Lotus was established in 1952 by engineer Colin Chapman, in Hornsey, North London. Resulting from its Formula 1 racing pedigree, Lotus made street vehicles that placed function over form. Lotus vehicles commonly have spartan interiors, fiberglass or carbon fiber body panels and implement lots of other weight-saving measures. Many models, for example the prevailing Elise and Exige peruse from other automaker's parts bins to create a fast, light and trusty auto. Mixing a 218hp supercharged 1.8L VVTL-I four cylinder obtained from Toyota and a 2,000lb curb weight, the Elise SC is actually capable of a burning 4.3 2nd 0-60 and a top speed near 150mph. The "less is more" attitude of Lotus had been eschewed by automakers previously, preferring to add more h.p to nullify added weight. But with the current economy, more and more corporations are duplicating Lotus, trimming the fat off their cars and opting for smaller, forced induction engines that offer better fuel usage. With the present release of the Exige, Lotus seems to be going in the right direction and remaining true to their past.
With racing heritage entrenched deep within the soul of the company, the engine is the key component of any Lotus. Born and bred on the tracks, Lotus autos have always favored shedding nonessential clobber in favour of weight control and in turn, more speed. The existing Lotus Elise, whose production run has really just ended, is powered by a Toyota-sourced 1.8L 4 cylinder engine, which is boosted in the higher model levels. While the hp number of 218 is modest, the auto weighs in right around 1 ton, which translates to an amazing power to weight proportion. With a 0-60 of 4.9 seconds and a maximum speed of 150 miles per hour, the Elise can stay alongside of supercars that have three times the horsepower! Many automakers today are just now coming around to the technique that Lotus has evolved since its beginning in 1952 "less weight = more power.
Some Lotus owners could be able to skip this section altogether! Many Lotus models before recent times did not even offer air con as a choice, seeing it as, what else, a waste of valuable pounds that would affect the overall performance of their vehicles. To satisfy the current market and appeal to a wider base of customers nevertheless , Lotus started offering air-con as a choice on the Elise and the Espirit in the early 1990s. These air conditioning systems were small and just sufficient enough to cool the cabin enough so the occupants could remain moderately comfortable. Today, with the upcoming release of the Evora, Lotus continues to resentfully offer air-con as an option, so the general customer can ride in comfort. They still reserve a little batch for the true enthusiasts who put performance over their own comfort, and want the lightest, most tossable vehicle for their dollar. And to this day, no other automaker can make that quite like Lotus.
Lotus is all about driving purity, and this translates very well into their transmissions. Up until recently, the only possible way you may have your Lotus delivered was with the "proper" transmission "a standard transmission. Beginning with a 5-speed manual and developing into an all-aluminum short gated 6-speed manual, the Elise was able to grab the following gear quickly so the driver could get back on the throttle. Today, the Evora will be coming with an automatic transmission option; one which we will be able to only think will be in the huge minority of the Evora autos to roll off the line. With increased weigh and reduced performance, the automatic transmission goes against everything Lotus ever stood for, but they're held by consumer's wishes, and the general word was that an automatic transmission option was wanted. It is really clear that the best way to experience driving a Lotus is with a correct manual transmission. It is to be completely sure that Lotus may continue to offer their stellar manual transmission option on all their imminent models in the future.
While Lotus could be completely fine with sacrificing creature comforts that bloat both the base line and the number at the scales, they're formidable in including everything necessary to create a great, track-ready auto. With antilock brakes and 13 inch cross-drilled rotors on some models the Elise can produce stopping distances below 100 feet in some instances, totally thrashing the best from. Italy, Germany, Japan and the US. Yet another reason explaining why one cannot put enough of a premium on weight-saving methods for a vehicle's performance. The brand new Lotus Evora, slated for release this year guarantees to keep on the legacy of the Elise, matching (if not exceeding) the Elise's performance in nearly every way. We look forward to nice things from Lotus in the future as it continues to be one of the few automobile makers who truly appear to just "get it".
Just like any other component on a Lotus, the cooling system was hand-built with weight in mind. Using light-weight aluminum and plastic parts whenever possible the engineers at Lotus managed to construct vehicles that would compete with others with 2 - 3 times the horsepower and weight. With the realization of lightweight aluminum block engines, the need for cooling power is also not as great as in bigger automobiles with high displacement engines. Lotus was in a position to use smaller radiators and cooling lines than other automakers to attain the same results. The smaller engines may be able to rev more unreservedly to provide power, and do not generate quite as much heat, which also brings the price down on parts used, making Lotus vehicles more affordable than their larger counterparts. With technology derived right from time at the track, there's no doubt that Lotus may continue to advance their engine cooling systems in both manners of performance and reduced weight.
British engineering and electronics are two classes that have not meshed well together for some time. Nevertheless that is fast becoming an old stereotype that should be left behind as British automakers are continuing to produce stellar cars with electronic parts that are just as trusty as any other brand's. Lotus isn't an exception. Offering just about enough electronic kit to get the task finished, Lotus vehicles are reasonably easy in comparison to other cars. Usually lacking navigation, a radio, Bluetooth connectivity or other niceties, Lotus owners make a knowing sacrifice in the name of performance. With each automobile that Is developed and released, Lotus moves further and further away from the tired old stereotype of UK electronics, replacing it with machines the world continues to lust over year by year.
With racing heritage entrenched deep within the soul of the company, the engine is the key component of any Lotus. Born and bred on the tracks, Lotus autos have always favored shedding nonessential clobber in favour of weight control and in turn, more speed. The existing Lotus Elise, whose production run has really just ended, is powered by a Toyota-sourced 1.8L 4 cylinder engine, which is boosted in the higher model levels. While the hp number of 218 is modest, the auto weighs in right around 1 ton, which translates to an amazing power to weight proportion. With a 0-60 of 4.9 seconds and a maximum speed of 150 miles per hour, the Elise can stay alongside of supercars that have three times the horsepower! Many automakers today are just now coming around to the technique that Lotus has evolved since its beginning in 1952 "less weight = more power.
Some Lotus owners could be able to skip this section altogether! Many Lotus models before recent times did not even offer air con as a choice, seeing it as, what else, a waste of valuable pounds that would affect the overall performance of their vehicles. To satisfy the current market and appeal to a wider base of customers nevertheless , Lotus started offering air-con as a choice on the Elise and the Espirit in the early 1990s. These air conditioning systems were small and just sufficient enough to cool the cabin enough so the occupants could remain moderately comfortable. Today, with the upcoming release of the Evora, Lotus continues to resentfully offer air-con as an option, so the general customer can ride in comfort. They still reserve a little batch for the true enthusiasts who put performance over their own comfort, and want the lightest, most tossable vehicle for their dollar. And to this day, no other automaker can make that quite like Lotus.
Lotus is all about driving purity, and this translates very well into their transmissions. Up until recently, the only possible way you may have your Lotus delivered was with the "proper" transmission "a standard transmission. Beginning with a 5-speed manual and developing into an all-aluminum short gated 6-speed manual, the Elise was able to grab the following gear quickly so the driver could get back on the throttle. Today, the Evora will be coming with an automatic transmission option; one which we will be able to only think will be in the huge minority of the Evora autos to roll off the line. With increased weigh and reduced performance, the automatic transmission goes against everything Lotus ever stood for, but they're held by consumer's wishes, and the general word was that an automatic transmission option was wanted. It is really clear that the best way to experience driving a Lotus is with a correct manual transmission. It is to be completely sure that Lotus may continue to offer their stellar manual transmission option on all their imminent models in the future.
While Lotus could be completely fine with sacrificing creature comforts that bloat both the base line and the number at the scales, they're formidable in including everything necessary to create a great, track-ready auto. With antilock brakes and 13 inch cross-drilled rotors on some models the Elise can produce stopping distances below 100 feet in some instances, totally thrashing the best from. Italy, Germany, Japan and the US. Yet another reason explaining why one cannot put enough of a premium on weight-saving methods for a vehicle's performance. The brand new Lotus Evora, slated for release this year guarantees to keep on the legacy of the Elise, matching (if not exceeding) the Elise's performance in nearly every way. We look forward to nice things from Lotus in the future as it continues to be one of the few automobile makers who truly appear to just "get it".
Just like any other component on a Lotus, the cooling system was hand-built with weight in mind. Using light-weight aluminum and plastic parts whenever possible the engineers at Lotus managed to construct vehicles that would compete with others with 2 - 3 times the horsepower and weight. With the realization of lightweight aluminum block engines, the need for cooling power is also not as great as in bigger automobiles with high displacement engines. Lotus was in a position to use smaller radiators and cooling lines than other automakers to attain the same results. The smaller engines may be able to rev more unreservedly to provide power, and do not generate quite as much heat, which also brings the price down on parts used, making Lotus vehicles more affordable than their larger counterparts. With technology derived right from time at the track, there's no doubt that Lotus may continue to advance their engine cooling systems in both manners of performance and reduced weight.
British engineering and electronics are two classes that have not meshed well together for some time. Nevertheless that is fast becoming an old stereotype that should be left behind as British automakers are continuing to produce stellar cars with electronic parts that are just as trusty as any other brand's. Lotus isn't an exception. Offering just about enough electronic kit to get the task finished, Lotus vehicles are reasonably easy in comparison to other cars. Usually lacking navigation, a radio, Bluetooth connectivity or other niceties, Lotus owners make a knowing sacrifice in the name of performance. With each automobile that Is developed and released, Lotus moves further and further away from the tired old stereotype of UK electronics, replacing it with machines the world continues to lust over year by year.
About the Author:
Tyger Lucas has been in the auto repair business for over 30 years and his independently owned shop Lucas Car Care is the logical dealer alternative option to your agency for all Lotus Repair Houston.