Newbie -

[bone]

hello all
have had my elise now for 2 years - a 53 plate 118hp Kseries model.
thinking now of improving performance a bit so I can have a play at Knockhill, and not end up in the heather!

any advice?

[holly]

[mac]

hello all
have had my elise now for 2 years - a 53 plate 118hp Kseries model.
thinking now of improving performance a bit so I can have a play at Knockhill, and not end up in the heather!

any advice?

Good idea - don't think Dezzy would be to chuffed (yeah - I know, it's an kinda in-joke but you'll get it in time)

and have a for me too!


Mac

[s29ttc]

Lots of lots of things out there to improve performance, depends what angle of performance you want to improve. Do you want more power, better handling, better brakes or become better driver? All of which will improve your performance!

Welcome

[Modena Scotland]

hello all
have had my elise now for 2 years - a 53 plate 118hp Kseries model.
thinking now of improving performance a bit so I can have a play at Knockhill, and not end up in the heather!

any advice?

Hi

If you haven't tracked before, try the car without any upgrades to start with. Make sure your engine oil is topped up, you have newish brake fluid and pads. Once you got used to tracking, then start thinking about upgrades (I reckon starting with the brake elements).

Mass

[Corranga]

I'd agree with the above.

Track it in standard form, the cars are pretty capable (make sure you have adequate brake pads left etc of course!)

If the car is well maintained and not really needing anything, leave it as is, and take a performance driving course to improve yourself. The cars limits are probably way beyond your own anyway (mine certainly is)

Then head along the brakes route, stopping is more important than going!

Most of all, enjoy it!

Chris

[s29ttc]

Being relatively new to this I have read up on a lot of things. Through my research I have found the best way(and cheapest way) to improve lap timesand performance of the car is driver techniques. If you can improve your driving you will be able to get the most out of your car. It seems a lot of people have the mindset that to go faster you need more BHP. This is untrue. I thought of myself as a relatively good driver for my age until I went to some track days and sat in with some of the guys. Watching them using different techiques such as heel toe (http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/howto/ ... ticle.html) and the lines they were taking on track, how late they where brakes and how quickly they where able to get back on the power was impressive to say the least. I would prosume by doing a lot of reading about the science of it all would make you appreciate the car more and gain more power and get the most of your car as it is rather than doing mods as present. I think once you have gained knowledge on this then you will feel as though you may want better brakes, better handling, better grip first before you think about more power. I find it more fun wizzling round corners fast and braking later than banging down the acclerator and going fast. A lot more skill, thought and science comes into it. How you set up the car for the corner, how much angle you put on the steering, how much power you put down all comes into how you can go round the corners. If you attend track days it will become apparant that power is not as much a factor as you would believe. A lot more is down to the driver ability. I would have a read through techniques and the science of the car and give yourself a bit more knowlegde about it. How to transfer wait across the car, how braking transfers the weight to the front and acceleration brings the car back, different methods used to handle a slide or back end kicking out etc. As has been said it is highly recommended to have a visit to this guy walshy (http://www.carlimits.com). May be £200 but you would be amazed how many seconds that slashes off a lap rather than a £200 mod. Hope this helps

[j2 lot]

Well said Scott

oh and Bone

[Lazydonkey]

There was a certain 118bhp S1 elise driven by an AA man that used to reguarly whip much much faster cars around knockhill

[very predictable post]

Kames is good for allowing you to improve your lines and confidence without worrying about who is behind you. Look out for the next days in the trackday forum

[/predicatable post]

Oh and hello

[bone]

thanks to all - good advice - basically need some track time to see whats what!!!

any track hints/protocol I should know? will obviously take it easy to start with, but dont wnat to bust anything first time out.

is there anything similar to walshy northof the border - Essex is a fair trek!

[s29ttc]

I would jump on the internet and google it first and read up about some techniques and have a bit of practise somewhere quiet. Thats how I am starting and I feel the difference each small part makes. First read about heel-toe and have a practise at that see the difference it makes going into corners, how much more balanced the car is and how much more smoother the gear change is. I would read up about weight transfer across the car through braking accelerating and about steering angle, learn about understeer and oversteer, not just what it is what causes it, how to overcome it etc. Im a great believer about learning the theory behind it all then move on to put it in practice. If you have a good knowledge of what the car is actually doing and why your actually doing heel toe and different techniques it can only make you a better driver.

[s29ttc]

Have a quick look here

http://www.drivingfast.net/index.htm

Not sure how good it is I am just going to have a quick look

[Paolo]

[Digital]

You could always pop along to Knockhill on Saturday to see how a few of the more experienced drivers approach it, most people are happy to take passengers out for a few laps (to scare them ).

H&T and all the rest are a good thing to know, but for your first time on track there's enough to concentrate on with braking points, finding a good line and watching out for everyone else. Kames is a good starting point as at least there is no other traffic to worry about!

Jamie

[Edin430]

Shoomer -

Not if you count my ownership through the 4 Loti I've had

Oh and