elise with exige engine

[gre_v6clio]

hi there,
has anyone put an exige s2 engine in an elise s2??
douglas valley have an engine which they would exchange quite reasonably for around 2k, anyone recomend this as a power upgrade???
obviously uprated suspension and brakes would be needed.
cheers

[TonyHetherington]

Isn't an S2 Exige engine (189bhp 1.8 normally aspirated toyota lump) exactly what's in an Elise 111R ?!?! So techincally you can buy it from Lotus themselves.

Depending on your budget would depend on your route, and age of S2 that you have.

[noodleman]

If it's not a Toyota S2 then no, you can't do it. Def not for £2K.

Different subframe required.

[NathanE]

Just buy a Elise 111R

[zebra]

gre_v6clio said:

hi there,
has anyone put an exige s2 engine in an elise s2??

cheers

The first question would be why?

Performance? Can you still get the upgrades for 160 and 190 on a k-series? As mentioned, other S2's already use the yota engine. Buy a 111r.

Reliability? Nothing wrong with the k-series; relatively easy engine to look after and again as mentioned, sub frame prevents this economically.

Wondering why you posted this when you own a clio? Not being a troll, just wondering if you have an elise, thinking of one etc? Would help to know more circumstances.

Zebra

[Hollywood Wheels]

And why would you need uprated suspension and brakes? Have you actually done any research into these cars? Theres a guide at the top of the page with loads of info......

[miles_stylus]

Hollywood Wheels said:

And why would you need uprated suspension and brakes? Have you actually done any research into these cars? Theres a guide at the top of the page with loads of info......

Touch harsh there Hollywood It's good to see someone who is going for more power also thinking about the brakes etc. Granted the route would seem not to add anything that the standard set up can't handle but good on the OP for asking!

Miles

[gre_v6clio]

im looking to chop my clio for an elise, cant quite afford an exige but would like to upgrade the engine at some stage so was seeing what my options were..

[Cuzza]

To all intents and purposes an Elise 111R is an Elise S2 with an Exige S2 engine - the powerplant is the same in both (and in sthe same state of tune) and the 111R is a little cheaper - sorted!

Edit>> Think the brakes and suspension are the same as std too (happy to be corrected on the suspension as not 100% sure)

Edited by Cuzza on Thursday 3rd April 09:59

[kambites]

I think the suspension geometry is the same but the springs and dampers are different? Could be wrong though.

[RobM77]

gre_v6clio said:

im looking to chop my clio for an elise, cant quite afford an exige but would like to upgrade the engine at some stage so was seeing what my options were..

Just to clarify the above, the Elise 111R uses the same engine as a standard S2 Exige. The S and Cup Exiges are supercharged for more power, but Lotus (or at least Bell and Colvill, my local dealer) do SC aftermarket upgrade kits for Elises and Exiges anyway.

Personally, I'd always stick with a package that's been extensively tested by Lotus on road and track; they're the best ride and handling development company in the world IMHO, and you have to really want more power to step away from that epxertise and go upsetting the balance of your car.

To be honest, power is only a minor part of the Elise experience, they're pretty slow cars anyway to be honest; even the 111R feels pretty ordinary in a straight line. If you want straight line speed in this price range go for a TVR or Caterham.

My advice would be to buy the Elise that you want, drive it for a few months, and then decide whether you want more power or not. I love straight line acceleration, but the Elise entertains in so many other ways I've always been happy with the standard 156bhp that my car produces, and I've driven it everyday for two years! Such are the talents of the chassis that I rarely use all the power anyway.

If you do really want more power, the first route is to look at tuning your existing engine, either via modifying the engine or via forced induction, usually supercharging. If you rule that out, then look at an engine conversion; Honda seems to be the most popular route.

[SeanyD]

Agree with RobM77. Mine's a standard K series S2, only 120bhp ish, but thats only one part of the Elise package. Also take into account its handling, cornering etc etc, the power is not the #1 factor IMO. I've also been a clio owner (182) previously, and the Elise is far superior once you get into the country and give it beans.