One of the benefits of buying a new Lotus *with write-up*
Unfortunately didn't see anything else: saw the Elise/Exige/2-11/Europa production areas, along with the Classic Team Lotus old F1 cars. Only "secret" thing we saw was the Tesla but will be keeping my eyes peeled today for Eagles!!delands wrote:Name dropping again...
I got Tony Shute to sign my handbook during Stelvio 99.
Apart from that.. what did you see?
Off to grab some brekkie then out to the test track!
D
2009 Mini Cooper, Midnight Black
2008 Elise S, Solar Yellow
2008 Elise S, Solar Yellow
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Lazydonkey
- Posts: 5139
- Joined: Sun Aug 07, 2005 6:24 pm
- Location: Glasgow
- Contact:
How long have we been saying that ?dezzy wrote:found it quite amusing that the engine in an VX220 was mostly designed by Lotus while the engine in the Elise/Exige was obviously nothing to do with Lotus!
Proper lotus, see ?EDIT : Have a great time
Focus ST estate, i3s and more pushbikes than strictly necessary.
....did i ever tell you about the Evora and VX220 i used to own?
....did i ever tell you about the Evora and VX220 i used to own?
Write-up part 3:
After a quick safety briefing this morning, we headed out on track. Very professional in terms of safety: dedicated paramedic on hand all day.
We started with car control exercises in the morning. My instructor was Dave Minter. He was excellent. I started on the slalom course. Used under half of the track with cones laid out and some pretty tight corners to get through the cones. Very educational in terms of planning lines through corners to set up well for the next one. Had an interesting chat about pull-push vs. rotational steering with Dave. In this particular exercise, pull-push was actually much smoother and considerably easier for negotiating the slalom than Walshy-style rotational steering!
We then did the "circle". Kinda like a big roundabout and they had soaked it so we would lose grip. Did understeer and oversteer. The thing that made this better than Walshy's oversteer exercise was that it was at a much lower speed (30 - 40mph) due to the water and therefore meant you could learn much more because it was more controllable. I felt that I learned a lot more about the point at which grip gives way than I did on my Walshy day. Furthermore, the understeer exercise was very interesting - Walshy didn't do that. Dave said he was very impressed with my ability to catch the oversteer and I even managed a couple of short "drifts" so I was really chuffed!!
After lunch it was off out to do the full track and put some of the techniques learned in the slalom course into practice. The track is very interesting. The surface is shocking in some places! I don't know if this is fairly new, but they've got a chicane before and at the end of the main straight to get your speed down a bit. Was still bloody quick though!
Dave helped me work on my heel&toe and I've come away from the day not perfect at it, but so much better. It just kinda clicked today with his help and tuition. I also feel I learned how to be a smoother track driver. Really enjoyed it. The complex bit of right/left/right/left/right corners was very difficult but was great for working on lines and realising that you may have to sacrifice one corner to make the exit speed of the next one higher. Dave said he was really pleased with my lines so I was chuffed again!
Then had two high speed laps with Dave driving. Simply awesome! I could not believe the speed he could carry through the chicanes and into some of the corners. He was fantastic! And also very smooth.
I've got a bit of a conflict in my head about smoothness vs. harsh braking, etc. Walshy seemed to teach stamping on the brakes quite violently and I know that's the advice a lot of you guys have given me on track. However, the Lotus guys are trying to teach smoothness and say that the speed will come after you've got the technique and smoothness right first. I feel I've improved my braking today and it's much smoother, whereas I came away from my Walshy day stamping on the brakes. The smoothness definitely gives the car more grip IMO. It's just more balanced.
Even when I went out with Dave driving very fast, he was still really smooth on the brakes. He was hard on them, but progressive.
I would like to do another day with Lotus, but I think I'll probably do another Walshy day first. I think it's good to get both viewpoints. I'm just a bit confused over how different they are.
Anyhoo, it was a fantastic end to an amazing two days. I just can't express how amazing it was to meet the guys who developed the original Elise, to be taught how to drive by them, to meet Clive Chapman, to see how our cars are built and to get a real insight into the history of Lotus with the classic F1 cars.
This was one of the best experiences in my life and I am still on such a high!
D
P.S. There was an Esprit out on track for quite a bit today. Looked just like the last model they produced but was on a 54 plate. I thought they'd stoped producing them by then? Was wondering if it was perhaps the old bodywork but with new components for the new car underneath being tested. Still never saw an Eagle though!
After a quick safety briefing this morning, we headed out on track. Very professional in terms of safety: dedicated paramedic on hand all day.
We started with car control exercises in the morning. My instructor was Dave Minter. He was excellent. I started on the slalom course. Used under half of the track with cones laid out and some pretty tight corners to get through the cones. Very educational in terms of planning lines through corners to set up well for the next one. Had an interesting chat about pull-push vs. rotational steering with Dave. In this particular exercise, pull-push was actually much smoother and considerably easier for negotiating the slalom than Walshy-style rotational steering!
We then did the "circle". Kinda like a big roundabout and they had soaked it so we would lose grip. Did understeer and oversteer. The thing that made this better than Walshy's oversteer exercise was that it was at a much lower speed (30 - 40mph) due to the water and therefore meant you could learn much more because it was more controllable. I felt that I learned a lot more about the point at which grip gives way than I did on my Walshy day. Furthermore, the understeer exercise was very interesting - Walshy didn't do that. Dave said he was very impressed with my ability to catch the oversteer and I even managed a couple of short "drifts" so I was really chuffed!!
After lunch it was off out to do the full track and put some of the techniques learned in the slalom course into practice. The track is very interesting. The surface is shocking in some places! I don't know if this is fairly new, but they've got a chicane before and at the end of the main straight to get your speed down a bit. Was still bloody quick though!
Dave helped me work on my heel&toe and I've come away from the day not perfect at it, but so much better. It just kinda clicked today with his help and tuition. I also feel I learned how to be a smoother track driver. Really enjoyed it. The complex bit of right/left/right/left/right corners was very difficult but was great for working on lines and realising that you may have to sacrifice one corner to make the exit speed of the next one higher. Dave said he was really pleased with my lines so I was chuffed again!
Then had two high speed laps with Dave driving. Simply awesome! I could not believe the speed he could carry through the chicanes and into some of the corners. He was fantastic! And also very smooth.
I've got a bit of a conflict in my head about smoothness vs. harsh braking, etc. Walshy seemed to teach stamping on the brakes quite violently and I know that's the advice a lot of you guys have given me on track. However, the Lotus guys are trying to teach smoothness and say that the speed will come after you've got the technique and smoothness right first. I feel I've improved my braking today and it's much smoother, whereas I came away from my Walshy day stamping on the brakes. The smoothness definitely gives the car more grip IMO. It's just more balanced.
Even when I went out with Dave driving very fast, he was still really smooth on the brakes. He was hard on them, but progressive.
I would like to do another day with Lotus, but I think I'll probably do another Walshy day first. I think it's good to get both viewpoints. I'm just a bit confused over how different they are.
Anyhoo, it was a fantastic end to an amazing two days. I just can't express how amazing it was to meet the guys who developed the original Elise, to be taught how to drive by them, to meet Clive Chapman, to see how our cars are built and to get a real insight into the history of Lotus with the classic F1 cars.
This was one of the best experiences in my life and I am still on such a high!
D
P.S. There was an Esprit out on track for quite a bit today. Looked just like the last model they produced but was on a 54 plate. I thought they'd stoped producing them by then? Was wondering if it was perhaps the old bodywork but with new components for the new car underneath being tested. Still never saw an Eagle though!
2009 Mini Cooper, Midnight Black
2008 Elise S, Solar Yellow
2008 Elise S, Solar Yellow
Nice one Dezzy!!!!
About the braking and stuff - when Walshy used Crail they had an oval which was soaked in derv and water so that the understeer/oversteer could be done at slow speed - with North Weald being a mixed use venue I'm guessing that can't be done there.
Also with the braking, you need to remember that you've only done one day with Walshy and he teaches in stages. Once you've mastered "stamping" you go on to "modulation" and that's where the smoothness comes in.
Mac
About the braking and stuff - when Walshy used Crail they had an oval which was soaked in derv and water so that the understeer/oversteer could be done at slow speed - with North Weald being a mixed use venue I'm guessing that can't be done there.
Also with the braking, you need to remember that you've only done one day with Walshy and he teaches in stages. Once you've mastered "stamping" you go on to "modulation" and that's where the smoothness comes in.
Mac
S2 Elise (cobalt blue with stripes) - toy spec
Caterham 7 - hillclimb spec
Yamaha Thundercat - 2 wheeled toy spec
Caterham 7 - hillclimb spec
Yamaha Thundercat - 2 wheeled toy spec
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Scottynic
- Posts: 418
- Joined: Tue Jul 03, 2007 1:28 pm
- Location: Dundee or in the Coil Cab somewhere?!
I never told you what I saw. Outwith the factory anyway!delands wrote:Scottynic wrote:
unfortunately we are not allowed to tell anyone where we went or what we saw.
You just have.
I was there last week too. However, I have forgotten what I saw. Can you remind me please? Can't remember if it was the Eagle or Esprit replacement.?
We also saw the tessla but were told it wasnt a secret now.
I made a comment to one of the instructors about "that" esprit but he wouldnt say anything. We recon it had the engine which was gonna be in the new one.
TOO FAST TO LIVE TOO YOUNG TO DIE!!!
stamping on the brakes isn't something I've done with Walshy.....and I've not seem him do it either - rough love on the brakes, for sure, but using modulation for better results - see his DVD.
ps. You lucky git..........
ps. You lucky git..........
AMG GT-R
Atom 4 - CM425
Lotus Esprit S4S
G30 M5 Comp
Ferrari 599
Lotus Elise S1 "Shed" spec
Atom 4 - CM425
Lotus Esprit S4S
G30 M5 Comp
Ferrari 599
Lotus Elise S1 "Shed" spec
Maybe I've just misunderstood him. It just felt like he was stamping on them. I guess I'll work on the smoothness thing first and the firmer braking will come. Definitely going to go back to Walshy next year. Might visit Lotus again too though.Andy G wrote:stamping on the brakes isn't something I've done with Walshy.....and I've not seem him do it either - rough love on the brakes, for sure, but using modulation for better results - see his DVD.
ps. You lucky git..........
D
2009 Mini Cooper, Midnight Black
2008 Elise S, Solar Yellow
2008 Elise S, Solar Yellow