new exige 2010MY MODEL slower

[XBOX]

Hi guys,

Just read some infor from internet is seems that the new exige model: 2010my model is slower? on lotus offical website the new exige 0-60m 4.5sec, and previous model 0-62m is 4.2 sec!!! and compare to it the elise sc is 0-62m 4.6 sec.

so, the question is: why and how come lotus make the exige slower!!!!

[Scuffers]

XBOX said:

Hi guys,

Just read some infor from internet is seems that the new exige model: 2010my model is slower? on lotus offical website the new exige 0-60m 4.5sec, and previous model 0-62m is 4.2 sec!!! and compare to it the elise sc is 0-62m 4.6 sec.

so, the question is: why and how come lotus make the exige slower!!!!

two things...

1) what makes you think the old times were right (or in fact the new ones?)
2) I am dam sure the MY 2010 cars have gained yet more weight.

[cyberface]

My new car (with 'performance pack' and allegedly 243 bhp) doesn't feel any faster than my old car (218 bhp standard 2006 model). Parky @ Lipscomb did think my old car was a particularly fit example, but it wasn't modified.

The new car feels more solid, door close with more of a 'thunk', the car rides potholes a LOT better than any previous Elise-chassis car I've owned (the big ones still make you feel like you've just broken the front suspension though) - it feels more of a quality item all the way round.

I reckon it feels heavier. But the arse dyno is basically useless in situations like this - the PP extra power is meant to all be delivered between 6000 and 8000 rpm and I haven't been there yet (nor could the tyres put it to the tarmac in the current greasy conditions at legal speeds), and 'feeling' heavier may just all to be due to better build quality.

Can't even say that I'd be able to tell by doing a trackday and seeing if I'm faster round Brands... since the PP has big sod-off brakes and I'd be faster purely because of better confidence under braking.

I very much doubt that the car is *slower* though. Times to 60 mph are notoriously unreliable anyway as they're all too often determined by surface, weather conditions and tyres on the day, along with how vicious you want to be. The new car has a launch control built into the traction control - presumably that gives the optimum race start, something I couldn't do in the 2006 car (and wouldn't want to either)...

[AMGexigeS]

0-60 times are also dependent on how much of a lard bucket you are too! Ditto that for the missus when she's with you? You could be lugging 30 stone in which case your 0-60 times diminish remarkably. Fortunately I'm 11 stone wet through, her indoors substantially less!

[TIPPER]

0-60 is a pretty useless yardstick of a car's real world performance and I wouldn't set any store in a difference of 0.3 seconds - don't think I'd notice it unless I was desperate for pub bragging rights.
Anyway, regardless of acceleration stats the 2010 model should be 2 sec/lap faster around Hethel

[Scuffers]

TIPPER said:

Anyway, regardless of acceleration stats the 2010 model should be 2 sec/lap faster around Hethel

by my reckoning, must be under 30 sec's a lap now (based on the times quoted 10 years ago!)

[Boggy]

Scuffers said:

TIPPER said:

Anyway, regardless of acceleration stats the 2010 model should be 2 sec/lap faster around Hethel

by my reckoning, must be under 30 sec's a lap now (based on the times quoted 10 years ago!)

LOL!

Driven round the Lotus test track dozen's of times, you would be hard pushed to get it under 1.27 in anything other than an F1 car

Boggy

[Monkey boy 1]

I remember doing a ride & drive at Silverstone a few years back. The guys there said that an Elise was faster in a straight line than the Exige due to it's lack of aerodynamic add-ons & scoops, but was slower in the twisty bits due to lack of downforce compared to the Exige.

So it's not all straight line speed that does it, it's how you apply it around a circuit

[Scuffers]

Monkey boy 1 said:

I remember doing a ride & drive at Silverstone a few years back. The guys there said that an Elise was faster in a straight line than the Exige due to it's lack of aerodynamic add-ons & scoops, but was slower in the twisty bits due to lack of downforce compared to the Exige.

So it's not all straight line speed that does it, it's how you apply it around a circuit

that was true for the S1's are the Exige S1 is physically much bigger than the Elise S2 (in terms of it being a much larger frontal area)

Whist the same can be said for the S2 versions, it's nothing like as pronounced, they share the same outline, only the wing etc are different.

[RobM77]

Scuffers said:

Monkey boy 1 said:

I remember doing a ride & drive at Silverstone a few years back. The guys there said that an Elise was faster in a straight line than the Exige due to it's lack of aerodynamic add-ons & scoops, but was slower in the twisty bits due to lack of downforce compared to the Exige.

So it's not all straight line speed that does it, it's how you apply it around a circuit

that was true for the S1's are the Exige S1 is physically much bigger than the Elise S2 (in terms of it being a much larger frontal area)

Whist the same can be said for the S2 versions, it's nothing like as pronounced, they share the same outline, only the wing etc are different.

When comparing the Exige and Elise I would have thought the different suspension setup on the Exige would be worth more time around a track than any downforce it produces.

[Scuffers]

RobM77 said:

Scuffers said:

Monkey boy 1 said:

I remember doing a ride & drive at Silverstone a few years back. The guys there said that an Elise was faster in a straight line than the Exige due to it's lack of aerodynamic add-ons & scoops, but was slower in the twisty bits due to lack of downforce compared to the Exige.

So it's not all straight line speed that does it, it's how you apply it around a circuit

that was true for the S1's are the Exige S1 is physically much bigger than the Elise S2 (in terms of it being a much larger frontal area)

Whist the same can be said for the S2 versions, it's nothing like as pronounced, they share the same outline, only the wing etc are different.

When comparing the Exige and Elise I would have thought the different suspension setup on the Exige would be worth more time around a track than any downforce it produces.

Go on then, how is the suspension different on the current Elise/Exiges?

[RobM77]

Scuffers said:

RobM77 said:

Scuffers said:

Monkey boy 1 said:

I remember doing a ride & drive at Silverstone a few years back. The guys there said that an Elise was faster in a straight line than the Exige due to it's lack of aerodynamic add-ons & scoops, but was slower in the twisty bits due to lack of downforce compared to the Exige.

So it's not all straight line speed that does it, it's how you apply it around a circuit

that was true for the S1's are the Exige S1 is physically much bigger than the Elise S2 (in terms of it being a much larger frontal area)

Whist the same can be said for the S2 versions, it's nothing like as pronounced, they share the same outline, only the wing etc are different.

When comparing the Exige and Elise I would have thought the different suspension setup on the Exige would be worth more time around a track than any downforce it produces.

Go on then, how is the suspension different on the current Elise/Exiges?

No need to be like that. I had assumed that the standard Exige ran different spring and damper settings compared to the standard Elise.

[noodleman]

Isn't the main difference between Elise and Exige the wider track?

[Scuffers]

RobM77 said:

No need to be like that. I had assumed that the standard Exige ran different spring and damper settings compared to the standard Elise.

sorry, was not meant to come over that way...

noodleman said:

Isn't the main difference between Elise and Exige the wider track?

used to be, but they are now essetianly the same (wheels vary between styles a little)

dampers are valves very marginally different as are the spring rates, but we are taking sod all in the scope of things

[TIPPER]

RobM77 said:

Scuffers said:

Monkey boy 1 said:

I remember doing a ride & drive at Silverstone a few years back. The guys there said that an Elise was faster in a straight line than the Exige due to it's lack of aerodynamic add-ons & scoops, but was slower in the twisty bits due to lack of downforce compared to the Exige.

So it's not all straight line speed that does it, it's how you apply it around a circuit

that was true for the S1's are the Exige S1 is physically much bigger than the Elise S2 (in terms of it being a much larger frontal area)

Whist the same can be said for the S2 versions, it's nothing like as pronounced, they share the same outline, only the wing etc are different.

When comparing the Exige and Elise I would have thought the different suspension setup on the Exige would be worth more time around a track than any downforce it produces.

With the S1 there can't be many cars still on oe kit and enthusiast owned S2s are probably heading that way.

[RobM77]

Scuffers said:

RobM77 said:

No need to be like that. I had assumed that the standard Exige ran different spring and damper settings compared to the standard Elise.

sorry, was not meant to come over that way...

noodleman said:

Isn't the main difference between Elise and Exige the wider track?

used to be, but they are now essetianly the same (wheels vary between styles a little)

dampers are valves very marginally different as are the spring rates, but we are taking sod all in the scope of things

How strange. I'd never looked into it specifically, but I'd assumed that Lotus would put a distance between the Elise and Exige dynamically.

[bogie]

RobM77 said:

Scuffers said:

RobM77 said:

No need to be like that. I had assumed that the standard Exige ran different spring and damper settings compared to the standard Elise.

sorry, was not meant to come over that way...

noodleman said:

Isn't the main difference between Elise and Exige the wider track?

used to be, but they are now essetianly the same (wheels vary between styles a little)

dampers are valves very marginally different as are the spring rates, but we are taking sod all in the scope of things

How strange. I'd never looked into it specifically, but I'd assumed that Lotus would put a distance between the Elise and Exige dynamically.

its the same car if you run the same wheels, tyres, shocks and geo...its just different styling

[cyberface]

RobM77 said:

Scuffers said:

RobM77 said:

No need to be like that. I had assumed that the standard Exige ran different spring and damper settings compared to the standard Elise.

sorry, was not meant to come over that way...

noodleman said:

Isn't the main difference between Elise and Exige the wider track?

used to be, but they are now essetianly the same (wheels vary between styles a little)

dampers are valves very marginally different as are the spring rates, but we are taking sod all in the scope of things

How strange. I'd never looked into it specifically, but I'd assumed that Lotus would put a distance between the Elise and Exige dynamically.

I'd assumed that it was all in the tyres... Sure, I thought that certain specifications of the Elise would be a lot 'softer' than the Exige but the 111R and all 'sport' versions of the Elise were effectively the same kit as the Exige with different clams and wheels and a soft-top.

The S1 Exige was clearly a track special - the presence (and virtual requirement for resale) of air-con in the S2 Exige range shows that it's much more of a compromise car - a 'coupé sport-spec Elise' that can be used as a decent daily driver if you don't carry much or have many passengers. If this is any where near true, then the only possible justification for putting A048Rs on as standard spec is to artificially make the lap time round Hethel faster than in a similar engined Elise, at the cost of endangering drivers who use them year-round. BMW's use of the silly tyres on the M3 CSL was similarly contrived, however epic the engine and focused the carbon-fibre roof, the standard M3 was too close to it round the 'Ring so silly tyres had to go on to justify the price and 'superiority' as a serious driver's car...

Not that I think this is a bad thing - I think the S2 Exige is bloody marvellous *because* it's so damn usable but also properly quick on track. It's not just for the hardcore like the S1 was, and you can tell immediately just by getting into one of each, let alone driving them. Some may bemoan this, but there's the 2-11 for track monsters, or Honda'd S1 Elises with bodykits.

The S2 Exige is getting fatter and more comfortable in its middle age, sure. But that makes it more usable a car more of the time, and given how much fun it is to drive, that's a good thing in my book. Traction control and cup holders? Let's say that the car is perfect as it is in my slightly compromised viewpoint - going further down the US-market or 'GT' route would ruin it, make the Evora look even more expensive than it is and become a noisy Europa - pointless...

[RobM77]

bogie said:

RobM77 said:

Scuffers said:

RobM77 said:

No need to be like that. I had assumed that the standard Exige ran different spring and damper settings compared to the standard Elise.

sorry, was not meant to come over that way...

noodleman said:

Isn't the main difference between Elise and Exige the wider track?

used to be, but they are now essetianly the same (wheels vary between styles a little)

dampers are valves very marginally different as are the spring rates, but we are taking sod all in the scope of things

How strange. I'd never looked into it specifically, but I'd assumed that Lotus would put a distance between the Elise and Exige dynamically.

its the same car if you run the same wheels, tyres, shocks and geo...its just different styling

By shocks do you mean the dampers or the springs?

To be honest, that's what I expected from the two chassis - different springs and dampers and a different geo.

As you point out though, there's no reason why one can't put the springs and dampers from an Exige onto an Elise. That kind of makes the Exige redundant doesn't it? The Elise has a very good hard top available for it (I've got one and love it), but of course it comes off for top down driving in the summer.

[Scuffers]

RobM77 said:

By shocks do you mean the dampers or the springs?

To be honest, that's what I expected from the two chassis - different springs and dampers and a different geo.

As you point out though, there's no reason why one can't put the springs and dampers from an Exige onto an Elise. That kind of makes the Exige redundant doesn't it? The Elise has a very good hard top available for it (I've got one and love it), but of course it comes off for top down driving in the summer.

point is, the dampers/springs are dam near identical, as in in line with the weight differences