A little while back we looked at the growing trend for car companies to
charge us extra
to enjoy the full benefits proclaimed in the marketing spiel. Now, a clarification from Lotus about the exact weight savings on offer for the
Elise S Club Racer
isn't exactly the stuff of conspiracy but it does confirm that if you want the full 28kg weight saving over the regular Elise S you've got to tick a few options boxes. You can save 19.06kg over the standard S at the list price of £35,600 but only if you delete the air bag, a no-cost option that accounts for 4kg of that 19.06kg diet.
Naked PHer just out of shot (thankfully)
That's a £600 cost saving over the standard Elise S and brings the stated unladen weight from 924kg to 904kg. For the 1.6 Club Racer you're looking at 852kg from 876kg, or 24kg less.
So, in fairness to Lotus the stated claim that, out of the box and with only that no-cost airbag delete, the Elise S Club Racer is 20kg less than the standard S is correct. Well, nearly - see below for the official figures.
The full 'for speed add lightness' applies to your wallet as well as the car though because you'll have to option the forged wheels (-1.5kg), lightweight battery (-5.4kg) and 'track only' dealer fit exhaust and airbox (-2.4kg) for a total best possible weight saving of 28.36kg.
Further weight savings are possible too, and they come for free. A PH approved summer evening's drive combination of driving shoes, socks, pants, jeans and PH T-shirt (natch) weighed in on the kitchen scales at 1.7kg. So leave that lot at home and you've got as near as dammit a 30kg weight saving in total. Yes, you'll be naked. But if you're obsessive enough to care about the 60g weight saving from a 'lightweight rear Lotus badge' you've got to see this through to its logical conclusion... Anyone asks just tell them Colin Chapman said it was OK.
Weight savings for Elise S Club Racer, verbatim from Lotus:
Club Racer: Standard Weight Saving
- Shower Cape - 5.9kg
- Delete Mud Flaps - 0.6kg
- Delete Radio and Speakers - 4.0kg
- Delete Noise Insulation & Carpets - 4.5kg
- Lightweight Rear Lotus Badge - 0.06kg
- Optional Airbag Delete - 4.0kg (No cost option)
- Lightweight Forged Alloy Wheels - 1.5kg
Maximum Weight Saving with ASO options (Dealer fit/ *track use only)
- Lightweight 12v Battery - 5.4kg (dealer fit)
- TRD Airbox, Air Filter and Sports Exhaust* - 2.4kg (dealer fit)
Maximum potential weight saving -28.36kg