111r - Your advice please
Discussion
Ordered my 111r yesterday --- Whoopee. This will be my first Lotus (unless you can count a Caterham or two).
Spec is saffron yellow, touring pack, hard roof and aircon Taking delivery early April. I am hoping that I can use the car as my day-to-day car, other than on long motorway trips. Will also be doing a few track days each year.
I have a couple of questions for those lucky folks who already have theirs.
a. Apparently Lotus have discontinued the black alloys. I would really prefer to have black or anthracite alloys. Only thing I can think of is to use one of the powder coating/alloy refurbishment companies to recoat the wheels once I take delivery of the car. Any comments on this or other ideas?
b. Any developments with the mysterious rattle problem?
c. I need to take a decision on alcantara vs leather soon. How slippy are the leather seats? Would I end up having to fit harnesses if I track it, even with alcantara? Is there much difference in comfort? Any other comments appreciated.
d. Does anyone know whether the 111r would pass noise tests at places like Combe and Goodwood with the sports exhaust fitted? How much noisier would the sports exhaust be when cruising at motroway speeds? Could I expect any improvement in performance?
d. Any other issues, tips or things I should check when I take delivery?
Thanks in advance.
Andrew
>>> Edited by abailey on Saturday 5th February 05:30
Spec is saffron yellow, touring pack, hard roof and aircon Taking delivery early April. I am hoping that I can use the car as my day-to-day car, other than on long motorway trips. Will also be doing a few track days each year.
I have a couple of questions for those lucky folks who already have theirs.
a. Apparently Lotus have discontinued the black alloys. I would really prefer to have black or anthracite alloys. Only thing I can think of is to use one of the powder coating/alloy refurbishment companies to recoat the wheels once I take delivery of the car. Any comments on this or other ideas?
b. Any developments with the mysterious rattle problem?
c. I need to take a decision on alcantara vs leather soon. How slippy are the leather seats? Would I end up having to fit harnesses if I track it, even with alcantara? Is there much difference in comfort? Any other comments appreciated.
d. Does anyone know whether the 111r would pass noise tests at places like Combe and Goodwood with the sports exhaust fitted? How much noisier would the sports exhaust be when cruising at motroway speeds? Could I expect any improvement in performance?
d. Any other issues, tips or things I should check when I take delivery?
Thanks in advance.
Andrew
>>> Edited by abailey on Saturday 5th February 05:30
I would go for leather seats over alcantara as it does look that bit more slick - the only downside of leather is when you have the lid off on a hot summers day your seats can get a bit toasty after if you leave it parked out of the shade. A bit like getting into a really hot bath, just takes a little more time.
As for the sports exhaust - I have had Bell and Colville fit a level 2 exhaust to mine - I think it going to be a bit noisy for a few tracks. As for motorway cruising - it is a bit louder but it not unbearable. The noise produced by the sports exhaust is actually more bearable than the noise produced by the standard exhaust as its a much more pleasing tone.
As for the sports exhaust - I have had Bell and Colville fit a level 2 exhaust to mine - I think it going to be a bit noisy for a few tracks. As for motorway cruising - it is a bit louder but it not unbearable. The noise produced by the sports exhaust is actually more bearable than the noise produced by the standard exhaust as its a much more pleasing tone.
If you want something that has a race-car feel go for the alcantara. If you prefer the gay boxter look, go for leather.
Aftermarket powder-coating is about £50 a corner & shouldn't be a problem. After 2 years of cleaning brake dust off alloys, the black wheels are a god-send.
cheers
tup.
Aftermarket powder-coating is about £50 a corner & shouldn't be a problem. After 2 years of cleaning brake dust off alloys, the black wheels are a god-send.
cheers
tup.
The infamous rattle is something that I got really hot under the collar about, as it sounded like my clutch bearing was about to explode.
In fact, having driven a couple of other 111r's in the company of a Lotus field engineer, it's something they all seem to do, although some are louder then others. It appears to be related to the gearchange selector mechanism, IIRC. You can make the noise alter and even go away completely (albeit momentarily) by wibbling the gearstick (or the selector cable sheaths in the engine bay).
It's not too bad once you get used to it. When driving along, you hear it whilst on balanced throttle at engine speeds of 3500 and above. It goes away if you back off or put your foot down, but is loudest at high revs in low gears.
I have leather seats in mine and the Lotus road sport exhaust - IIRC, the Lotus stage 2 version is track-only. I found no slippage issues with the leather seats, as they are stitched and punched. They also have grip panels on the edges, and this seems to be sufficient certainly for spirited road driving, although I'm not tracking mine until my dealer's track day in April.
As for the sports 'zorst, IMHO, it makes the car sound 100% better, although it does nothing for power output. The standard one sounds a bit weedy, so you can immediately hear the difference. It's not too intrusive in the cabin at motorway cruise, and is relatively quiet at low speeds. However, if you do give it full bananas, you will definitely know it's there, as it gives out a piercing raspy howl at high revs, especially once the VVTLi kicks in. Great for tunnels, and money well spent in my view
When you pick it up, make sure you check the fit and finish carefully. Chances are there will be one or two things that need doing, despite the PDI. Mine needed a bit of extra velcro to hold a door trim panel, a wire in the nose securing and the Stack dial pod replacing as it was badly scratched from the factory. How it got through PDI I don't know, but to be fair, it was swapped out with minimum fuss. Don't forget to also make sure your dealer confirms the terms of the warranty. From August 2004 onwards, it's 2 years unlimited mileage, even though the note itself gives a mileage limitation.
I use mine day-to-day, and I find it great to live with. Every journey is a like a little adventure, and I even get 200-250 miles to a tank of fuel. Do think about getting some tuition if you're not used to a mid-engined car, though. I had one very scary moment not long afer I bought mine, and a couple of unlucky guys on here have been caught out.
Hope this helps,
[k]
>> Edited by [k]ar| on Saturday 5th February 23:18
In fact, having driven a couple of other 111r's in the company of a Lotus field engineer, it's something they all seem to do, although some are louder then others. It appears to be related to the gearchange selector mechanism, IIRC. You can make the noise alter and even go away completely (albeit momentarily) by wibbling the gearstick (or the selector cable sheaths in the engine bay).
It's not too bad once you get used to it. When driving along, you hear it whilst on balanced throttle at engine speeds of 3500 and above. It goes away if you back off or put your foot down, but is loudest at high revs in low gears.
I have leather seats in mine and the Lotus road sport exhaust - IIRC, the Lotus stage 2 version is track-only. I found no slippage issues with the leather seats, as they are stitched and punched. They also have grip panels on the edges, and this seems to be sufficient certainly for spirited road driving, although I'm not tracking mine until my dealer's track day in April.
As for the sports 'zorst, IMHO, it makes the car sound 100% better, although it does nothing for power output. The standard one sounds a bit weedy, so you can immediately hear the difference. It's not too intrusive in the cabin at motorway cruise, and is relatively quiet at low speeds. However, if you do give it full bananas, you will definitely know it's there, as it gives out a piercing raspy howl at high revs, especially once the VVTLi kicks in. Great for tunnels, and money well spent in my view
When you pick it up, make sure you check the fit and finish carefully. Chances are there will be one or two things that need doing, despite the PDI. Mine needed a bit of extra velcro to hold a door trim panel, a wire in the nose securing and the Stack dial pod replacing as it was badly scratched from the factory. How it got through PDI I don't know, but to be fair, it was swapped out with minimum fuss. Don't forget to also make sure your dealer confirms the terms of the warranty. From August 2004 onwards, it's 2 years unlimited mileage, even though the note itself gives a mileage limitation.
I use mine day-to-day, and I find it great to live with. Every journey is a like a little adventure, and I even get 200-250 miles to a tank of fuel. Do think about getting some tuition if you're not used to a mid-engined car, though. I had one very scary moment not long afer I bought mine, and a couple of unlucky guys on here have been caught out.
Hope this helps,
[k]
>> Edited by [k]ar| on Saturday 5th February 23:18
Thanks everyone. I think I will go down the leather route as I suspect that it is easier to keep looking good and probably harder wearing. I guess that if support is an issue on track then it most likely would be whether you have leather or alcantara and that 4 point harnesses are the only effective solution.
WhirlingDERVish said:
Can someone point me in the direction of where to order a sports exhaust for a 111r (as enthused about above)? Is it a Lotus part that the dealer can order?
The official Lotus sports 'zorst for road use is a dealer-fit optional extra. Mine charged about £350 plus VAT IIRC for it, with fitting prior to delivery.
[k]
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