Lotus Elise

Boxer6SVX · #1 02-06-2007, 04:43 PM

I was watching a 2 hour long episode on Streetfire about the development of the Lotus Elise... And found something rather disturbing yet interesting about its manufacture. Did you guys know the Elise frame is GLUED together? Its frame is also entirely made of extruded aluminum... Pretty impressive to me... Just wanted to discuss it since Ive never known of a car with a bonded frame made of extruded aluminum... They say altogether it weighs in at 690kg and is structurally stronger than welded... can someone translate that into pounds? Isnt that like 2200lbs?

Heres the link if you have 2 hours to kill and are as obsessed with cars as I am

http://videos.streetfire.net/search/...cc00a8270c.htm

Hocrest · #2 02-06-2007, 05:02 PM

690 kilograms = 1 521.18961 pounds

oab_au · #3 02-06-2007, 05:38 PM

690kg X 2.2 = 1518Lbs.

Harvey.

Hocrest · #4 02-06-2007, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oab_au

690kg X 2.204622622 = 1,521.189609076Lbs.

Harvey.

Fixed it

oab_au · #5 02-06-2007, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hocrest

Fixed it

Your just got too many buttons on you calculator.

I run off the page after 2 places.

Harvey.

Boxer6SVX · #6 02-06-2007, 06:24 PM

So 1500lbs and almost 200hp... thats an awesome power/weight ratio.... if the SVX had that ratio it'd be over 400hp... Mmm yum

RojoRocket · #7 02-06-2007, 06:26 PM

Frankly, I used to scoff at my Bro-in-law's "toy".......until he took me out with 2 of his clubmates over Thanksgiving for a few hours of terrorizing folks out in the hills East of Escondido. The car is incredibly light and agile and I'll remember for a long time the change in tonals as the little vvt-i came onto the second cam, right behind my head. I was braced against the convenient floor cross-member and the tunnel, hands in lap and groovin on the effortless way the car carved the corners and rocketed off!!
He does trackdays at Buttonwillow, and watching videos and looking at pics just doesn't translate to the real thing. Only wish I could have felt the difference the absence of my 190 lbs would have made.

In a word...SCHWEEEEET!!!

Glenn

He jokes about paying several thou over retail to get his dark blue "GBR Dino" and seeing them selling for several thou under a year later. I hear not a hint of regret.

SVXelerator · #8 02-06-2007, 06:27 PM

Mr. Boxer,
The glued-together process is very common for composite strutures. Very light and strong, but very, very expensive to repair if damaged

Beav · #9 02-06-2007, 06:29 PM

Cars have been glued together for at least the past twenty years or better.

The bucks for the second to last generation Firebirds and Camaros were worn out, yet the GM brass refused to replace them. Their cure was to spot weld whatever came close and glue the rest together. Jeep Cherokees, '84 and up, develop water leaks in the rear floor from aging glue breaking loose. The list goes on and on...

Boxer6SVX · #10 02-07-2007, 12:29 PM

Well the interesting thing is if you rearend someone for example. You dont ruin the whole frame, jus rip off the front subframe and bond a new one on. No need to straighten out twisted steel subframes.

I can identify with your experience of the VVTL-i as its now referred to. If only they put the K series out of the S2000 into an Elise. 9000rpm redlines, dual stage VTEC and 240hp. Sorry, Ive never been a fan of Toyota engines.... They've always been second to Honda especially now with the 197hp Civic Si and S2000. I like to rap out ridiculous rpms in little 4 bangers. Ive had the chance to ride in my friend Huy's 95 Civic DX that he stuffed a 2.2L H22A out of a 2001 Prelude into. No soundeadening material, no carpet, no back seat, no nothing, just the essentials and a dash plus front seats. Hearing VTEC engage at 5400rpms in that car was LOUD considering it had a high flow cat and hardy a muffler and a short ram CAI. Crazy death trap really...

Ricochet · #11 02-07-2007, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boxer6SVX

So 1500lbs and almost 200hp... thats an awesome power/weight ratio.... if the SVX had that ratio it'd be over 400hp... Mmm yum

A 1500lb chassis, not including wheels, engine, body, interior, etc..

Tony117s · #12 02-07-2007, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ricochet

A 1500lb chassis, not including wheels, engine, body, interior, etc..

The listed curb weight is 1565 lbs. I remember reading somewhere that the extruded aluminum chassis weighs around 175 pounds and is very rigid.

http://fast-autos.net/vehicles/Lotus/2001/Elise/

Here is a link about the chassis states it weighs 70kg which is right around what I stated earlier.
http://www.elises.co.uk/components/s...sis/index.html

Ricochet · #13 02-07-2007, 01:50 PM

I thought they weighed around 2000-2200lbs.. hmm.

Tony117s · #14 02-07-2007, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ricochet

I thought they weighed around 2000-2200lbs.. hmm.

I believe the newest ones due, but the older ones were lighter and I believe the one in the link I sent earlier was a euro model so it didn't have the safety features of the us model. At any rate they are all built on the same chassis which weighs 70kg.

cdigerlando · #15 02-07-2007, 02:50 PM

I'm pretty sure the new ones are like 2200 lbs assembled. I'm still gunshy of english cars ever since I owned an MGB-GT. It had the worst engine I have every worked on. Completly unreliable electrical system too. Thank you Japan. The only saving grace of the Elise is that it runs a tuned toyota motor. If it had a subaru motor it would be perfect

My MGB-GT was a handling beast though. Kind of like a big go cart.

The english build pretty cars, but they are not too good mechanically or electrically. That is why they have Ford and Toyota build their engines now.

Sorry if I have offended any of our British members. I still do love that country