Traction Control, heh heh heh
Discussion
A silly story for Monday night. About 5 weeks ago, the insurance company finally sent me a cheque in regard of the *b
ds* writing off my yellow VXT. With impending lack of job due to credit market chaos, I decided to tempt fate by popping over to my closest Lotus dealer (Lipscomb) where I met a chap called Paul Parkinson and had a look at some cars, just to see whether another VXT was on the cards or the newer (and much more expensive) Lotuses could make sense. Paul was a top chap and immediately suggested that I took the demonstrator Exige S out for a test drive (I hadn't arrived expecting test drives, I was scruffy and didn't look like I could afford a Lotus, but the supercharged V8 MG I turned up in aroused some interest). It was freezing cold and Paul mentioned that the tyres were cold, etc. and that I'd have to take it easy to start with, but that the Exige S had traction control!
I'm not a newbie to the Elise chassis or to high-powered variants (my VXT had more power and torque than the Exige S) so once he'd sussed whether I was likely to punt it into the scenery or not, Parky was happy with me going pretty quickly on the test drive. On a tight, slow junction, I tested out and found the traction control - a little icon on the dash that looks like an Elise burning rubber flashed a couple of times, and the power softened to prevent rampant wheelspin, demonstrating the fly-by-wire throttle. He also got me playing the 'formula one shift lights' game, etc. and got me to do a full-on emergency stop on a bumpy road from speed to demonstrate the progress the Elise ABS system has made since the IMO dangerous 2-channel system on the VXT. It was awesomely impressive, a real step forward from the VXT.
As usual, since I can resist everything except temptation, when we arrived back in the dealership and Paul pointed to a bright yellow Exige S sitting outside, I had another loan round my neck and a week of panic trying to get insurance at a reasonable price. Picking it up 6 days later in Noah's Ark weather, it took all of 5 seconds to fall in love with the car - I loved my VXT, but the Exige has all of the good bits, none of the bad bits and loads of other loveliness. It was heaven. Fantastic handling, and given that I hate traction control, it seemed very hard to trigger it, which was great.
Fast forward a few weeks, and one evening my girlfriend takes her employees out for a Christmas dinner and drinks. As I was home at a normal time and used every excuse to go for a drive in the Exige, I picked her up from the station. On the way back, there's a hill and a chicane after the traffic lights. Stopped at the lights, a bunch of lads walking past grinned and gave me the thumbs up. Of course, in complete show-off fashion, I set off a bit quick when the lights change, and coming out of the chicane, I give it a bit of toe and the tail swings round 30 degrees. I hold it for a second and then straighten up (OK, cold tyres, slippy road, etc.) - couldn't hear if the lads cheered because the girlfriend was screaming so much, heh
At this point I'm starting to wonder whether I'd switched the traction control off by accident, or whether actually I didn't control the slide at all, and perhaps it was all done by the ECU. 
Anyway I'd booked Parky for some advanced instruction on my first trackday with the new car, at Brands last Friday (utterly brilliant day, as per the other thread). Some of Paul's other customers were there, including a guy called Nick with an Exige S similar to mine (but with sport pack and harnesses, ally-belled brakes and a more subtle colour). We were talking about our different driving styles, and Paul asked Nick whether he used the traction control on track, along with ABS questions, etc.
I pipe up 'I don't seem to get the traction control kicking in, but I'm not drifting the car, just adjusting line etc.' at which point Parky says 'eh? Your car doesn't have traction control'. Oh.
'That's your traction control', he said, pointing to my right race boot. 
So that's why my new Exige has been sliding around all over the shop trying to activate the traction control - there isn't any
Such was my haste to buy the car after the test drive, I didn't really enquire too much as to what spec the car was - as long as it had the air con (which would be a nice novelty after the S1 and VXT with their duff ventilation systems), a supercharger and sticky tyres, and it was yellow, then 'where do I sign?'
Good job I didn't push any harder on the road trying to find the traction control!!!! Anyway I absolutely LOVE this car (you guessed yet?)
ds* writing off my yellow VXT. With impending lack of job due to credit market chaos, I decided to tempt fate by popping over to my closest Lotus dealer (Lipscomb) where I met a chap called Paul Parkinson and had a look at some cars, just to see whether another VXT was on the cards or the newer (and much more expensive) Lotuses could make sense. Paul was a top chap and immediately suggested that I took the demonstrator Exige S out for a test drive (I hadn't arrived expecting test drives, I was scruffy and didn't look like I could afford a Lotus, but the supercharged V8 MG I turned up in aroused some interest). It was freezing cold and Paul mentioned that the tyres were cold, etc. and that I'd have to take it easy to start with, but that the Exige S had traction control!I'm not a newbie to the Elise chassis or to high-powered variants (my VXT had more power and torque than the Exige S) so once he'd sussed whether I was likely to punt it into the scenery or not, Parky was happy with me going pretty quickly on the test drive. On a tight, slow junction, I tested out and found the traction control - a little icon on the dash that looks like an Elise burning rubber flashed a couple of times, and the power softened to prevent rampant wheelspin, demonstrating the fly-by-wire throttle. He also got me playing the 'formula one shift lights' game, etc. and got me to do a full-on emergency stop on a bumpy road from speed to demonstrate the progress the Elise ABS system has made since the IMO dangerous 2-channel system on the VXT. It was awesomely impressive, a real step forward from the VXT.
As usual, since I can resist everything except temptation, when we arrived back in the dealership and Paul pointed to a bright yellow Exige S sitting outside, I had another loan round my neck and a week of panic trying to get insurance at a reasonable price. Picking it up 6 days later in Noah's Ark weather, it took all of 5 seconds to fall in love with the car - I loved my VXT, but the Exige has all of the good bits, none of the bad bits and loads of other loveliness. It was heaven. Fantastic handling, and given that I hate traction control, it seemed very hard to trigger it, which was great.
Fast forward a few weeks, and one evening my girlfriend takes her employees out for a Christmas dinner and drinks. As I was home at a normal time and used every excuse to go for a drive in the Exige, I picked her up from the station. On the way back, there's a hill and a chicane after the traffic lights. Stopped at the lights, a bunch of lads walking past grinned and gave me the thumbs up. Of course, in complete show-off fashion, I set off a bit quick when the lights change, and coming out of the chicane, I give it a bit of toe and the tail swings round 30 degrees. I hold it for a second and then straighten up (OK, cold tyres, slippy road, etc.) - couldn't hear if the lads cheered because the girlfriend was screaming so much, heh
At this point I'm starting to wonder whether I'd switched the traction control off by accident, or whether actually I didn't control the slide at all, and perhaps it was all done by the ECU. Anyway I'd booked Parky for some advanced instruction on my first trackday with the new car, at Brands last Friday (utterly brilliant day, as per the other thread). Some of Paul's other customers were there, including a guy called Nick with an Exige S similar to mine (but with sport pack and harnesses, ally-belled brakes and a more subtle colour). We were talking about our different driving styles, and Paul asked Nick whether he used the traction control on track, along with ABS questions, etc.
I pipe up 'I don't seem to get the traction control kicking in, but I'm not drifting the car, just adjusting line etc.' at which point Parky says 'eh? Your car doesn't have traction control'. Oh.
'That's your traction control', he said, pointing to my right race boot. So that's why my new Exige has been sliding around all over the shop trying to activate the traction control - there isn't any Such was my haste to buy the car after the test drive, I didn't really enquire too much as to what spec the car was - as long as it had the air con (which would be a nice novelty after the S1 and VXT with their duff ventilation systems), a supercharger and sticky tyres, and it was yellow, then 'where do I sign?'
Good job I didn't push any harder on the road trying to find the traction control!!!! Anyway I absolutely LOVE this car (you guessed yet?)
Rinko said:
I'm still umm'ing and arr'ing about buying an S. I'm too scared to go back to a dealer in case I do something impulsive.
Good on you for just going for it - I might just have to do the same and then explain it to the missus after.
I didn't tell my other half - when I came back from 'just having a look' at the cars I avoided any questions about deposits or purchases Good on you for just going for it - I might just have to do the same and then explain it to the missus after.
And then concocted a story about being late back from work on Friday night because I was going out for a beer, when in fact I'd taken a train to Maidstone to pick up the car
On Saturday, when I was meant to be driving her to the shops (she had a broken toe and was on crutches at the time) we walked round to the car park, and there was this bright yellow Exige sitting suspiciously opposite her car (supercharged V8 MG ZT saloon). She turned round and looked at me, raised eyebrows, accusingly, and I tried to keep a straight face but instead cracked up laughing.
Quote Becky 'I can't believe you, I can't.... no actually I can believe you. Typical' - she loves it though, it's got a much more comfortable passenger seat than the VXT had...(I have a history of impulsive purchases. I bought my current house off a bloke in the pub, and went to Mole Valley dealers to show my mate the TVRs, and ended up coming home with a Noble. Cars are my worst vice, and the reason why I'll never be wealthy or even financially secure... but I have a fun car to drive!!!
)Hi, i bought my Yellow Exige S from lipscomb, brilliant garage and real petrolheads for salesmen. I drove down from sunderland the night before picking it up and stayed in the hotel along the road. When we arrived at about 10 at night i had a drive along and saw my car parked at the front of the showroom with all the spotlights on it. The car looked awesome in the showroom with it being dark.
5 months on and a ring trip later i still love it as much cracking car.
5 months on and a ring trip later i still love it as much cracking car.
Cool 
The 'ring pic is extremely cool - I love the Exige in lairy colours. Your car is almost a twin of mine (except you've got harnesses by the looks of things, so I'm presuming a sport pack?) but newer. Agree about the petrolhead salesman!!! Haven't had any service work done there yet so can't comment about that, but Parky's a top bloke.
Awesome cars - do you have a higher resolution version of that 'ring pic with the orange Exige as well?
The 'ring pic is extremely cool - I love the Exige in lairy colours. Your car is almost a twin of mine (except you've got harnesses by the looks of things, so I'm presuming a sport pack?) but newer. Agree about the petrolhead salesman!!! Haven't had any service work done there yet so can't comment about that, but Parky's a top bloke.
Awesome cars - do you have a higher resolution version of that 'ring pic with the orange Exige as well?
Glad to hear you're enjoying your car, but something about posts like send a shiver down my spine. Rather like the same (silly) reason that I've never used the phrase "let's go for a spin" when driving a Lotus. The fact that the S1's all had STACK¦STACK¦STACK on the dash always served as a good reminder not to get too clever with the car.
Call me superstitious, but I'm always nervous of tempting fate!
Call me superstitious, but I'm always nervous of tempting fate!
S Works said:
Glad to hear you're enjoying your car, but something about posts like send a shiver down my spine. Rather like the same (silly) reason that I've never used the phrase "let's go for a spin" when driving a Lotus. The fact that the S1's all had STACK¦STACK¦STACK on the dash always served as a good reminder not to get too clever with the car.
Call me superstitious, but I'm always nervous of tempting fate!
I always thought the STACK|STACK|STACK was asking for trouble myself Call me superstitious, but I'm always nervous of tempting fate!
What a name for a motorsport supplier, especially one that makes displays / gauges that are always visible to the driver... perhaps it's a subliminal message to all the race drivers with STACK kit to make them try that bit harder 
LotusACBC said:
3 things:
1. So what was the small Icon of an Elise burning rubber button?
Eh? No button, just an icon that flashed on the dashboard when the TC kicked in. I have the icon, but it never flashes because I don't have TC.1. So what was the small Icon of an Elise burning rubber button?
LotusACBC said:
2. Whats a VXT?
Vauxhall VX220 Turbo. Basically a Lotus Elise S1.5 with the Vauxhall 2 litre turbo engine. IMO an underrated member of the Elise extended family but let's not start that old argument up shall we...LotusACBC said:
3. congratulations.
Cheeers. It's a great car.cyberface said:
S Works said:
Glad to hear you're enjoying your car, but something about posts like send a shiver down my spine. Rather like the same (silly) reason that I've never used the phrase "let's go for a spin" when driving a Lotus. The fact that the S1's all had STACK¦STACK¦STACK on the dash always served as a good reminder not to get too clever with the car.
Call me superstitious, but I'm always nervous of tempting fate!
I always thought the STACK|STACK|STACK was asking for trouble myself Call me superstitious, but I'm always nervous of tempting fate!
What a name for a motorsport supplier, especially one that makes displays / gauges that are always visible to the driver... perhaps it's a subliminal message to all the race drivers with STACK kit to make them try that bit harder cyberface said:
Cool
The 'ring pic is extremely cool - I love the Exige in lairy colours. Your car is almost a twin of mine (except you've got harnesses by the looks of things, so I'm presuming a sport pack?) but newer. Agree about the petrolhead salesman!!! Haven't had any service work done there yet so can't comment about that, but Parky's a top bloke.
Awesome cars - do you have a higher resolution version of that 'ring pic with the orange Exige as well?
Sorry for the delayed response, yeah i have the sport pack but i added schroth harnesses myself, made a big difference when pressing on a bit. Im actually waiting to buy the higher resolution shot, will send you it when i receive it. The 'ring pic is extremely cool - I love the Exige in lairy colours. Your car is almost a twin of mine (except you've got harnesses by the looks of things, so I'm presuming a sport pack?) but newer. Agree about the petrolhead salesman!!! Haven't had any service work done there yet so can't comment about that, but Parky's a top bloke.
Awesome cars - do you have a higher resolution version of that 'ring pic with the orange Exige as well?
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