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Lotus NA Yota tuning kit on the way

Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 9:31 am
by ryallm
Dunno if anyone else has heard of this, but it was certainly news to me. It seems that Lotus are soon to release some tuning options for the normally aspirated Yota engine, and best of all this will include a revised ECU which lowers the cam change over point.

http://www.exiges.com/ubbthreads/showfl ... o=&fpart=1

Just what the car needs I reckon.

Mark

Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 9:57 am
by Gareth
Excellent!
Hopefully a reflash.

Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 10:38 am
by tut
£770 is over the top for a replacement ECU that purely lowers the VTEC point, you would expect a fully programmable ECU for that.

The Hondata K Pro will give really worthwhile gains on the Honda engine, so something similar for the Yota would be much better.

Ideally an Emerald modified by Karl for both Jap engines would be the answer.

tut

Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 10:47 am
by Sanjøy
FFS 35k for a car then £700 to make it move driveable.

Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 10:55 am
by Gareth
Sanjoy wrote:FFS 35k for a car then £700 to make it move driveable.
I don't get how it's not driveable?
Who's opinion is that?

Lowering the 2nd cam range would only suit certain tracks.
For me, on the run, the 6200rpm was perfect and I love the big cam change which by the way sounds fab with the 2bular.

Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 10:59 am
by ryallm
Sanjoy wrote:FFS 35k for a car then £700 to make it move driveable.
Yeah, it does rather beg the question if they can do this with the ECU now, why on earth was it not done before the 111R/Exige were launched. £700 for an ECU is a lot, but on the other hand I can't think of any other mod you can do to an Exige for less than a grand which would make such a big difference to the way it drives.

Mark

Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 11:00 am
by mac
Don't anyone said it wasn't driveable. All Sanjoy pointed out was that it was a lot of money to make the car MORE driveable.


Tut's right though - with that kind of dosh I'd be wanting something a damn sight more flexible for future mods.



Mac

Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 11:02 am
by Sanjøy
Gareth wrote:
Sanjoy wrote:FFS 35k for a car then £700 to make it move driveable.
I don't get how it's not driveable?
Who's opinion is that?

Lowering the 2nd cam range would only suit certain tracks.
For me, on the run, the 6200rpm was perfect and I love the big cam change which by the way sounds fab with the 2bular.
Okay exploitable :?

Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 11:07 am
by ryallm
Gareth wrote:
Sanjoy wrote:FFS 35k for a car then £700 to make it move driveable.
I don't get how it's not driveable?
Who's opinion is that?

Lowering the 2nd cam range would only suit certain tracks.
For me, on the run, the 6200rpm was perfect and I love the big cam change which by the way sounds fab with the 2bular.
I have had the Exige for 18 months now - still absolutely love it, but the only real flaw for me is that the the second cam band is too narrow. I think for both road and track driving having the power come in a bit earlier would be a significant improvement, although I guess the downside would be a less dramatic second cam kick.

Mark

Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 11:31 am
by Andy G
ryallm wrote:
I have had the Exige for 18 months now - still absolutely love it, but the only real flaw for me is that the the second cam band is too narrow. I think for both road and track driving having the power come in a bit earlier would be a significant improvement, although I guess the downside would be a less dramatic second cam kick.

Mark
Absolutely agree, and having been in Mckeann's vtec I was massively jealous of the early change over of the vtec - about 4.5k if memory serves me right.

For over-taking too it would be superb :D

#700 to reflash an ecu is a piss-take though.

Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 11:51 am
by tut
With the Hondata ECU you can have the best of both worlds. It can come in at 4500 when you floor the throttle, ie on the track or overtaking a line of cars, but in normal use it will kick in at the standard 5800.

I do not have the Hondata which is one reason why Neils is up on power on mine, it can make a big difference, and also his 4500 IVTEC kick in on track will help. However on the road, I hardly ever get into VTEC and am in 6th most of the time, even on the fast road runs, except for showing off and letting them know that I am within a mile of Banchory car park. <BG>

One eye opener yesterday was that Craig, Alan and I all re-fuelled at Mintlaw before the run, then at Inveruruie on the way home after 190 miles.

Craig has a VHPD fitted and put in 37L, Alan with a standard engine put in 40L(last gasp), and I only needed 27L. Before Robin found out the other week that my block temp plug had dropped out 8 months ago, Craig and I were on the same consumption, so I have been losing 10 litres per tank over that period, not to mention the power and difficult starting.

Which of course all goes to prove one thing..........

I am a dickhead and should have traced it months ago.

tut

tut

Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 11:54 am
by tuscan_thunder
tut wrote:With the Hondata ECU you can have the best of both worlds. It can come in at 4500 when you floor the throttle, ie on the track or overtaking a line of cars, but in normal use it will kick in at the standard 5800.

I do not have the Hondata which is one reason why Neils is up on power on mine, it can make a big difference, and also his 4500 IVTEC kick in on track will help. However on the road, I hardly ever get into VTEC and am in 6th most of the time, even on the fast road runs, except for showing off and letting them know that I am within a mile of Banchory car park. <BG>

One eye opener yesterday was that Craig, Alan and I all re-fuelled at Mintlaw before the run, then at Inveruruie on the way home after 190 miles.

Craig has a VHPD fitted and put in 37L, Alan with a standard engine put in 40L(last gasp), and I only needed 27L. Before Robin found out the other week that my block temp plug had dropped out 8 months ago, Craig and I were on the same consumption, so I have been losing 10 litres per tank over that period, not to mention the power and difficult starting.

Which of course all goes to prove one thing..........

I am a dickhead and should have traced it months ago.

tut

tut
what time were you in Inverurie? I'll have to pm you my number so next time you're nearby you can drop in for a coffee

Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 12:18 pm
by jamie
Well I think there will be a better solution coming shortly in the form of an Emerald ECU for the Yota Loti. As usual Lotus is asking over the odds for the upgrade. Would expect the Emerald to undercut it and have more tuning ability. From what I can gather the ECU only changes the cam change over point. The learning functionality on the standard ECU and this lower cam version will still adjust to minimise the gains from induction kits and zausts. People have found that when you put say a new manifold, induction kit and zaust on a car they get gains for say 15hp great except 200miles later back to stock output. This was the bit that all the guys in the US were getting excited about - the only way they have been able o get around it is by disabling the learning functionality.

I would recommend that anyone looking at this should hold off over Xmas and see what Father Christmas brings via Emerald :D

Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 12:19 pm
by tut
Round about 1600. We re-fuelled at BP, Stevensons or what ever they call it nowadays.

Drop me your number as Inverurie is often on route. We lived at Kirkton of Rayne for 14 years.

tut

Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 12:24 pm
by ryallm
jamie wrote: I would recommend that anyone looking at this should hold off over Xmas and see what Father Christmas brings via Emerald :D
Good info Jamie.

Santa, can I have an Emerald for my Exige please...

Mark