Best elise to tune?
Discussion
Been considering looking for an S2 Elise, with a view to trying to squeeze about 200 bhp out of it. I would have about 15K to fund buying and tuning it. I had a really good chat with Dave Andrews about getting the most from a k series - very knowledgable chap indeed. Why so much power you ask? Well, going from a 175 hp Westfield to a Chimaera 500, I'm afraid 120 just wouldn't do.
Has anyone got any thoughts on which would be the best way to go (std, VVC...) ?
Much as I'd like it, dropping in an Audi or Honda lump is just far too expensive.
Nick
Has anyone got any thoughts on which would be the best way to go (std, VVC...) ?
Much as I'd like it, dropping in an Audi or Honda lump is just far too expensive.
Nick
From your budget it sounds like you'd have about £3000-3500 for tuning. I'm no expert, but it seems that things get very expensive, (and reliability is reduced) when you try to get more than 170bhp out of a K-Series. Obviously, if upgrading a basic Elise S2 to 200bhp, you'll need to consider upgrades to brakes and maybe damping too. There's also very few people who push the K-Series that far, so most advice will need to come from experts. If you've spoken to Dave Andrews about tuning the K-Series then you've already got some of the best advice available... There is someone at SELOC called KiwiRog who is also very well respected.
Have a look at SELOC (www.seloc.org) if you haven't already, but make sure you search first as most questions have been asked on there already, and they aren't very tolerant of people that ask things that have been asked 20 times before!
Have a look at SELOC (www.seloc.org) if you haven't already, but make sure you search first as most questions have been asked on there already, and they aren't very tolerant of people that ask things that have been asked 20 times before!
I think you'll find the problem with pushing the 'K' that far is the need for engine rebuilds on a regular basis. If the car is purely for road use then I believe a figure of 30k miles is achievable between rebuilds, obviously less if you're tracking the car.
Best option for that sort of power is to stretch the budget and go for a Honda powered S1. 220 reliable horses for 10k ish plus donor car. You'll also need to think about suspension and brake upgrades with that amount of power on board. Another plus with the Honda option is that when funds allow you can supercharge it to give a total of about 300bhp.
Best option for that sort of power is to stretch the budget and go for a Honda powered S1. 220 reliable horses for 10k ish plus donor car. You'll also need to think about suspension and brake upgrades with that amount of power on board. Another plus with the Honda option is that when funds allow you can supercharge it to give a total of about 300bhp.
K series is very easy to tune, but the general view is that a standard engine should not be pushed beyond 170/175 hp if you want to maintain good reliabilty on the standard components, I'e pistons etc
General view on the VHPD is a good, an properly put toghether one will make 190 + hp but it's at the limits of the k's engineering and it's life expectancy is probably a good 50% lower than a standard engine as a result of this, Lotus never went over 200hp because that was as far as they felt the engine could reasonably be pushed.
Somthing else to note is the S1 car's VHPD's were not built by lotus but outsourced, an quality was poor as a result, the S2 car's VHPD's were much nicer as they were built inhouse by lotus (to the right quality standards), but it was to late by then an the damage had been done.
The toyota 111r has around 185 hp out the box , an the engineering can easily take more, but due to perhaps the worlds most awkward ECU tuning it has been a nightmare thus far, with very few companies managing to offer a sorted solution,
General view on the VHPD is a good, an properly put toghether one will make 190 + hp but it's at the limits of the k's engineering and it's life expectancy is probably a good 50% lower than a standard engine as a result of this, Lotus never went over 200hp because that was as far as they felt the engine could reasonably be pushed.
Somthing else to note is the S1 car's VHPD's were not built by lotus but outsourced, an quality was poor as a result, the S2 car's VHPD's were much nicer as they were built inhouse by lotus (to the right quality standards), but it was to late by then an the damage had been done.
The toyota 111r has around 185 hp out the box , an the engineering can easily take more, but due to perhaps the worlds most awkward ECU tuning it has been a nightmare thus far, with very few companies managing to offer a sorted solution,
CaptiV8ted said:
Has anyone got any thoughts on which would be the best way to go (std, VVC...) ?
For the money that you're talking you'd be best to find one that's been turboed or converted already 2nd hand, as the original owner will have taken the hit and lost a lot on resale, e.g.its got this I guess clicky "Power is increased to 215bhp at 6500 rpm and torque rises to an impressive 185 lb ft."
Not much more £s than a standard 111s of that age, and a lot more grunt... so a good option, that is unless what you want out of this experience is the spanner spinning journey as well as the power thumping destination...
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