ABS

[hungryjim]

I have just had my weekly newsletter from Whatcar magazine website. On it i read an interesting article about new European laws which may require all cars to have ABS in 2003 to help pedestrian safety.
This would totaly spoil the elise to make it another MX5 - MR2 -VX220 clone
Whats next compulsory baby seats in all cars ,wall paper ,an onboard Accident + Emergency unit
Yet again the European laws are going to make it harder for drivers to have some fun and drive anything that dosent run on rice.
Ill send an Email to the goverment or something protesting this

[hungryjim]

Firstly the VX220 is no as pure a drivers car as an Elise and it is more likely to contend with the MR2 .
The only other mainstream car to be fitted with ABS and is like the Elise is the MGF/TF in my view
There is no problem with driving aids but my worry is weight

[hungryjim]

The VX220 is a good car like every other good car ie. the MGF/TF ,MR2 ,MX5 ,Barchetta ,Z3 ,Boxter and TT but it takes something to make a totally brilliant sportscar like the Elise ,355 ,911 and Countach cars that will go down in history that everyone will remember as great sportscars in 20 years time.

[hungryjim]

Lotus should just stick 8 pin calipers and better disks on the Elise.
ABS would not allow the driver to be in full controll of the car and use his/her skills to get out of tricky situations .It would be an aid and that is what seperates a drivers car from an everyday car.
How heavy is ABS and where would they put it

[hungryjim]

its an excellent safety aid in big heavy cars - with servo assisted brakes ..

Good point,cars that are heavier and are built and designed for long journeys in luxury ie.Mercadies s-Class or Executive cars which are never used on the track but still have good performance need ABS as they are used as everyday road cars more.But the Elise is a drivers car and a big point is full controll.
I have no issue with cars having it but to make it law is wrong because it takes the whole point out of the Elise

[hungryjim]

One main point of this car is weight saving they spend loads to make this car as light as possible but the goverment is going to be making them add more -Its not fair
If the Elises brakes need upgraded which they dont but why not add 6 or 8 pin calipers and better disks to make it stop in seconds and the calipers would apply braking force more efficiently across the disk making the wheels less likely to lock.By the time you have steadily applied the breaks to full it will have stopped the car

[hungryjim]

The Standard brakes on the Elise are BRILLIANT but you can always have more
Not many pie eaters can fit into an Elise they tend to go for the MPVs

[hungryjim]

Air con on the Lotus is an option you will find that you can have any model without Aircon ie 111 instead of 111s .
It would be about 10-15 Kg acutually and it would have more of and effect that you think.
The best way to slow the elise more is to add better disks and calipers.

[hungryjim]

I know the Elise brakes are perfect but when i started this post i was arguing about ABS which would stop the ELise being a total drivers car so i think if the goverment want to make the Elise brake better which it dosent need they could Add better Disks and 6 pin calipers which would apply braking pressure across the disk more evenly allowing the Elise to be stopped by putting a steady amount of pressuere on the pedal but the brakes could be made to lock if you were on the track or in the country where nobody cares if you powerslide and skid about

[hungryjim]

The Goverment want to save lifes for some reason by making cars brake quicker.
The soulution is ABS
I dont want ABS or any driver aids on the Elise because that is not what the Elise is about.
The only other way is to upgrade the Elises brakes and a good way is changing the Disks and Calipers.
6 pin calipers would apply more even braking pressure over the Disk
In my Last post some of you mis understood and i want to clarify that if you steadily apply more pressure as the car slows it will stop quicker and if there are better brakes which there dont need to be but if there were the car would stop Quicker

[hungryjim]

I know but apparantley the Goverment want to make cars able to stop quicker and not lock the wheels .
One way is to put 6 pin calipers so braking pressure is applied evenly over more of the disk

Do you really want me to try to explain it again
you can increase the speed you apply pressure on the brakes without locking the wheels with better calipers

Who is Chassis no sorry never heard of him

[hungryjim]

I cant Explain it someone else try to put the right words and ill tell u if it is what i mean

[hungryjim]

Once upon a time there was a magical donkey named 'Fredrika'......

No I dont think you picked up on what i was meaning

[hungryjim]

Thats a pity

[hungryjim]

My point of better disks and calipers is that rather than having the wheels lock easily the bigger calipers would apply more even pressure across the disk.
By the time the pedal is fully pressed the wheels will have locked and the car will have slowed down more because the brakes will have stopped it quicker
Even though it dosent need it im trying to think of an option to ABS
If you thought of scenarios like the ones above all the time you would never drive.
You could get hit by a bus an hour from now while walking the dog.
Do you worry about that?

[hungryjim]

You still havent grasped it - by the time you got to locking the wheels the car would have stopped
I have to cross the road while waliking the Dog
Would ABS have helped with that German?

>> Edited by hungryjim on Wednesday 7th August 15:39

[hungryjim]

Yes that is almost what i meant but with more powerful brakes if you slowly pressed the pedal by the time the wheels would have locked the car would already have stopped.
Alot of you are forgetting the point of this topic
I was arguing against any brake upgrades but if the goverment wants cars to brake better there should be a legal distance that they must be able to stop in and whatever it was im sure the elise would pass but if it dident i would rather add better brakes than ABS

[hungryjim]

Do you actually read anything i say ,ill spell it out for you I AGREE WITH SOMETHING YOU SAID.The Elise dosent need ABS or better brakes because the original brakes are perfect.

[hungryjim]

If you are using the Elise as a long distance everyday car then ok
I would be happy to accept 5-6 kg of weight
But there would have to be a button inside the car which would allow it to turned off and on with ease at any time.
If it is a nice day ,dry road or on the track or a clear open bit of road in the country of town then you could turn it off any other time you could Turn it on Ie. long distance motorways residential Areas and Near Schools.
Probably wouldent hamper 0-60 times anyway.

>> Edited by hungryjim on Thursday 8th August 14:42

[hungryjim]

Every little counts