Track days and Lotuses go together like fish and chips and the seaside; great enjoyed in isolation, but so much better together. Especially so with the current Lotus range, the Cup models in particular really showing their best on a circuit. Therefore the announcement of a new 'plug and play' digital dash, loaded with circuit data, lap performance indicators and data-logging ability, should be a welcome piece of news for Lotus fans.
Replacing the standard driver display in Elises from 2008 onwards and the V6 Exiges, the Digital Instrument Pack includes details of 4,127 tracks from across the world. Its GPS recognises when drivers are near a circuit; once start/finish line co-ordinates are downloaded, drivers using the DIP can calculate lap times and analyse their performance in real time, or after the event by getting the data from the device and onto a PC. A camera input is also standard, meaning there'll be no escape from dodgy lines with the GPS information as well. This is all assuming, of course, you're not in trouble for timing at a track day...
As can be seen in the pics, the six-inch TFT display is customisable to the driver's requirement. Certainly it looks a big step up from the old analogue dials, and is obviously much more neatly integrated than an aftermarket data-logger. Lotus' Aftersales Director Chirs Hinks said of the new dash: "We know our customers appreciate the motorsport heritage of Lotus cars and love to use their own vehicles on track days. Integrating a Digital Instrument Pack into an Elise or Exige is only going to enhance that experience."
Especially so when the new display only costs £1,470 including VAT (but excluding fitting), which doesn't seem much for the capability on offer and the reassurance that comes from buying OEM parts. The Digital Instrument Pack is available to buy now, and we reckon it would look right at home in something like this Daytona Blue Sport 410 Exige. You'll be the envy of paddocks across the country...
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