RE: Lotus Factory Test Track
Discussion
Lotus must be taking a flat fee for the day. Bums on seats (or rather, rubber on tarmac) is probably the organisers concern.
Essentially, the two days are feel good photo opportunity type events. The Lotus 7 and Elise patrons will probably spend most of their time arranging their cars for the camera etc.
It's just a shame that no other models will have the same opportunity.
Essentially, the two days are feel good photo opportunity type events. The Lotus 7 and Elise patrons will probably spend most of their time arranging their cars for the camera etc.
It's just a shame that no other models will have the same opportunity.
Err.. Could it perhaps be because I'm too tall to fit in an Elise comfortably, and Elises only come with one engine, and aren't in kit form perhaps.
I suggest you get your facts right next time!
I trust you Tim. But tell me why (if what you say is true) does your website only contain details of your recent Westfield kit car purchase? What a team player you must be regarded as at work...nice one *mate*
I suggest you get your facts right next time!
I trust you Tim. But tell me why (if what you say is true) does your website only contain details of your recent Westfield kit car purchase? What a team player you must be regarded as at work...nice one *mate*
Reply to Adeewuff:
Yes.
Reply to Tim D:
Your excuses are noted, but still excuses. Simply, don't preach about being a Lotus employee and needing to sell as many cars as possible on the one hand, and complain that the Elise has only one engine and is too small on the other.
Incidentally, aren't you chaps at Lotus supposed to be promoting the increased bhp engine upgrade?
It is a shame your view undermines the present campaign. Guess your are right, it is just the same engine after all and who better to hear it from than a Lotus employee in the know. Like I said, bet you are the *toast* of Lotus.
Suffice to say, if I was ever lucky enough to work for the Hethel lot, I would immediately use my staff discount. Doesn’t anyone say something when you turn up in the Westfield??
Yes.
Reply to Tim D:
Your excuses are noted, but still excuses. Simply, don't preach about being a Lotus employee and needing to sell as many cars as possible on the one hand, and complain that the Elise has only one engine and is too small on the other.
Incidentally, aren't you chaps at Lotus supposed to be promoting the increased bhp engine upgrade?
It is a shame your view undermines the present campaign. Guess your are right, it is just the same engine after all and who better to hear it from than a Lotus employee in the know. Like I said, bet you are the *toast* of Lotus.
Suffice to say, if I was ever lucky enough to work for the Hethel lot, I would immediately use my staff discount. Doesn’t anyone say something when you turn up in the Westfield??
How is not fitting in a car an excuse?? It is quite clearly a reason. What would you have me do, saw my legs off??
My own personal opinion is that I want a normal car to drive everyday which can cope with fitting bikes planks of wood or whatever in the back, and something more extreme for trackdays and thrills. I'm not after the one car fits all solution - personal preference. When I built the Westy there was no way I could afford to buy an Elise, and the staff purchase scheme didn't exist. The same goes now - the twin engine conversion to my car is within my price range, a new Elise isn't. (Even if I could drive one.)
WTF would anyone be in the slightest bit interested what car I arrive at work in?? In what way is it different to arriving in an Astra, Focus, hot-hatch, etc etc??
I wasn't preaching either - merely pointing out that any car that Lotus can sell is an advantage and will help the company to survive and go on to produce more of the cars we all want to see.
My own personal opinion is that I want a normal car to drive everyday which can cope with fitting bikes planks of wood or whatever in the back, and something more extreme for trackdays and thrills. I'm not after the one car fits all solution - personal preference. When I built the Westy there was no way I could afford to buy an Elise, and the staff purchase scheme didn't exist. The same goes now - the twin engine conversion to my car is within my price range, a new Elise isn't. (Even if I could drive one.)
WTF would anyone be in the slightest bit interested what car I arrive at work in?? In what way is it different to arriving in an Astra, Focus, hot-hatch, etc etc??
I wasn't preaching either - merely pointing out that any car that Lotus can sell is an advantage and will help the company to survive and go on to produce more of the cars we all want to see.
Sorry Tim, I was talking complete B*******.
Somewhere during discussions about the track day I lost the plot. My apologies.
While I have you attention, however, may I change the subject and mention Paul Matty Sportscars. They are by far the best Lotus garage to deal with and yet, if my car is serviced by them, I can not claim that it has full Lotus service history. When is someone going to champion their cause and get them accreditation??
[NOTE : I have started a new General Lotus Stuff/Paul Matty Sportscars gas on this topic and would appreciate your reply to that posting - Thanks]
Somewhere during discussions about the track day I lost the plot. My apologies.
While I have you attention, however, may I change the subject and mention Paul Matty Sportscars. They are by far the best Lotus garage to deal with and yet, if my car is serviced by them, I can not claim that it has full Lotus service history. When is someone going to champion their cause and get them accreditation??
[NOTE : I have started a new General Lotus Stuff/Paul Matty Sportscars gas on this topic and would appreciate your reply to that posting - Thanks]
Err, I still reckon these forums are supposed to be a way to enjoy discussion about Lotus, or am I wrong? No need for all this abuse.
Having been on two driver training days at Hethel, I think I can have a pretty good guess as to why it's Elise/Exige/340R only. The Hethel test track has its limitations. It has one really long straight (ok, with a kink in it, but if they dont put the chicane in you dont really have to ease off to take the kink), one other decent bit of straight and the rest is all quite hard curves. The bulk of Lotus' that attend track days are either Esprits or Elise derivatives, so you can guess that this would probably be the case at this one too. Anyone who has seen an Esprit on the Hethel track will know how much faster they can take it, particularly on the straights. Lotus normally have very tight rules on allowing cars onto the track due to the insurance, so I reckon this limitation is aimed at reducing the amount of overtaking on what is, in places, a pretty narrow track, with not huge amounts of run off at all points along it. I accept I may be wrong, but if well spaced out, closely matched cars with less bunching and overtaking makes for a safer day for everyone?
I know the Exige or 340 can outcorner and outpace a standard Elise (having an Exige on slicks overtake me on the outside at Goodwood when I was on the edge of my grip limit taught me that!) but they are a lot closer in their performance than the Esprit. Other models such as Excel, Elan 1, Elan 2 would certainly be able to keep pace, but I guess that there is logic in grouping cars with the same engine block and chassis together.
As for lack of Lotus togetherness or snobbishness between models, I really dont think so. The Elise in both S1 and S2 form is not an easy car to live with. It's hard to get into and out of, it's uncomfortable on drives of over 3-4 hours, it needs plenty of maintenance and the engineering is characteristically Lotus (anyone who has maintained their own Esprit/Excel/Elise/Elan will know exactly what I mean - ever tried replacing the clutch trunion on an Elise and found the bolts on the clutch master cylinder are nigh on impossible to relocate?! Any Elise mechanic will agree with that one!).
My point is that the Elise, like any Lotus, is a car with less compromise to comfort than other marques. Owning one requires a great deal of dedication and sacrifice. Driving one requires plastic surgery to remove the smile from your face. I find that pretty much without exception all other Lotus drivers of whatever model will acknowledge this with a flash or a wave, whether I am driving my dad's Esprit or my own Elise. The mutual acknowledgement really is a phenomenon that no Porsche, MGF or TT owner will ever experience. Owning and driving a Lotus of whatever model can increase your love of driving, of cars and of Lotus (not so much when it's going wrong though!).
And finally, if the Elise attracts people who might otherwise drive MR2's or MGF's that's fantastic! If the Elise can tempt them over to the dark side, they will want a real sports car for the rest of their lives, and that means more investment in our kind of cars. And that means more great driving for us all in the future. And Lotus might just survive - if it doesn't self destruct entirely one of these days!
As long as there are still roads where we can drive at more then 50 that is! Really all the anger so visible on these pages should be directed at the constant victimisation of us drivers. Why does Britain have to be so manic about cameras, tolls, traffic lights, radar speed traps etc? Forget the NHS, I'd have thought the main reason to move to France or Germany would be the better driving conditions!
Sorry for the length of this post, but all that abusive stuff really got me going.
cheers
Sheds
Having been on two driver training days at Hethel, I think I can have a pretty good guess as to why it's Elise/Exige/340R only. The Hethel test track has its limitations. It has one really long straight (ok, with a kink in it, but if they dont put the chicane in you dont really have to ease off to take the kink), one other decent bit of straight and the rest is all quite hard curves. The bulk of Lotus' that attend track days are either Esprits or Elise derivatives, so you can guess that this would probably be the case at this one too. Anyone who has seen an Esprit on the Hethel track will know how much faster they can take it, particularly on the straights. Lotus normally have very tight rules on allowing cars onto the track due to the insurance, so I reckon this limitation is aimed at reducing the amount of overtaking on what is, in places, a pretty narrow track, with not huge amounts of run off at all points along it. I accept I may be wrong, but if well spaced out, closely matched cars with less bunching and overtaking makes for a safer day for everyone?
I know the Exige or 340 can outcorner and outpace a standard Elise (having an Exige on slicks overtake me on the outside at Goodwood when I was on the edge of my grip limit taught me that!) but they are a lot closer in their performance than the Esprit. Other models such as Excel, Elan 1, Elan 2 would certainly be able to keep pace, but I guess that there is logic in grouping cars with the same engine block and chassis together.
As for lack of Lotus togetherness or snobbishness between models, I really dont think so. The Elise in both S1 and S2 form is not an easy car to live with. It's hard to get into and out of, it's uncomfortable on drives of over 3-4 hours, it needs plenty of maintenance and the engineering is characteristically Lotus (anyone who has maintained their own Esprit/Excel/Elise/Elan will know exactly what I mean - ever tried replacing the clutch trunion on an Elise and found the bolts on the clutch master cylinder are nigh on impossible to relocate?! Any Elise mechanic will agree with that one!).
My point is that the Elise, like any Lotus, is a car with less compromise to comfort than other marques. Owning one requires a great deal of dedication and sacrifice. Driving one requires plastic surgery to remove the smile from your face. I find that pretty much without exception all other Lotus drivers of whatever model will acknowledge this with a flash or a wave, whether I am driving my dad's Esprit or my own Elise. The mutual acknowledgement really is a phenomenon that no Porsche, MGF or TT owner will ever experience. Owning and driving a Lotus of whatever model can increase your love of driving, of cars and of Lotus (not so much when it's going wrong though!).
And finally, if the Elise attracts people who might otherwise drive MR2's or MGF's that's fantastic! If the Elise can tempt them over to the dark side, they will want a real sports car for the rest of their lives, and that means more investment in our kind of cars. And that means more great driving for us all in the future. And Lotus might just survive - if it doesn't self destruct entirely one of these days!
As long as there are still roads where we can drive at more then 50 that is! Really all the anger so visible on these pages should be directed at the constant victimisation of us drivers. Why does Britain have to be so manic about cameras, tolls, traffic lights, radar speed traps etc? Forget the NHS, I'd have thought the main reason to move to France or Germany would be the better driving conditions!
Sorry for the length of this post, but all that abusive stuff really got me going.
cheers
Sheds
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