RE: Lotus 'Small Car Platform' production landmark

[zebedee]

that grille and number plate has never been on that car, a really poor photoshop (sorry if you were being ironic!)

[furtive]

otolith said:

Interior is a bit different. Sills are a bit lower in the S2 making access easier. Roof design is different between S1s and early S2s, and different again in later cars. S1s and early S2s have Rover engines and unassisted brakes. Later S2s have Toyota engines, assisted brakes and ABS. Earlier cars are (generally, there are exceptions) lighter and less powerful and less refined - this happened over time, late S1s and early S2s aren't that far apart. S2 wheels are an inch larger. Most S2s have narrower front tyres than S1s (175/16 rather than 185/15). Suspension was revised for the S2 and again for the Toyota engines. S2s have more understeer but seem less likely to bite you on the arse - this is geometry sensitive, so if you want an S2 set up for arse-biting, you can have it.

Full model history;

http://wiki.seloc.org/a/Elise_model_history

And of course the VX220 was used to bridge the gap between the two.

[otolith]

I should add to those comments about S1/S2 differences that they are both more fundamentally similar to each other than either of them is to anything else you can buy.

[zebedee]

furtive said:

And of course the VX220 was used to bridge the gap between the two.

Eh?

[Oddball RS]

saaby93 said:

Oddball RS said:

saaby93 said:

jl34 said:

Cant think of anything worse than BMW buying up Lotus after the hash they made at running Rover group. Plus how did Tata make a success of Landrover and BMW couldn't?

BMW got Mini out of it, the 1 series and the 4WD engineering.
They got want they wanted out of it then parked the rest

The 1 Series? I don't follow, its a shortened 3 Series.

Ask which company was better at small car packaging?
Rover had a new FWD model R30 about ready to go into production, BMW swapped it to RWD rebadged it. Job done



Full Part story here
http://www.aronline.co.uk/blogs/concepts/concepts-...
The peculiar thing is many 1 series owners think their car is FWD

Sorry off topic

Edited by saaby93 on Wednesday 22 April 15:29

I must need new eyes, and the plot line doesn't really make any sense, front drive car loosely 75 based ready to roll, company sold off, we don't want it so lets sell it, hmmm no one wants its....... hmm I know lets keep it the same NOT (rear wheel drive, bulkhead back same my arse) and make it ourselves...

Maybe I'm too sceptical....

[Oddball RS]

"The 1 Series was developed alongside the E90 3 Series. Design work was done by Christopher Chapman in 2001, which was frozen for series production at the end of 2001. The 2002 CS1 Concept previewed the 1-Series design elements at the 2002 Geneva Motor Show.

The 1 Series was launched globally in Autumn 2004 and shares many structural, chassis, powertrain, hardware and electronic elements with the larger E90 3-Series. The model was started to provide a lower point of entry into the BMW range as the 3 Series moved gradually up-market. Initially launched as a five-door hatchback, a three-door version was also launched in July 2007"

[kambites]

zebedee said:

furtive said:

And of course the VX220 was used to bridge the gap between the two.

Eh?

The VX220 was very much an Elise S1.5 in many ways. Almost all of the improvements Lotus made for the VX220 got carried over to (or further improved upon in) the S2.

[PhillippeDuLait]

Let us also celebrate a similar number of cars with that same windscreen too!

I'm into my 14th year and roughly 65k miles of S1 111S ownership. It may only be used sparingly these last couple of years but you'll need to pry it from my cold dead hands.

[BibsTLF]

jmesgotav8 said:

So how many 'different' cars have been spun off this platform?

Elise S1, S2
Exige S1, S2 and S3?
Europa
Evora
320R
2 11
Telsa Roadster
Henesy Venom
That electric Elsie that wasn't a Tesla.
Have I missed any?

You missed a few...

Elise
Elise Type 115 GT1
Exige
Europa
340R
2-Eleven
Pininfarina Enjoy
Expose
VX220
EcoSpeedster
Melkus
Hennessey Venom
KO7 Spider
Tesla Roadster
Detroit Electric

Also worth bearing in mind that the Aston VH platform (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aston_Martin_VH_platform) wouldn't exist without the Lotus Small Car Platform

[FIREBIRDC9]

redroadster said:

And still can,t make money from it after all development costs been paid why is that ? .

Because the average motorist will hate the elise because it lacks "comforts"

They are more interested in Huge 4x4's that never see a dirt track.

I've been in an Elise S1 (The Type 45 , Gold Leaf)

It was cramped , it rattled , it was noisy but god it was brilliant!

Noisy and Cramped aren't what people want these days sadly.

They prefer having reverse cameras and keyless entry because pressing a button on your key fob is far too difficult

[zebedee]

FIREBIRDC9 said:

redroadster said:

And still can,t make money from it after all development costs been paid why is that ? .

Because the average motorist will hate the elise because it lacks "comforts"

They are more interested in Huge 4x4's that never see a dirt track.

I've been in an Elise S1 (The Type 45 , Gold Leaf)

It was cramped , it rattled , it was noisy but god it was brilliant!

Noisy and Cramped aren't what people want these days sadly.

They prefer having reverse cameras and keyless entry because pressing a button on your key fob is far too difficult

Agreed, and because people who like cars are now considered my most to be weird, those who enjoy driving even more so. So we should praise Lotus for turning out such cars, not keep slating them for failing to be a massive corporate success.

[Craikeybaby]

otolith said:

Interior is a bit different. Sills are a bit lower in the S2 making access easier. Roof design is different between S1s and early S2s, and different again in later cars. S1s and early S2s have Rover engines and unassisted brakes. Later S2s have Toyota engines, assisted brakes and ABS. Earlier cars are (generally, there are exceptions) lighter and less powerful and less refined - this happened over time, late S1s and early S2s aren't that far apart. S2 wheels are an inch larger. Most S2s have narrower front tyres than S1s (175/16 rather than 185/15). Suspension was revised for the S2 and again for the Toyota engines. S2s have more understeer but seem less likely to bite you on the arse - this is geometry sensitive, so if you want an S2 set up for arse-biting, you can have it.

Full model history;

http://wiki.seloc.org/a/Elise_model_history

I've been hankering after an S2 for a while now, but liking the idea of an S1 more and more. Just how much more difficult are they to get in & out of than an S2?

[Captain Muppet]

Craikeybaby said:

I've been hankering after an S2 for a while now, but liking the idea of an S1 more and more. Just how much more difficult are they to get in & out of than an S2?

I find the S1 no harder to get in and out of than an S2.

But then I own an S1, so I get a lot of practice. I use it as a daily driver.

[otolith]

Craikeybaby said:

I've been hankering after an S2 for a while now, but liking the idea of an S1 more and more. Just how much more difficult are they to get in & out of than an S2?

Not significantly so, IMO, but then once you are used to getting in and out it isn't an issue and I'd had an S2 for quite some time before I got into an S1. The main advantage for Lotus of making it easier to get in and out is in the showroom with a buyer who hasn't had one before.

[Craikeybaby]

Thanks guys.

I need to find an S1 to try.

[zebedee]

Craikeybaby said:

Thanks guys.

I need to find an S1 to try.

They aren't hard to get in and out of, just not the same as most cars. If they are hard for some people then so will lots other things in their lives.

If you are over abut 5'10" and it is sunny they are really easy to get in and out of, you just stand up and step out, no need to bother with the door...

[braddo]

zebedee said:

They aren't hard to get in and out of, just not the same as most cars. If they are hard for some people then so will lots other things in their lives.

If you are over abut 5'10" and it is sunny they are really easy to get in and out of, you just stand up and step out, no need to bother with the door...

But don't use the windscreen frame to pull yourself up and let yourself down (risk of windscreens cracking, I think?).

[zebedee]

braddo said:

But don't use the windscreen frame to pull yourself up and let yourself down (risk of windscreens cracking, I think?).

probably, always lift with the legs! Anyhow finally mine is back to life after several months, a bit of burnt insulation and shorted out after washing, took the garage a long time to find it but as it was winter I wasn't pushing them. New clutch in on Wednesday, then happy days again!