In January 2003, Lotus announced it will expand its presence in the U.S. with the introduction of a U.S. specific version of the world-acclaimed Elise. U.S. sales of the 2005 Elise are scheduled to begin in mid 2004. The "Federal" Elise will retain the benchmark performance, handling and dynamics that have proven so popular particularly in the U.K. and Europe while being fully compliant with U.S. regulations.
The recipient of numerous industry awards and accolades for design, performance, driveability, and handling, the Elise is constructed around a strong, rigid, yet lightweight extruded and bonded aluminium chassis. Consistent with the Lotus design philosophy of achieving performance and efficiency through lightweight, this high tech chassis weighing less than 150lbs allows for a complete vehicle weight of less than 2000lbs.
A comprehensive study of the U.S. market and the success of the Elise in Europe and world markets have shown that there is a demand for a small, lightweight and very high performance sports car in the U.S. While remaining a hand-built car, a new state of the art manufacturing facility at its Headquarters in Hethel, England has enabled Lotus to build cars at a higher volume and introduce unprecedented quality standards, vital for today's discerning customer.
Lotus Cars U.S.A. is implementing a plan to provide the highest quality sales and service support throughout the dealer network and is adding new dealers in key market areas, making the brand more accessible to its expanded customer base.
|
chassis:
All Lotus design, lightweight spaceframe of bonded anodized extruded aluminum with integral roll over hoop, extruded aluminum impact absorbing structure and steel galvanized rear sub-frame, manufactured by Hydro Aluminum Automotive Structures a.s. Seating for two.
body:
Composite front and rear "clamshell" body sections with frontal safety structure.
engine:
Mid-mounted in-line water cooled 1.8 litre 16 valve engine.
Double overhead camshafts with hydraulic tappets.
Electronic fuel injection.
Electronic engine management system. fuel system:
Fuel tank capacity; 40 litres (8.8 gallon)
Fuel requirement: 95 RON minimum octane unleaded.
|
|
transmission:
5 speed transaxle driving the rear wheels.
Synchro on all forward gears.
|
brakes:
282mm aluminum/metal matrix ventilated discs mounted outboard front and rear. Non-servo split circuit hydraulic system. Front brakes fitted with unique Lotus/AP Racing opposed piston calipers.
|
|
wheels:
Lotus design 5 spoke alloy
5 1/2J x 15 front
7J x 16 rear.
|
performance:
Acceleration: 0-100 km/h: 5.9 s
0-160 km/h: 16.5 s
Maximum speed (estimated): 202 km/h (126mph)
|
|
tyres:
Unique Michelin Pilot SX.
Front: 185/55R 15 Rear: 205/50R 16
|
fuel consumption:
Urban: 9.76 l/100 km 28.94 mpg
90 km/h 5.65 l/100 km 49.92 mpg
120 km/h 7.16 l/100 km 39.42 mpg
total CO2 (g/km) = 150
|
|
|
standard equipment:
Alloy wheels, 3 way catalytic converter, coded signal immobiliser, cloth trim interior, black vinyl soft-top, unique Lotus/Nardi steering wheel, STACK electronic speedo and tacho with multifunction LCD readout
|
|
optional equipment:
Metallic paint, leather trim options, radio fixing kit, spare wheel/tyre assembly, auxiliary lights, Lotus design luggage kit, coloured and black cloth soft-top, full race packages, floor mats.
|
warranty:
Elise is covered by a twelve month unlimited mileage factory warranty.
|
|
the fine print:
Lotus Cars Limited reserve the right to change prices and specifications at any time with out prior notice. The information contained in this leaflet does not constitute an offer or form part of a contract written or implied. Quoted power, speed and acceleration are computer estimated. Drawings may show optional equipment.
|
Chronology of chassis development
Late 1993 Wood and clay buck for first interior design studies also indicated possible knock-on chassis design elements.
14.2.1994 Peter Bullivant Clarke of Hydro visits Lotus, detailed commercial discussions begin.
3.1994 Bonding rather than welding or riveting, as chassis element joining method is preferred by engineering before a partner is found.
4.1994 Hugh Kemp and Daryl Greig visit Hydro in Denmark.
5.1995 Testing of bonded joints begins by Lotus and three consultants.
21.6.1994 M111 project name officially adopted. Also, two wooden bucks created - one for design to study interiors and the second to establish main component layout (engine etc) for engineering.
28.7.1994 Anticipated 10,000 lb ft torsional strength with chassis weight 60-70kg. Both targets met with a production weight of 68kg. All major body elements - clamshell panels as well as chassis, now drawn and circulated.
9.1994 All minor areas of chassis also fully drawn and detailed for first chassis.
25.10.1994 "Gadget Building" at Millbrook houses structural bonding tests adhesives, extruded aluminium joints and rivets. Standard 325',Joules impact test from 15.7kg dropped over 2 metres.
29.11.1994 First extruded aluminium chassis from Hydro to "Lotus delivered at 69.5kg
14.12.94 First time engine ran in PI chassis at 12.32 hours
22.12.1994 Tony Shute and Richard Rackham take first laps in prototype (PI) chassis without body at Hethel track from 22.10 pm hours. 2 laps shake down and then in with a water hose leak. Weighed 550kg as a skeletal runner with windscreen.
19.1.1995 PI ran from this date and completed 100 laps of Millbrook Pave completed "without problems". Millbrook also began conducting accelerated corrosion durability testing in this period.
11.2.1995 Completed Pave tests totaling 1820kms/1130 miles. Chassis measured and re-measured for deterioration, none detected!
From: Lotus Elise; Official Story (see bibliography)
How to Build an Elise
Morris Dowton, a Lotus man since the Cheshunt days, was head of manufacturing for the original Elise. He recalled how the car was made ready for production in record time: 'One of the reasons it was so quick was the integration of the manufacturing guys with Tony Shute's team to help develop the car.
The first pilot and pre-production cars were put together in Engineering, then, when we got to the first production runs, we had the layout of the new line in position.' Dowton cited teamwork as the reason the Elise could be turned to a full production car from its original planned total of 2,700 units. 'if we've got to, we do eight days a week and 25 hours a day to get the job done. When we started manufacturing the car to the original concept we were building 15 a week, and it was a constant climb on more tooling because the success was a lot more than we anticipated. Not only did we turn it around to 3,000 units a year, but we got up to 3,000 units faster than we ever had before. It was so successful that every time we made a car it had to go out. At our very best we were producing Elises for urgent customers in three days and I believe that is world class for a composite-bodied niche vehicle.'
Building an Elise was almost like putting together a giant Meccano set, more assembly than construction, but the factory was keen to maintain the quality standards reached during production of the M100 Elan, gaining the QS 9000 quality management rating in 1998.
The complex front and rear clamshells of the Elise required a return to labour intensive 'hand-lay', much to the frustration of the manufacturing team. This entailed first spraying a gel coat finish into the mould to give the panel its smooth surface. The correct grades of glassfibre matting were then cut from templates and laid in before skilled operatives brushed resin on and laboriously smoothed the surface with a hand roller to remove air pockets. Each mould was made up of different sections, which were then unbolted to release the panel to be sent for baking and air curing before a second visit to the oven. Although patchy quality can be a drawback to hand-lay, the finish of the Elise was very good, with none of the kit-car feel that glassfibre can acquire. 'Hand-lay is pretty crude,' admitted Tony Shute, 'but the tooling cost is quite low and you can change it right at the end of the programme. When you're doing a two year programme you get stuck into doing things like that.'
Some panels, such as doors, bonnet, windscreen frame and sills, could be made using the quicker and lesslabour intensivee VARI (vacuum assisted resin injection) process, developed for the 1974 Elite. This method involves spraying the gel coat on to a female mould, laying the matting and then fitting a male mould and creating a vacuum into which liquid resin can be injected. The stronger crash structure was made by the more costly high-pressure resin transfer moulding (RTM) system. Once a set of panels had been produced it was taken to the machining area where a high-power water jet trimmed imperfections and cut apertures such as the headlamp holes. After final tidying by hand the panels then moved to the paint shop to be primed, painted and lacquered then baked in an oven to cure the finish. A check for blemishes under daylight inspection lighting was made before they could be sent to the assembly line.
Early chassis production was at the Hydro plant in Tonder, southern Denmark, but from 1998 it transferred to the new Hydro factory in Worcester, reducing costs and complications. The construction process and bonding techniques were conceived by Lotus, but carried out by the experts at Hydro. Once the aluminium had been extruded and machined, it wasanodizedd to pre-treat the surface before the adhesive was applied and the structure assembled in a jig. The bonds were executed in a controlled environment with careful monitoring of temperature and humidity to ensure every bond was perfect, before the rivets could be applied and the structure removed from the jig for the adhesive to be oven-cured. Steel parts such as wishbones and rearsub framess were machined at Hethel, with pressings stamped bycomputer controlledd tools and welded in jigs by trained operatives, before being sent away to be zincgalvanizedd.
Lotus-made and sourced parts met the chassis in the assembly area, more a progressive coming-together of components than the automated approach of motor industry big boys. The chassis was mounted in a rotating frame and first the wiring loom, then the steering rack, pedal box, handbrake, gear linkage and fuel tank and lines were fitted. Once the rearsubframee was in place the Kseries engine could be lowered in and the suspension, brakes and roll bar added. Next, the glue came out again to bond in the crash structure, windscreen and body, which aligned on special pick-ups designed-in as part of the extrusions. The clamshells themselves were fitted with lights and grilles on a sub-assembly before meeting the chassis.
With the body in place, the suspension was aligned, a job made significantly easier by the Hunter rig, which accurately aligned the wheels using hub-mounted sensors. The in-house moulded doors and seats, as well as soft-tops andvacuum mouldedd plastic parts, were hand-finished in separate sub assemblies before being fitted on the line. Once completed, the car was checked over, fired up and taken for a shakedown on the track before being tested for leaks. Twice a week, a car was selected at random to be given a full quality audit both in the factory under the daylight quality lights and out on the track to ensure standards remained as high as possible.
As further variations appeared on the same basic tub (see Chapters 3 and 5), there was a new challenge for the production team. 'Factory 1 became a more flexible assembly line, introducing 135s, 160s, 11 1Ss and 340Rs,'recalled Dowton. 'We had to work out different times for different processes for each model. At one time, we were producing 60 cars a week with five different variants on the line; every 30 minutes we'd produce a car. I was so proud of those people and what we achieved during that period of time.'
- From Elise, Rebirth of the True Lotus by Alastair Clements
Safety
Someone asked on the Lotus List about how safe the Lotus Elise might be? I was often asked the same question when driving my Caterham Seven. The car is light, very small (not visible), and has no modern protection like door beams, air bags, or roll over switches to turn off the fuel pump in case of an accident. I made the car as safe as possible by installing a four point harness, retaining the roll over bar, and installing a fire extinguisher. I also believe the car is nimble enough to help me avoid most accidents.
However, if an accident were to happen, there was little that will protect me. A large, heavy car will drive over me, smash in what little there is on the side and crush me.
An Elise is better because there are significant frame members along the sides and the frontstructuren is designed to crush and absorb the impact. The car is nimble so many accidents can be avoided. However it is still small, light, and low to the ground. There is no substitute for driving defensively and carefully.
Fire, I wonder what caused the it?
Notice how the front wheel went straight back and did not intrude into the passenger compartment. Perhaps the frame rail protected the driver?
Current Elise Models
Lotus currently produces the following models of the Elise Series 2 in 2003. The base model Elise and the Elise S share the base 120 hp engine, while the Elise 111 and 111s use the 156 hp uprated engine. All models differ in trim, suspension modifications, and wheels.
The Federal or USA Elise will probably be a Series 3 car since there are significant differences from any of the Series 2 cars. It does not appear in the following chart.
|
ELISE |
ELISE S |
ELISE 111 |
ELISE 111s |
ELISE 135R |
Standard Features |
|
|
|
|
|
Body Colour |
Old English White or Ardent Red |
Old English White or Ardent Red |
Old English White or Ardent Red |
Old English White or Ardent Red |
Red Silver Mica or Blue Mica |
Seats |
Black Cloth |
Black Leather |
Black Cloth |
Black Leather |
Blue Alcantara |
Door Panel |
Silver Senosoft |
Black Leather |
Silver Senosoft |
Black Leather |
Blue Alcantara |
Window Winders |
Polished Aluminium |
N/A |
Polished Aluminium |
N/A |
Polished Aluminium |
Floor Covering |
Black Carpet Mats |
Black Carpet |
Black Carpet Mats |
Black Carpet |
Blue Carpet Mats |
Alarm and Immobiliser |
Standard |
Standard |
Standard |
Standard |
Standard |
Central Locking |
N/A |
Standard |
N/A |
Standard |
N/A |
Soft Top |
Black |
Black (with sound insulation) |
Black |
Black (with sound insulation) |
Black |
Front Mud Flaps |
Standard |
Standard |
Standard |
Standard |
Standard |
CD Player |
Optional |
Standard |
Optional |
Standard |
Optional |
Speakers |
Optional |
4 |
Optional |
4 |
Optional |
Sound Insulation Pack |
N/A |
Standard |
N/A |
Standard |
N/A |
High Performance Brake Discs |
Ventilated |
Cross Drilled and Ventilated |
Ventilated |
Cross Drilled and Ventilated |
Cross Drilled |
Front Driving Lamps |
N/A |
Standard |
N/A |
Standard |
Standard |
Sun Visors |
Optional |
Standard |
Optional |
Standard |
Optional |
Technical Features |
|
|
|
|
|
0-60mph |
5.6 Seconds |
5.6 Seconds |
5.1 Seconds |
5.1 Seconds |
5.1 Seconds |
Top Speed |
125mph |
125mph |
132mph |
132mph |
129mph |
Engine - Mid Mounted K Series |
120bhp |
120bhp |
156bhp |
156bhp |
135bhp |
120bhp 156bhp
Alloy Wheel Finish |
6 Spoke Silver |
6 Spoke Silver |
8 Spoke Silver |
8 Spoke Silver |
16 Spoke Black or Silver O.Z. Racing |
Tyres |
Bridgestone Potenza |
Bridgestone Potenza |
Bridgestone Potenza |
Bridgestone Potenza |
Yokohama AO48 |
Front Tyres |
175/55 R16 |
175/55 R16 |
175/55 R16 |
175/55 R16 |
195/55 R16 |
Rear Tyres |
225/45 R17 |
225/45 R17 |
225/45 R17 |
225/45 R17 |
225/45 R17 |
Power To Weight Ratio |
151bhp/ton |
151bhp/ton |
197bhp/ton |
197bhp/ton |
169bhp/ton |
Insurance Grouping |
17 |
17 |
19 |
19 |
19 |
CO2 emissions |
177g/km |
177g/km |
163g/km |
163g/km |
185g/km |
Fuel consumption(Combined urban and extra urban) |
38.1mpg |
38.1mpg |
40.9mpg |
40.9mpg |
36.2mpg |
Manufacturer Warranty |
2 Years |
2 Years |
2 Years |
2 Years |
2 Years |
price |
£22,995.00 |
£25,995.00 |
£25,995.00 |
£27,995.00 |
£27,995.00 |
