Discussion
My old S1 was about 680kg without petrol (but with all other fluids). Car was an MMC-equipped car (the last one they ever made!) with lightweight Magnesium wheels, lightweight battery and lighter seats. Standard weight for an Elise S1 is usually about 30kg heavier (sum of the extra weight of the wheels, seats and battery).
As has been said, you can get them down to about 600kg but this involves some pretty extreme measures.
Anything under ~720-730kg for an S1 is about right given half a tank of petrol.
As has been said, you can get them down to about 600kg but this involves some pretty extreme measures.
Anything under ~720-730kg for an S1 is about right given half a tank of petrol.
Steve's car isn't a high budget carbon blingwagon. I think he does have a carbon front clam but it saves surprisingly little (a handful of kg). Steve's car has been lightened by meticulous attention to the little things. The easy weight savings are as above, wheels, seats, battery. Also a lot can be saved in the doors. Beyond that Steve has shaved little bits of weight all over the place, from lighter engine mounts right down to little stuff most of us would think too little to matter like removing bits of plastic trim.
SpeedyDave said:
Steve's car isn't a high budget carbon blingwagon. I think he does have a carbon front clam but it saves surprisingly little (a handful of kg). Steve's car has been lightened by meticulous attention to the little things. The easy weight savings are as above, wheels, seats, battery. Also a lot can be saved in the doors. Beyond that Steve has shaved little bits of weight all over the place, from lighter engine mounts right down to little stuff most of us would think too little to matter like removing bits of plastic trim.
Is this the guy who took off the body panels and sanded the inside to lighten the car?
Don't know about Newey's car (although it sound unlikely) but Tony Shute used to run the Expose, a polycarbonate bodied 340R in hillclimbs some more details here http://www.340r.net/news/expose/expose.htm
Cuzza said:
Don't know about Newey's car (although it sound unlikely) but Tony Shute used to run the Expose, a polycarbonate bodied 340R in hillclimbs some more details here http://www.340r.net/news/expose/expose.htm
This month's Lotus MagThat think look's cracking!
Boggy
Edited by Boggy on Monday 1st October 10:03
Cuzza said:
Don't know about Newey's car (although it sound unlikely) but Tony Shute used to run the Expose, a polycarbonate bodied 340R in hillclimbs some more details here http://www.340r.net/news/expose/expose.htm
Saw the "expose" in its last race (tony Shute at the wheel), it was used for "crash test" soon afterwards. Beautiful car - inspired by his sons RC models.
I'm trying to get my SC Honda Exige down to 700kg whilst retaining all the std bodywork all standard engine/gearbox etc and, more importantly, that's keeping it in proper race ready trim (all safety equipment etc). Would get expensive to get down much below that. Elise's are easier as the body is lighter to start with and the wheels are lighter/smaller. For example, you don't even need to fit the roof.
Adrian Newey's car wasn't lightened as far as I'm aware. Just had a turbo K-series and new gerabox. Even had standard wheels when it was in Evo. Did it evolve?
Didn't know Expose 340R bit the dust in a crash test. Why? What was the point? Am I being stupid here given the 'crash test' is in inverted commas. Suspect so. It wouldn't be the first time, it won't be the last.
I do remember a S1 Elise a few years back in Track Cars with a 1.4. turbo K and very little else. I think it may have been 600kgs or less but I may be getting carried away.
Randy, what steps have you taken with the Exige?
Didn't know Expose 340R bit the dust in a crash test. Why? What was the point? Am I being stupid here given the 'crash test' is in inverted commas. Suspect so. It wouldn't be the first time, it won't be the last.
I do remember a S1 Elise a few years back in Track Cars with a 1.4. turbo K and very little else. I think it may have been 600kgs or less but I may be getting carried away.
Randy, what steps have you taken with the Exige?
Edited by Ultrasound on Monday 1st October 17:56
Edited by Ultrasound on Monday 1st October 17:58
Ultrasound said:
Didn't know Expose 340R bit the dust in a crash test. Why? What was the point? Am I being stupid here given the 'crash test' is in inverted commas. Suspect so. It wouldn't be the first time, it won't be the last.
]
I was chatting to Tony Shute and said I had some photos of him racing the expose. He explained that to develop a new derivitive there is an extensive series of crash testing which is enormously expensive for a small company such as Lotus, so at the end of the season the car was used in a crash test. Big shame. Seems like some important heritage was thrown away. I would have baught it!]
Not hugely light considering the lengths to which they've gone but they've added weight in the form of a roll-cage etc, so not a bad effort overall:
http://www.sector111spyder.blogspot.com/
http://www.sector111spyder.blogspot.com/
Edited by Risotto on Monday 1st October 18:56
Gooby said:
Ultrasound said:
Didn't know Expose 340R bit the dust in a crash test. Why? What was the point? Am I being stupid here given the 'crash test' is in inverted commas. Suspect so. It wouldn't be the first time, it won't be the last.
]
I was chatting to Tony Shute and said I had some photos of him racing the expose. He explained that to develop a new derivitive there is an extensive series of crash testing which is enormously expensive for a small company such as Lotus, so at the end of the season the car was used in a crash test. Big shame. Seems like some important heritage was thrown away. I would have baught it!]
BMGM3 said:
Gooby said:
Ultrasound said:
Didn't know Expose 340R bit the dust in a crash test. Why? What was the point? Am I being stupid here given the 'crash test' is in inverted commas. Suspect so. It wouldn't be the first time, it won't be the last.
]
I was chatting to Tony Shute and said I had some photos of him racing the expose. He explained that to develop a new derivitive there is an extensive series of crash testing which is enormously expensive for a small company such as Lotus, so at the end of the season the car was used in a crash test. Big shame. Seems like some important heritage was thrown away. I would have baught it!]
Gooby said:
BMGM3 said:
Gooby said:
Ultrasound said:
Didn't know Expose 340R bit the dust in a crash test. Why? What was the point? Am I being stupid here given the 'crash test' is in inverted commas. Suspect so. It wouldn't be the first time, it won't be the last.
]
I was chatting to Tony Shute and said I had some photos of him racing the expose. He explained that to develop a new derivitive there is an extensive series of crash testing which is enormously expensive for a small company such as Lotus, so at the end of the season the car was used in a crash test. Big shame. Seems like some important heritage was thrown away. I would have baught it!]
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