You could go to Lotus MS and ask them for a real upgrade. Lotus Motorsport built the car specifically for RACE use. There is no difference between the race car and the road version.
Don’t think so, isn’t the race only car MUCH lighter? If so, there’ll be less mass taul down, brakes suffer much less.
You want the top? You’ll have to pay. Dearly. I did, �45.5K, The Lotus flagship model with NO other upgrades being available… >
That’s a lot, and I can see why you want the thing to work, but I was actually thinking more like the �120K that the GT3 cars cost.
Now, I’m sure if you got a GT3 you’d still find that it doesn’t work perfectly, as Gavan, et all found out at the race…
You could go to Lotus MS and ask them for a real upgrade. Lotus Motorsport built the car specifically for RACE use. There is no difference between the race car and the road version.
Don’t think so, isn’t the race only car MUCH lighter? If so, there’ll be less mass taul down, brakes suffer much less.
You want the top? You’ll have to pay. Dearly. I did, �45.5K, The Lotus flagship model with NO other upgrades being available… >
That’s a lot, and I can see why you want the thing to work, but I was actually thinking more like the �120K that the GT3 cars cost.
Now, I’m sure if you got a GT3 you’d still find that it doesn’t work perfectly, as Gavan, et all found out at the race…
You can’t compare this to the GT3 Race car. I’m refering to the Lotus Cup Europe that this car was designed to compete in.
didn’t Gav Kershaw have the same problem with the Exige S at donnington on the 29th april?
Gavins problem was that he ran out of brake pad, and had to change them in the afternoon. The Exige S is fitted with the standard Exige pads not RS14s.
The Exige S owner I spoke to had fitted RS14s and was having what appeared to be the start of this problem.
Ok, regardless of the root cause of the problem, you obviously believe Lotus should have sold you a car that would have no issues whatsoever for your driving.
It’s not going to happen, not with Lotus, not with Porsche, not with even Radical.
You might be a tad stronger on the brakes/faster than the average Lotus driver, and you will have issues, possibly even on a GT3.
So, other than stopping driving on the track altogether, why not sort this out yourself?
Maybe get a credit from Lotus on the amount you spend on fixing it?
Without knowing your full situation, could it be that you need forced brake cooling? or that the AP discs are the best ones? (there are several AP models, and if you’re warping them I would suggest going for the heavier ones).
BTW, I sorted out my brake issues by forced cooling.
Re Radical’s, has anyone ever seen one get through a track day without having the clams off? They seem to need an enourmous amount of care and attention.
Ok, regardless of the root cause of the problem, you obviously believe Lotus should have sold you a car that would have no issues whatsoever for your driving.
It’s not going to happen, not with Lotus, not with Porsche, not with even Radical.
You might be a tad stronger on the brakes/faster than the average Lotus driver, and you will have issues, possibly even on a GT3.
So, other than stopping driving on the track altogether, why not sort this out yourself?
Maybe get a credit from Lotus on the amount you spend on fixing it?
Without knowing your full situation, could it be that you need forced brake cooling? or that the AP discs are the best ones? (there are several AP models, and if you’re warping them I would suggest going for the heavier ones).
BTW, I sorted out my brake issues by forced cooling.
Fare enough, but this car isn’t even coming close to what I’d expect from a track focused car. Remember that I paid over �45K for this car, a car with NO other options for upgrading the performance.
Anything I fit as an after market solution to this problem invalidates the warrantee (and that runs contrary to the finance agreement). Lotus has confirmed that if I were to fit the AP Racing disks they would take this action. Why should I have to pay for that privilege on a brand new car.
It’s not a case of the car having NO issues, but having issue that could be sorted under the warrantee. I can’t sort the problem without invalidating the warrantee. Lotus can’t sort the problem because they don’t have a solution.
Going back to why I purchased this particular model, it was because of the specific claims made by Lotus as to its performance and design use. They were FULLY aware of my intended use of the car.
You seem to be implying that we shouldn’t expect that much from them, and that goods that don’t live up to the advertising and manufactures claims are acceptable. Sorry but I disagree, and so does the law.
The more people that take the stand that its Ok for sub standard goods to be produced the worse the quality of those goods will become.
No, like you say it’s not Ok and we shouldn’t put up with this.
Wasn’t aware that any mods need to be done by Lotus or it invalidates the financial agreement.
Maybe it did also in my case, but having a DIY attitude made me just do it.
Am I better than Lotus? of course not!
Do I have a better proactive attitude that some of the Lotus guys? (maybe the one that is assigned to your issue?) quite possibly.
I’m sure Lotus can fix it. They just need to put the proper person at the job.
Heck, I’m sure I can fix it!
I remember a season I raced the Suzuki throphy. There were no mods allowed, and the bikes were supposed to be perfect and championship-ready, but in reality the top guys were using a different type of pad (as the std ones were fading), and I got some of those slipped under the table by the sponsor, so I don’t believe such a thing as Cup-ready.
Anyway, good luck with whatever you decide, but I don’t think you can expect something better than any other brand (and I’m not really loyal to Lotus).
I’ve seen the excellent job you did on your own car, and I’m sure that the fix to this problem is as simple as fitting decent disks, and possibly improving the venting. Lotus won�t admit that at the moment though, probably due to the other cars that may be affected (trying to limit their losses on warrantee claims).
The great shame is that they didn�t test the car to this point prior to release.
Unfortunately, after 3 months and 3 sets of brakes I�ve given up on them, every ounce of faith and enthusiasm I had for the Lotus brand has now evaporated. Pity given that I�ve spent the best part of �80K on Lotus product & services over the past 3 � years.
The only good thing I�ve learnt is that sometimes it�s worth buying on finance. It�s the finance company that now have to refund my money.
My next car will most likely be a second hand R400, something I can tinker with, and if it doesn�t work I have no one else to blame but myself.
my two pen’th! and I think I’m about to go through the same issue…
I had a 25 year old 911 RS “out of the box” hammered the brakes (having upgraded the lines and the pads) and it never failed once ever!
And it wouldn’t be so bad if it weren’t for the recursive Warranty - Uprgade - no Warranty issue. For my part I’d spend more to upgrade, and through the nose with Lotus direct, IF I didn’t invalidate my warranty…and thats not because i think i’ll claim, its just principle I guess.
But when it comes down to it the pragmatist in me says just get it done and enjoy the rest of what is a good little car
And frankly from my one day at Bedford, in the wet (where I had no issues on braking though to be expected) I’m more concerned about the transmission snatch I experienced. But once again until I have a good dry day I can’t call that or the brakes issue.
And to round off…I’ve never seen a ferrari or a Radical or an M3Csl finish a whole trackday in anger…but I have to say I’ve seen plenty of cooking (rs) and standard 911’s and porsche in general hammer on all the way through AND I’ve seen plenty of warranty claims honoured by Porsche after hard track work casued failed brake (though notoriously not in realtion to their carbon kit…oouch)and transmission parts.
just my 2 pen’th. the recursive warranty issue needs to be solved in re the upgrades then really its just business as usual isn’t it? do track days = spend money!
Totally aside fromt he warrantee issue, the official(?) (offered by Bell & Covill) brake upgrade is marketed as ‘Track use only’, as are most of the performance parts offered by Lotus themselves (like the stage 2). How would this sit with your road insurance in the event of a claim?
I’d say find out the spec & then talk to your insurance co. If they’re track only because they have to get up to temp to work effectively you may have to pay a premium (providing they agree to quote). It may depend on the road use you intend to use too.
There are a few Lotus ‘track only’ upgrades that are accepted on the road without any insurance penalty (e.g. harnesses, removable wheel, sport exhausts etc), so you never know.
I’ve just come back from a 2 day course on the Hockenheim F1 circuit. My Exige Cup has the Bemani 265bhp s/c. In my group was a girl with an Exige with the Bemani s/c too.
She reported fade after several laps. I don’t know what Lotus Sport put in the Cup as standard, but mine looked OK at the start with about half the pad remaining. By the last session they had shown no fading but I was on the rivets and the discs are fcuked. The Lotus dealer I bought the car from said the brake cooling was marginal on a high speed track and offered brake cooling ducts. The Lotus dealer where I got new rear Yokos from last week also said that, on a circuit like Hockenheim, the brakes are boredrline. He recommends slightly larger diameter aftermarket discs and does not go for Pagids, preferring Ferrodo. I will have to make a choice now and I don’t think stock is up to it. Don’t know if I can get the AP racing 4-pot set-up through the road test here in Switz., but the Lotus dealer thought they were problematic…
Going to sort this out in the next few weeks.
Btw, both the Swiss Lotus dealers I have talked to are happy to sell a Lotus S/C but say they are built down to a price and are nowhere near as well engineered as the Bemani.
Yep, I’ve just plotted back to back with a 240R, its kicks ####.
It looks like a well thought out conversion. They’ve really gone for broke with the chargecooler. Lotus wanted to do it that way but there’s no way you could build a production car with pipework that complex. It works though, the chargecooler really looks like it allows a bit more ignition advance and boost whereas the 240R is very det limited. Its also nice to see out of the back window (sortof)!
Here it is in action yesterday at Hockenheim � brakes were down to the metal and rears overinflated but I put up a struggle aginst my mate’s 964 RS with a Ruf turbo giving 420bhp � see here:
I thought it had as much to do with the fact that they hadn’t considered them for any legislation issues.
Ian
I agree, “track use only” usually just means that Lotus have not been through a compulsary time consuming and expensive testing programme that can include fitting the part to a car and then crashing it…
I thought it had as much to do with the fact that they hadn’t considered them for any legislation issues.
Ian
I agree, “track use only” usually just means that Lotus have not been through a compulsary time consuming and expensive testing programme that can include fitting the part to a car and then crashing it…
That may also be why they invaladate the warrantee if you fit them yourself.