Airbags

[cjfc]

Am a newbie to pistonheads and lotus and was hoping to get your views regarding airbags on a lotus.

I test drove the elise over the weekend and was completely blown away by how great the car was. It was truly awesome and I am now seriously considering buying one. My only concern is that only brand new ones in the UK have airbags (as an option) and I am unsure about buying a car without them (not sure I can justify spending the money on a new fully spec’ed one and would prefer to go for a year old 111R). All the cars I have owned in the last seven years have had airbags and although I’ve been lucky enough to not need one so far, I am wary of having a car without them. Any views on the need / benefit etc would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Christian

[gooby]

cjfc said:

Am a newbie to pistonheads and lotus and was hoping to get your views regarding airbags on a lotus. I test drove the elise over the weekend and was completely blown away by how great the car was. It was truly awesome and I am now seriously considering buying one. My only concern is that only brand new ones in the UK have airbags (as an option) and I am unsure about buying a car without them (not sure I can justify spending the money on a new fully spec’ed one and would prefer to go for a year old 111R). All the cars I have owned in the last seven years have had airbags and although I’ve been lucky enough to not need one so far, I am wary of having a car without them. Any views on the need / benefit etc would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Christian

I would invest the money in an advanced driving course and prevent the actual accident instead of feeling "comfortable" during the accident.
The elise is a very safe little car, up front there is a carbon fibre crash structure and they take a hell of a lot of damage before the pasenger cell is compromised.

Saying that, I do find it comforting for my wifes car to have air bags!

[bogie]

if you are worried about safety then dont buy a sportscar ...or a motorbike ...buy a Volvo !

...seriously - if you are that bothered then fit some 4 point harnesses instead of the intertia reels....

I know many people who have crashed Elises ...and all them have walked away afterwards with littly injury, even when the cars been rolled many times and theres not much left of it - they are surprisingly tough little cars. Back when the Elise was first made, it was the first production ever to be able to be driven away from the 30mph front impact test.........

[jfrf]

personalkly im not too bothered about lack of airbags.

Id hope that in an accident the seatbelt would stop me smashing into the steering wheel

[bob_defly]

Even without harnesses the low and leaned back seating positiion keeps you well away from the steering wheel. It's the side impacts (and cupboard monsters) you should really worry about!

[bogie]

side impact with a 'normal' car should be fine - you have massive ally beams (the chassis) at the side, then ally beams in the doors...Id be more worried about an impact with something big that you can go under !

still...the best defence is driver training to increase awareness and avoid situations in the 1st place......

[bob_defly]

I know I was joking Bogie, trying to scare away the pesky kids...

BOO!

There I go again..

[cjfc]

Thanks for all the comments. Seems the best bet is to buy the one year old car and then use part of the money saved for an advanced driver training course and avoid the situation in the first place.

Next question for me to answer is air con or not ...

[bogie]

get an aircon car if you can ......the heater is better in them

[gooby]

Weighs 15k and reduces the power to the wheels. No Aircon. Why bother with a convertable if you want aircon. If you were buying an exige then it is a must, in an elise it is a waste of time /weight / money / servicing costs etc. You would use it 4-5 times a year if you left the roof on.

Simple rule, if you are hot take off the roof.

[GTRene]

gooby said:

Weighs 15k and reduces the power to the wheels. No Aircon. Why bother with a convertable if you want aircon. If you were buying an exige then it is a must, in an elise it is a waste of time /weight / money / servicing costs etc. You would use it 4-5 times a year if you left the roof on. Simple rule, if you are hot take off the roof.

If you are hot...euhm...I look for someting else but serious, aircon is realy cool also for demisting I use it sometimes, ofcorse you can live without it...not realy need one, but when you do its very welcome and for aftersale also very welcome!
I take the 15kg and loose some weight
GTRene

[jfrf]

bogie said:

get an aircon car if you can ......the heater is better in them

i can confirm the heating is top notch even in the new Non-aircon elises.

it was just crap in the old designed ones which i unfortunately had as well.
think it changed late 2002ish.

i also agree if you are too hot take the roof off or wind the window down.
The uk is hardly the most tropical of countries

[GTRene]

think of stuck in traffic jam 25 degrees or more? not moving much...for 2 hours...you take the roof of? or wind down the windows? give me aircon at those moments and a hardtop or good softtop
GTRene

[gooby]

GTRene said:

think of stuck in traffic jam 25 degrees or more? not moving much...for 2 hours...you take the roof of? or wind down the windows? give me aircon at those moments and a hardtop or good softtop GTRene

Take off the roof and get a tan. For the very few times a year you will use it, not worth it (IMHO)

[cjfc]

I was thinking of the air con for the winter mornings when the windscreen mists up for the first five minutes of nearly every journey i take. plus for use in the few warm days in the summer when i'll be driving in and out of london stuck in slowing moving traffic when the breeze isn't quite strong enough to cool you down.

could easily do with loosing 15 kilos so maybe the compromise is to equal out the extra weight of the air con with some serious exercising.

[cheekymonkey]

cjfc said:

plus for use in the few warm days in the summer when i'll be driving in and out of london stuck in slowing moving traffic when the breeze isn't quite strong enough to cool you down.

i would deffo get A/C if buying again - last summer i spend every friday sweating my nuts off sat in traffic roof on or off when going up to see my missus. The engine generates a lot of heat, and when hitting traffic after a long blast the heat just spreads through into the cabin as there's little barrier and it's like a sauna! deffo, deffo, deffo get it if you can IMO. betty swallocks when you're seeing your missus ain't good

[GTRene]

good point

[GTRene]

I hate extra kilo's to...but I'm only? 74kg so not much of a problem
and when I want to comprimise I order the lightweight wheels and dump the stereo and all those speakers, also a Jim? lightweight exhaust and a induction and dump the leftover of the old intake(box and so) this all together is more then those 15kg me thinks also I like it more that way you look cool with the roof of, but you stay cool with aircon(in hot conditions) but ofcorse a lovely drive in the country means roof of if you can with a bit sun
GTRene

>> Edited by GTRene on Wednesday 19th April 15:52

[MJK 24]

Being very simplistic, if you're tall like me (6'3" you'll have the seat all the way back and with a 3 point belt on, you wont make contact with the wheel.

If you're short, invest in harnesses and again, you wont hit the wheel.

[cjfc]

Thanks for all the comments.

I'm 6'3 so will hopefully be ok regarding the steering wheel. To help avoid the need in the first place i'll certainly look into a driving course.

Am 95 kilos so the car is already going to have some extra weight but am certainly moving towards the pro air con side. All i need to do now is find a 05 or 55 plate 111R touring with air con in black or dark / medium blue

Christian