S3 Elise unveiling in March?

[tut]

I really like it I wouldnt buy one, but that is due to me being a bit old for an Elise now.
I'll be joining Mr G with an Esprit

fcuk off........

tut

[scott_e]

Looks like a mr2.

i agree , the front looks too flat. I like the headline spike and dip to middle of the bonnet , thats what makes the S2 stand out ... and cruise control !

[Matelotman]

Another link

http://www.thelotusforums.com/cms/index ... &Itemid=89

[tut]

The 2011 model Elise will be available from April 2010.

Am I missing something?

tut

[campbell]

By way of comparison I have had a chance to look at the engine spec for the current 111R.

Alfa Multiair 1.4 120BHP- 206Nm ~ 152lb-ft @ 1750 rpm
Alfa Multiair 1.4 155BHP- 230Nm ~ 170lb-ft @ 3000 rpm
Lotus 111R 1.8 189BHP- 181Nm ~ 133lb-ft @ 6800 rpm
Lotus SC 1.8 217BHP- 212Nm ~ 156lb-ft @ 5000 rpm

I'm sure someone more knowledgeable can explain which works best.

I think you want weight figures in there too.

[campbell]

Nothing wrong with 130-140bhp in an Elise....I've been having a hoot in mine this week but then it is one of the early S1s so nice and light
No airbags, ABS or insulation to weigh it down.

Not often we agree Gareth, but have been doing similar in ours over the weekend...along the Sma Glen amongst other places...nirvana

[campbell]

I looked at the spec of a 1.8 Rover engine, 118hp, and 127mph top speed. 0-60 was good, 0-100 was not.

Eleven years on potential buyers would look at similar figures but in a heavier car, but be more sensible than me. Of course if they did they would not be part of S_E, so their loss.

tut

Potential buyers may now pay a lot less heed to 0-100 because apparently if you get beyond the speed limit anywhere these days you are the scum of the earth. Like it or not, a healthy 0-60 and 50-70 time is what should spark a "spirited" buyer's interest and any manufacturer offering a sporting model which ticks those boxes with sensible emissions is going to be in with a shout.

All they then have to do is make the car look (and perhaps sound) good.

Note the trends from the major manufacturers to (at long bloody last) go down in weight and engine sizes (Golf R vs previous R32 is one example and next Focus ST is apparently going the same way).

Note also that the VAG boys are probably going to introduce something based on the Blueline as a VW roadster and poss also a Porsche 4-pot "entry-level" model, maybe even with TDI involved. This is a light, low-emission yet v sporty and presumably v well screwed together car. So the Elise S3, if it ever materialises, has a heck of a lot of work to do.

Campbell

PS Elise S3 with light TDI engine could be a hoot. I believe all-alloy TDIs are now feasible and this would make the weight distrib a lot more tolerable. VW even know how to make them rev well A 140bhp TDI behind your head with double that number of torques could be really quite interesting...

[campbell]

Seriously, it that it?

Massive dissapointment.

Evo says 134 bhp and 876kg ! so that's 150ish bhp per tonne.

Complicate and add weight, it would seem

Std S1s are in the 150bhp per tonne dept. Nowt shabby there.

And it’s downsizing – the entry-level Elise S will now come with a 1.6-litre petrol engine good for 134bhp (at 6800rpm) and 118lb ft (at 4400rpm). That’ll shift the car’s 876kg kerb weight (plus driver) to 60mph in 6.0sec, to 100mph in 18.3sec and onto a 124mph maximum.

Nothing particularly startling in the performance department, then, but the real reason for the new in-line four is its emissions and fuel economy, sub-155g/km and 46mpg respectively.

I think EU regs are requiring manufacturers to strike a certain average CO2 emission level or something, so even Lotus with its reasonable average may be needing something in the product lineup to tip the scales back a bit. The higher output Toyota engined Elises are pretty thirsty, IIRC.

I'm still getting 42mpg out of old UJI on the commuting run, and 45 or so on the m-way. Not bad for old-tech.

[j2 lot]

I think the need to reduce co2 across the range will mean an electric Lotus in the near future. They have the knowhow from work with Tesla and the omnivore 2 stroke would prevent the range limitations of all electric.

[mac]

I think I'll wait until there's a physical one release and photographed before jumping in to the debate.

[BiggestNizzy]

Looks like it will be a new proton/Lotus hybrid they are unveiling

hybrid engine, not a Gen.2 with a fibreglass body :p

[max1966]

By way of comparison I have had a chance to look at the engine spec for the current 111R.

Alfa Multiair 1.4 120BHP- 206Nm ~ 152lb-ft @ 1750 rpm
Alfa Multiair 1.4 155BHP- 230Nm ~ 170lb-ft @ 3000 rpm
Lotus 111R 1.8 189BHP- 181Nm ~ 133lb-ft @ 6800 rpm
Lotus SC 1.8 217BHP- 212Nm ~ 156lb-ft @ 5000 rpm

I'm sure someone more knowledgeable can explain which works best.

I think you want weight figures in there too.

Kinda of difficult, there isn't much around regarding engine weights. But the achieved low end grunt of 1.4ltr engines seem to exceed that produced by the yota engines currently used, while hardly headline making bhp figures it should temper the bhp whores appetite.

[campbell]

Was meaning vehicle weights. It's all about bhp (or torques) per tonne...plus the gearing of course

[max1966]

But i was assuming vehicle weights to be a constant and assuming alternative engine choices and their relative benefits i think.

[kenny]

So after all that...

http://www.lotus-central.com/en/news/38 ... debut.html