
Ive not seen or heard of any of Z Cars conversions on the road,
Christian
It has been done and here are the blokes who do the conversion:
http://www.zcars.org.uk/lotus/index.htm
There are loads of drawback though - driveability, longevity, low down torque (what torque) and the transmission ? chain driven iirc.
Nice idea, but doesn’t seem to have been workable in real world terms.
I don’t think it uses a chain, I believe it has the same gearbox setup as the radical
The radical uses a chain
During some of my weaker moments I considered a westfield xtr2, but after very careful consideration I came to the following conclusions:
- Power to weight ratio is not that impressive unless you spend mega bucks on engine.
- Bike engines are designed to carry a lightweight motorcycle at nowhere near full load all the time, now imagine how much stress the motor takes carrying the car at maybe 500kg plus 2 passengers at 180kg, through two drive wheels, with alot more drag.
_ building a stupidly powerful turbo bike engine, means stupidly ridiculous rebuild schedules and costs, due to the above. - The reversing boxes are expensive and heavy.
I would be really keen to see some real world specs for one of the hyabusa engined elise’s. I have seen the website and check it regularly in the hope of some published final figures.
I would like to know at least:
- final weight of the complete car, with fluids
- actual power/torque at the wheels, I would be especially interested in a NA power curve as I live 1200m above sea level which saps power.
I have strange suspicion that even a std VHPD would be easier to live with on a long term basis.
I might be proved wrong and it really does weigh bugger all and makes 300HP quite easily, but somehow I doubt it, I think it’s gonna be a bit of a hand grenade.
It’s a shame that no one knows of any in existance !! As i too share the same view that it would be very interesting to get some real power weight and torque figures; plus an owners view of how it handles and what it is like to drive.
I have a Honda CBR 1100XX conversion in my track car. it is chain driven and has been thrashed now for 4 years without any problems !!
I have seen with my very own eyes (true ! LOL) Geary’s Turbo Hyabussa’d Elise. I think he sold it to a chap in HK or something like that. I’ll get Brian Drought to post more when he comes online later.
I thought it was still sat at Holeshot Racing?
I’ll be speaking to Geary in a bit anyway so will ask him
I thought it was still sat at Holeshot Racing?
I’ll be speaking to Geary in a bit anyway so will ask him
I think it’s the one at Holeshot. Don’t think it’s ever been run on the road though, well not any distance anyway.
Bernard
I am going upto Holeshot next week as Jack is fitting a turbo to my Mini, i will have a look for the Lotus whilst i’m up there !
Yes the car lives on, its been built using a full on 450 BHP Turbo’d motor, and weighs under 600 kilos. The actual creator said that it was weighed at 580 kilos total car weight. If this is correct then it will be most definitely a fast Lotus. Just waiting to see what it is really like as a finished product. the conversion is relatively expensive due to the complexity of the build. This is due mainly to the cost of the expensive drive/diff converter system which is �2.5k, then there’s the length of the engine making it difficult to fit it all in with its diff system. So it comes out about the same as a Honda conversion maybe a little cheaper but that’s for a stock engine with no turbo. (Turbo kit is another �3.5k)
Yes the car lives on, its been built using a full on 450 BHP Turbo’d motor, and weighs under 600 kilos. The actual creator said that it was weighed at 580 kilos total car weight. If this is correct then it will be most definitely a fast Lotus. Just waiting to see what it is really like as a finished product. the conversion is relatively expensive due to the complexity of the build. This is due mainly to the cost of the expensive drive/diff converter system which is �2.5k, then there’s the length of the engine making it difficult to fit it all in with its diff system. So it comes out about the same as a Honda conversion maybe a little cheaper but that’s for a stock engine with no turbo. (Turbo kit is another �3.5k)
Has it been driven any distance on the road yet or is it still being finished off ? And is it the ex-Eliseparts car ?
Bernard
*85
Yes the car lives on, its been built using a full on 450 BHP Turbo’d motor, and weighs under 600 kilos. The actual creator said that it was weighed at 580 kilos total car weight. If this is correct then it will be most definitely a fast Lotus. Just waiting to see what it is really like as a finished product. the conversion is relatively expensive due to the complexity of the build. This is due mainly to the cost of the expensive drive/diff converter system which is �2.5k, then there’s the length of the engine making it difficult to fit it all in with its diff system. So it comes out about the same as a Honda conversion maybe a little cheaper but that’s for a stock engine with no turbo. (Turbo kit is another �3.5k)
Will this be at tunergp?heard there’s 2 hayabusa elises going?
After starting this thread some time ago, i am still intreagued to see one of these machines in action. The finished conversion should weigh about the same as a radical and therefore put about the same stresses and strains through the motor/drivetrain. The radicals Busa’s are diff driven not chain as per the intended exige set up. i am told that one of the problems was sharp driveshaft angles, however this has been addressed and a mild 400ish BHP demo car will launched early next year !! CANT WAIT !!
I know from experience that they sound fantastic with the high revs and the 6 speed sequential gearbox as standard, i also have had four years of trouble free engine reliability lugging around 550 kilos. I guess the question we are all waiting to be answered is what will it drive like in an exige? Will the balance of the car still be there ?
With the question of how strong are the engines : Fact 1, Jack runs his engine with just over 700BHP at 3 bar of boost and has done so for 40 consecutive competative runs without a rebuild or even a missfire in doing so he hit nearly 260 MPH (Crazy !!!) He thinks that with enough money in case of terminal component failure that the engine would take more boost and see nearly 800 BHP - all this from an 85 kilo bike engine. (these were speeds on a bike, and a heavily modded internal array of components - but suggest that the engine is generally of a strong nature even in a high state of tune )
I have ultimate respect for the Honda engine, and think that they make a great conversion, infact it’s an awesome conversion looks like it should be there, goes like stink, sounds great and is bulletproof…BUT there is something awesome about sequentially shifting at 11,000 RPM in true F1 style. Combine this with the cockpit of an exige and an open track…Could be a winner; however we will wait and see
Interesting, but all sounds too good to be true!
Ian
Interesting
Yep, but a very, very limited market.
With the question of how strong are the engines : Fact 1, Jack runs his engine with just over 700BHP at 3 bar of boost and has done so for 40 consecutive competative runs without a rebuild or even a missfire in doing so he hit nearly 260 MPH (Crazy !!!) He thinks that with enough money in case of terminal component failure that the engine would take more boost and see nearly 800 BHP - all this from an 85 kilo bike engine. (these were speeds on a bike, and a heavily modded internal array of components - but suggest that the engine is generally of a strong nature even in a high state of tune )
I have ultimate respect for the Honda engine, and think that they make a great conversion, infact it’s an awesome conversion looks like it should be there, goes like stink, sounds great and is bulletproof…BUT there is something awesome about sequentially shifting at 11,000 RPM in true F1 style. Combine this with the cockpit of an exige and an open track…Could be a winner; however we will wait and see
By “runs” I presume you mean 8-9 second 1/4 mile blasts ? Not much of a test of durability is it ?
I’d be suprised if it lasted 2 laps in an Elise (sorry, Exige) at that power.
Bernard
I had a chat with a Dax owner who was running a turbo’d hedgeabuser engine at the TunerGP, he was very scathing about the engine’s durability at around 350-400BHP. He was limiting the boost due to questions over the engines integrity having had at least one go pop recently.
Dave
How can anyone be ‘scathing’ when its a 1.3 producing 350+ hp ? I think its a little unfair. If its lighter and doesnt screw up the handling of the exige I would be happy with 250 hp ? It would make a good conversion, or am I missing something ?