- Location
- Redstone Canyon, Nor CO.
as far as auto-x specific - here goes.
the Lotus runs in SS (super stock) in the SCCA events. That means running against C5 Z06's. The Loti have managed some wins in SS in the hands of the very best drivers - Matt Braun, Junior Johnson.
But it seems the Lotus suffers depending on the course design. Wide open flowing courses favor the Vette's. The Vette's do very well in the ProSolo's where launch is important. One of the remaining problems with the Lotus is getting suitable rubber to fit. I still don't think there are suitable sizes in Kumho V710 available so Hoosier has been the tire to run. The new A6 Hoosiers have reduced the gap to the Kumho's - they may even be slightly faster, but wear and longevitiy are yet to be determined. The A6's definitely handle lack of camber better than the S05's or S04's.
I know that Lotus changed the spec on the Elise - I think with MY2006, but possibly MY 2005. The new spec included an LSD. Some car tests I have seen indicate the car is slower in the new spec, but reports from the autocross course are that the LSD is a must have.
There are a few drivers campaigning the Lotus in Prepared classes, FP specifically. Randy Chase and Robert Puertas have been doing very well, but competition in FP is not as close as SS. I believe Randy chose that route so he could run aftermarket wheels that differ in size from stock.
The Lotus will be a blast to drive - as you have discovered, but will require a fair investment to be nationally competitive. I would guess between $10K and $15K. Probably about the same amount to prep a C5 Z06. If you only intend competing on a local level I would not change anything, and just go have fun. See if your local region runs a "street tire" class, and you won't even need race rubber.
If your intent is more toward track days, HPDE's, time trials and driving schools then the Exige is going to be a better choice ( I know your special deal is an Elise, not an Exige) Some sanctioning bodies require a roll bar on open top cars, so check with your local club to make sure your car will be legal for their track events.
The northwest region has a very strong autocross community. We see lots of racers from that region at events all over the country. Check out www.scca.org and follow the link to your local region. There will be a National Tour and a ProSolo held at the Packwood facility in early Aug. Some of our strongest Mini competitiors are from Seattle and Glenn Hernandez is also an EVO school instructor. He can show you how to extract the most performance out of the Lotus.
I've only driven the Lotus a few times. Here is what I discovered.
If you overdrive the car, they will push like a pig. Because the car is so light and tossable, overdriving is a constant concern. They do not like trailbraking, so brake early in a straight line, and be prepared to get on the gas waaaaaay before the apex. The motors rev like crazy, and the powerband is fairly tight at the upper end of the rev range. Not a concern on the autocross course, but on the track you need to keep the motor in the upper rev range. Only noticeable if you are used to Vette's where the motor pulls strongly from idle.
Great car, reasonably priced, not common. Make sure you fit comfortably with a helmet. The Elise is not too bad, but entry and exit from an Exige can be a PITA, and would be a hassle as a daily driver.
HTH
the Lotus runs in SS (super stock) in the SCCA events. That means running against C5 Z06's. The Loti have managed some wins in SS in the hands of the very best drivers - Matt Braun, Junior Johnson.
But it seems the Lotus suffers depending on the course design. Wide open flowing courses favor the Vette's. The Vette's do very well in the ProSolo's where launch is important. One of the remaining problems with the Lotus is getting suitable rubber to fit. I still don't think there are suitable sizes in Kumho V710 available so Hoosier has been the tire to run. The new A6 Hoosiers have reduced the gap to the Kumho's - they may even be slightly faster, but wear and longevitiy are yet to be determined. The A6's definitely handle lack of camber better than the S05's or S04's.
I know that Lotus changed the spec on the Elise - I think with MY2006, but possibly MY 2005. The new spec included an LSD. Some car tests I have seen indicate the car is slower in the new spec, but reports from the autocross course are that the LSD is a must have.
There are a few drivers campaigning the Lotus in Prepared classes, FP specifically. Randy Chase and Robert Puertas have been doing very well, but competition in FP is not as close as SS. I believe Randy chose that route so he could run aftermarket wheels that differ in size from stock.
The Lotus will be a blast to drive - as you have discovered, but will require a fair investment to be nationally competitive. I would guess between $10K and $15K. Probably about the same amount to prep a C5 Z06. If you only intend competing on a local level I would not change anything, and just go have fun. See if your local region runs a "street tire" class, and you won't even need race rubber.
If your intent is more toward track days, HPDE's, time trials and driving schools then the Exige is going to be a better choice ( I know your special deal is an Elise, not an Exige) Some sanctioning bodies require a roll bar on open top cars, so check with your local club to make sure your car will be legal for their track events.
The northwest region has a very strong autocross community. We see lots of racers from that region at events all over the country. Check out www.scca.org and follow the link to your local region. There will be a National Tour and a ProSolo held at the Packwood facility in early Aug. Some of our strongest Mini competitiors are from Seattle and Glenn Hernandez is also an EVO school instructor. He can show you how to extract the most performance out of the Lotus.
I've only driven the Lotus a few times. Here is what I discovered.
If you overdrive the car, they will push like a pig. Because the car is so light and tossable, overdriving is a constant concern. They do not like trailbraking, so brake early in a straight line, and be prepared to get on the gas waaaaaay before the apex. The motors rev like crazy, and the powerband is fairly tight at the upper end of the rev range. Not a concern on the autocross course, but on the track you need to keep the motor in the upper rev range. Only noticeable if you are used to Vette's where the motor pulls strongly from idle.
Great car, reasonably priced, not common. Make sure you fit comfortably with a helmet. The Elise is not too bad, but entry and exit from an Exige can be a PITA, and would be a hassle as a daily driver.
HTH
