Discussion
I had about 20 minutes on the Lotus test track in the demo 240R last June.
Track surface change on the back straight is a bit offputting and sight lines around the corner there make it difficult to see where track goes. However I wasnt able to get the 240R to even think of losing it in the chicance at the end of the back straight; i was backing off a long time before the car- definitely need more time there to build up the bravery. I had previously done quite a few track days in my Elise without too much excitemnet - just enough to prove to myself that i was really enjoying it and was trying to find the limit. Nearest I've got to any real damage was in GT3 at Brands but we kept it out of the gravel and off the barriers much to the owners relief.
The only place where the car might ever have got out of shape on the Lotus test track was coming out of the hairpin/fairly tight 180 after the chicane/ end of the back straight and in places the barriers are quite close to the track. Also look out for the rumble strips etc close to the fast track lines.
Only one of the (7 or 8) other lucky participants that day did manage to half spin in front of the "club house" on the fast left hander but I never got to find out how he managed it.
(Then new danish? swedish) Lotus MD did turn up later and was "complaining" that 240R testing was costing him loads of dosh as the Yokos were wearing out fast (one set of rears a day) thanks not doubt to Gavan's exuberant style and enthusiastic punters
(I said it was very cheap development).
Have fun!
Track surface change on the back straight is a bit offputting and sight lines around the corner there make it difficult to see where track goes. However I wasnt able to get the 240R to even think of losing it in the chicance at the end of the back straight; i was backing off a long time before the car- definitely need more time there to build up the bravery. I had previously done quite a few track days in my Elise without too much excitemnet - just enough to prove to myself that i was really enjoying it and was trying to find the limit. Nearest I've got to any real damage was in GT3 at Brands but we kept it out of the gravel and off the barriers much to the owners relief.
The only place where the car might ever have got out of shape on the Lotus test track was coming out of the hairpin/fairly tight 180 after the chicane/ end of the back straight and in places the barriers are quite close to the track. Also look out for the rumble strips etc close to the fast track lines.
Only one of the (7 or 8) other lucky participants that day did manage to half spin in front of the "club house" on the fast left hander but I never got to find out how he managed it.
(Then new danish? swedish) Lotus MD did turn up later and was "complaining" that 240R testing was costing him loads of dosh as the Yokos were wearing out fast (one set of rears a day) thanks not doubt to Gavan's exuberant style and enthusiastic punters
(I said it was very cheap development).
Have fun!
clubsport said:
Does anyone here have experience of Lotus' test track?...........any tips for a consistent lap???
Cheers
The last time I drove at the track was a couple of years ago.
Its not a very complex track, and simple to remember. Some of the surface changes are interesting, more so in the wet. At one end you have the roundabout, not sure about its proper name its the location that you can do under/over steer tests but as a track you use about half of it. This has a tire wall which you need to be very close to for a good turn in, then look for the "Gate" as a target exit line point. Then you are into one part of the back straight, normally with a small chicane to slow you down before a right bend and the long hi-speed straight part of the track. Then you have the bigger chicane which you need to break hard far and then slight right turn to head directly between the tire wall ( This slight turn in is at a distance from the chicane. )and then a quick left flick to get you past the last of the tire walls and then hard on the breaks again for the hairpin. Go deep into this corner and then turn in for the apex. When I was at the track a car had gone off track at the exit line but I assume the trees are now recoverd but it made a good point to aim at. If you go deep and turn in to make an apex straight line out you should be about correct. Then a slight left and into another complex of corners. Because of the sequence of right/left/left you have to compromise the middle left when you enter the first right by keeping much more to the right to give you a nice angle into the second left. This feeds into a right which if you get a good position for the previous turn you cut across both apexs and then you need to keep a slight compromise by keeping more right on the exit of this right hand so you can be ready for the next left and and slight right back to the roundabout.
Its been a long time but I hope this sort of helps. But you should have an instructor with you all day and they should tell you all the correct points to look for. In only a few laps you should have most of the correct turn in-exit paths and then its a matter of just breaking later and harder and slowly pushing the speed up.
Enjoy its a good day and the training will be worth the cost.
Apart from the obvous privelige of driving round Lotus's own track, I thought it was an interesting technical track. The surface changes didn't become an issue.
We got to drive Elise, Exige and the S.
I didn't get on with the understerry Elise....Exige was much better especially once there was heat in the tyres and brakes...still not happy with the lack of torque from the normally aspirated lump...even when carrying momentum through the turns there were occasions where you would have to wait for 1500rpm to accumaulate before phase 2 would arrive..aaagghh!!
By the time we came to drive the S it was raining really hard, the Lotus guys were excellent and allowed us back on track.
Despite the water logged track with real ducks floating on the standing water at the apex of the bend, we still managed to have some fun in the S....much more like it with useful torque to pull out of the bends.
Even in torrential conditions, the S could still be readlined on the straights and the A048 bought the speed down nicely before the turns. I was especially impressed with the way the S engine kicks from 5500rpm....giving the impression it is going to 12000rpm...before the cut out comes in at 8500 rpm....addictive!
All in all a good day and they definitely saved the best car until last!
We got to drive Elise, Exige and the S.
I didn't get on with the understerry Elise....Exige was much better especially once there was heat in the tyres and brakes...still not happy with the lack of torque from the normally aspirated lump...even when carrying momentum through the turns there were occasions where you would have to wait for 1500rpm to accumaulate before phase 2 would arrive..aaagghh!!
By the time we came to drive the S it was raining really hard, the Lotus guys were excellent and allowed us back on track.
Despite the water logged track with real ducks floating on the standing water at the apex of the bend, we still managed to have some fun in the S....much more like it with useful torque to pull out of the bends.
Even in torrential conditions, the S could still be readlined on the straights and the A048 bought the speed down nicely before the turns. I was especially impressed with the way the S engine kicks from 5500rpm....giving the impression it is going to 12000rpm...before the cut out comes in at 8500 rpm....addictive!
All in all a good day and they definitely saved the best car until last!
Gassing Station | Elise/Exige/Europa/340R | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff